My coffee date with Maddie became such a beautiful memory in my life – one of my favourites.
Not because I got to see her again after so many years, although that of course was a most wonderful part of that experience.
It is one of my favourites because that moment of reconnection signified the moment after which we never lost touch with each other ever again.
Even as I write this, it is more than 20 years ago that we shared a simple hour together, finding in each other the friendship we almost always had. There was no particularly reason why we ever disconnected in the first place – life just took us in different directions, and to different parts of the world.
It took only moments for everything to flood back – the mood was very much like it was at her 21st birthday party. Warm and friendly. Loving and close.
I think we both knew that even though there wasn’t any vibe or inclination towards any romantic relationship on this particular day, that now we were reconnected, we would always be a part of whatever life each of us would experience from now on.
We really have shared many special moments in our lives.
Several years later on the night that my son would be born – (that part of my story is coming soon) – Maddie would be one of the first people I told. My son was born quite close to midnight, and I sent a text message to each member of my family, and a text message to Maddie.
Yet Maddie was the first to respond.
She was over the moon for me. She knew that I had always wanted to be a father, and was just so pleased.
I was rather chuffed too, I must say.
That simple coffee date we shared cemented our friendship forever. Yet, while I would move on and soon start a family of my own, Maddie was never far from my heart.
It certainly was not the end of our story.