Watching Over Us

All those assembled around the oval-shaped boardroom table seemed particularly restless.

The Chairman of the meeting, David Brooks, well-spoken and self-assured, obviously knew how to conduct a meeting and corralled the unruly bunch of people before him into order.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said authoritatively, tapping a sheaf of papers in front of him on the table neatly aligning them, “Let us begin. Cordelia, as Andrew’s mother, who do you think would be best suited for him?”

The petite, elderly lady was immaculately turned out in a beautiful emerald green dress with matching pearls and earrings. “Well, I’ve seen how Julia and Deborah have conducted themselves and,” she paused, looking around the table, “I’m assuming we are down to just two candidates, now?”

A soft murmur rippled around the table and nods head in agreement. She continued assertively, “In that case, I propose that Deborah be the one.”

A woman of a similar age sitting opposite Cordelia smiled and said, “I think that’s a good choice”.

Cordelia smiled at her and nodded, knowingly.

“So, let’s take a vote,” David said, clearing his throat, “a show of hands for Julia.”

Nobody raised their hand.

“A show of hands for Deborah.”

Everybody around the table raised their hands.

“Unanimously carried. A resounding ‘yes’ for Deborah it is!”

Back down to earth with a bang after her divorce, Deborah had started dating again but hadn’t had much luck. In her mid-fifties, she was finding the dating scene extremely difficult to handle after the breakup of her thirty-year marriage. It was like being a teenager again but with all the extra baggage that a lifetime of being married brings — children, a slightly sagging midriff and a heavy heart.

Two hundred miles away across the border in England, Andrew was slowly emerging from a bout of depression following his divorce. Living in a rented barn, which had become known by his close friends as ‘the sad barn’, he dragged himself off to work and wasn’t looking forward to the Friday night bash that his friends had invited him to in Wales, but he knew they were just trying to help and liked to keep an eye on him. Besides, he had nothing else to do. Julia had told him in no uncertain terms that she’d had enough of his moping about and had ended their short-term relationship with a very curt text. That was all he needed. He liked her and thought the relationship could have gone further. She obviously felt very differently.

When John and Bridget, Deborah’s pals from way back when invited her to their house-warming party that evening, she really wasn’t in the mood, but she had nothing else planned other than to binge-watch a box set on TV with a glass of wine and a tub of ice-cream for company. Reluctantly, after a long day at the office, she motivated herself to get dressed up because she knew if she didn’t make an effort, Bridget would berate her.

“Do it for yourself, if nothing else. You can’t let yourself go just because you’re divorced. You’re an attractive woman.”

Deborah had been to John and Bridget’s parties before and they always made an effort, decorating their home beautifully for the occasion and were perfect hosts, always immaculately turned out themselves.

Andrew arrived bearing gifts of flowers and a bottle of wine which Bridget relieved him of at their front door before ushering him through to the garden where Deborah was chatting with some of the other guests.

“Sorry, can I just interrupt everyone? This is Andrew.”

Deborah stopped mid-conversation and took in the handsome man before her.

“I’ll get you a beer, Andrew,” Bridget whispered, slipping quietly away leaving her friends to get to know each other.

By the end of the evening, Andrew and Deborah had arranged to meet the following day and as it was a Bank Holiday, Deborah had accepted Andrew’s invitation to lunch and then a drive on to his rented barn for the weekend. It all felt incredibly comfortable between them and besides, neither of them had anything else planned, so they had nothing to lose.

When John and Bridget waved their friends off, who were now holding hands and smiling broadly, Bridget said, “You know, I’m sure somebody ‘up there’ is watching over you two”.

Back in the boardroom, David announced proudly, “I think our mission is complete. A special thanks to Cordelia, for coordinating everything.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure, David, I can assure you,” Cordelia cooed, her delphinium-blue eyes sparkling mischievously.

* * *

This story was first published on Medium, where you can find more of my work. Why not get a weekly update from my village in England by signing up to Rosy's Ramblings?

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