5,160 Miles [Billie Eilish]

Learning you

"Morning sunshine!" I heard the familiar chirpy voice shout across the coffee shop, his hand in the air waving me over.

Me and Mr.Webb somewhere along the line made it a Thursday morning tradition to have a breakfast and coffee date. I must admit the couple of hours we spend every week having a catch up are one of those little things in life that keep me going. Mr.Webb over the years became family to me, I never met my grandparents, so I can't say that this is what it felt like to have that bond with one, but I'm pretty certain it is.

"Morning Tom," I smiled, looking down at the coffee he'd already bought for me, "breakfast is on me if coffee is on you." Tom tutted, then rolled his eyes in response.

"So the house?" I questioned, looking for an update.

"The house... Well, I've had an offer. It's a good offer, definitely above asking price, but the house just feels priceless, you know? It's our home, our memories. I just don't know how to let it go..." Tom explained, twiddling his thumbs as he did so. He was married to Sally for fifty years, he always tells me stories about the two of them. I swear they had the most beautiful love story of all time. When I first learned of Sally he described their relationship as his 'one great love'.

"I know, it's scary to let it go but just because you are letting that part of your life go doesn't mean you're letting her go Tom..." He looked up at me with a sorry look, knowing I was speaking from experience.

My parents passed away four years ago. I think that's how I knew Tom had just lost someone he loved very much that first day he entered the coffee shop. I could see the look of pure grief on his face, and I was extremely familiar with that look since I saw it every time I glanced in the mirror.

"I always thought selling the house, you know downsizing to something more age suited would be something we did together," Tom paused but only to take a breath, "I think I'm going to accept this offer. It's a young couple, they remind me a lot of myself and Sal when we were younger. They're so excited, they can't wait to build a family."

I sent Tom a comforting smile, "I think Sally would be in complete agreement with you, and I think she'd be so proud of you for doing this."

We chatted for a good couple of hours before deciding to take the walk toward toms together- it's a lovely walk. Tom and Sally worked so hard to make sure they had a beautiful home, on a gorgeous street with so much greenery for their children.

Tom had no idea how to work cameras, and during breakfast I told him to make sure he had some pictures of the home to remember before it was emptied for a new family. Of course he looked at me as if I spoke a different language, he really has no idea how to work a camera. So in I went to make an album of photos of the house. I know Tom very well and he regularly gets upset over not having a literal library full of photos of his wife, so making sure I got these for him was a priority.