I'm used to not seeing many of my friends on a regular basis, we live in different countries but Lilly lives fifteen minutes away and we see each other 3-4 times each week. When you spend that much time with someone you really are on the same wave length. You just instinctively know how they are doing, how they are feeling. Lilly is the person that I laugh and cry with. We have so much in common. Giggling is a very normal state for us to be in. We just bounce off each other; It's great. So being apart for such a long time was quite tough for us both. I missed her as she missed me. And this isn't to take anything away from all my other beautiful friends but Lilly is here.
So I turned up for sundowners. Normally we partake of one or two reasonably strong G&T's but I knew that this momentous return to sundowners required something much more. A bottle of Veuve Clicqout was thrown in the freezer two hours before hand, ready for a celebratory cheers. Yes, I know that's not the way to chill a bottle of bubbles but when needs must, and trust me that needs most definitely did must, it has to be done. And very nicely chilled it was too thank you very much.
First of all, I was treated to the most heart felt hug I've had for a very long time. The type that totally squishes you both physically and emotionally. An amazing feeling. And then I received rapturous welcomes from both of her beautiful daughters, who appeared to be equally as pleased to see me. In fact culminating in her eldest daughter stating that 'Sarah must be shared'!! I like that; I might get a tee shirt with that on it!
Eight weeks of travelling, visiting family and friends leads to an awful lot of talking. So much to share, so much to discuss. Bearing in mind that Lilly and I can talk nonstop at the best of times, so try and imagine how sundowners were. Lovely to say the least. And her poor husband returned home after a peaceful evening kayaking on the ocean, to two women in full flow. Bottle of bubbles consumed and the obligatory G&T in the process of being consumed. That is how he found us, curled up on a sofa each with the girls bouncing around sharing me. At this point I realised that sundowners had actually passed and it was definitely time for me to go home and leave this lovely family time to get on with their evening. I had actually told DickyB that I would he home hours before he landed, that I expected to be home by 8pm. Are you seeing where this is going...
As I suggested it was time to leave there was a chorus of 'No, stay for dinner'. Of course I pointed out that they really should have their time but they all insisted that I stay, so stay I did. Sundowners turned into an incredible evening of us all catching up and putting the world to rights. All the while Lilly was quietly and confidently putting together a meal for both the girls and the three adults. It was a seamless activity that you almost wouldn't be aware of it happening until we sat down to eat. A bottle of red wine was opened, which led to a second and we just fell into that comfortable conversational mode, relaxed and feeling good about life. This was one of those perfect evenings; unplanned and unexpected. The type that is good for your soul.
At 1:30am I got a text from my lovely DickyB saying he had landed; oh god, I was still out. Quick book a taxi, and try and get home first! Haha. So amongst a flurry of giggles and goodbyes I jumped in the taxi and headed home, arriving about twenty minutes before my hubby walked through the door. I must confess to being a tad pickled. Enough to FaceTime Ben and Sam, who instantly commented on the fact I was pickled... How on earth could they tell that?!! Haha!
But this was an evening that started with sundowners and ended with Moonrisers. We did watch the sun go down and we did in fact watch the moon rise. A perfect evening with very good friends. An evening that's already become a memory to be cherished, that makes me giggle. An evening when we lost all concept of time and it didn't matter at all. I was home before my DickyB and we were all happy and relaxed. That's what friendship is about. Moments to be cherished
Thank you, Lilly and Hussain for a wonderful evening. Your friendship eased my homesickness. Love you.