Lydia was walking in to the front door of her apartment with the shopping. She held one bag of groceries in her hand, using the other to text her daughter, Sulama.
She didn't even know what had hit her. The shopping fell from her hand, the contents scattering loosely across the floor. She looked up with shock to see a tall, middle aged gentleman wearing a pint striped suit. He was wearing black rimmed glasses, was thin and had a receding hairline, the front of his forehead clearly visible, with strands of grey interspersed with the natural light brown of his remaining hair.
"Sorry. I should really look where I'm going," he said, bending forwards to help pick up items of fruit and vegetables which lay scattered on the concrete landing.
"Oh....it's er...OK," Lydia smiled nervously as she bent down to pick up the remaining items of shopping.
"I'm sorry we had to meet this way. I'm Andrew. I've just moved into number six."
"Lydia. I live in number 12. Don't worry. It's been nice to meet you. Anyway, I'd better get inside."
"Ok. Well maybe I'll see you round"
Andrew smiled and then turned to continue walking up the stairs to his own apartment. Lydia paused for a moment before retrieving her keys from her coat pocket and turning to open her front door.
"What a nice man," Lydia thought to herself as she turned the key and entered.
She had no sooner packed the shopping away than her phone made a 'ping' sound, indicating that her eldest daughter, Sulama, had responded to her earlier text. She walked to the kitchen table and picked up the phone, before pressing a few buttons and opening the message.
"I'll be over at 8. Looking forward to it," it said
She closed the message and then realised that she would have to go and pick up her young son, Robert from school. He was twelve, his father Gerard being the only partner Lydia had had since the father of her two daughters, Sulama and Shaahira, had gone to prison for a brutal murder almost fifteen years ago. Gerard himself had died of a heart attack at the age of seventy, eight years ago.
Lydia had become used to her own routine. She was forty four years of age and still took care of her appearance. She still had an impressively slim figure and black hair, which reached just beyond her shoulders. Her face showed the lines of years of having to bring up three children largely single handed, as well as the trauma of losing two husbands.
Munner bin Fareed had swept her off her feet when she was only sixteen, and they were married shortly afterwards. He was Moroccan and had seemed romantic, dark and mysterious. It was only a matter of moths into their marriage however, that she ended up on the receiving end of his furious temper. He thought nothing of sleeping round with other women and, with the birth of their two daughters, Lydia had to separate from him to protect herself and the children. He later helped his sister murder her husband and lover, who were having a torrid affair behind his sisters back.
Shortly after Munner went to prison, Gerard Meo, a rich sixty five year old businessman, took an instant shine to Lydia. She was flattered and, even though she was only thirty at the time, the age gap didn't seem to matter. She had Robert, before Gerard's untimely heart attack.
Lydia picked up her car keys and walked out the front door.
When she picked up Robert from school and returned to the apartment, she was surprised to see Andrew walking down the stairs once again.
"Oh. Hi there," he waved.
Lydia smiled back.
"Is that your new boyfriend?" Robert asked with a cheeky smile.
"No it certainly is not. Less of your cheek!"
Robert laughed as they both went into the apartment and Lydia shut the door.
Sulama stood outside the apartment and rang the bell. She had long, dark hair. She was already several months pregnant by her husband Kent, the bump of her soon to be born already clearly evident.
"Hi, come on in," Lydia said on opening the door.
Sulama walked in, hugged her mother and walked towards the living room, leaving her handbag on the coffee table in front of her as she gently lowered herself onto the couch.
"I've made coffee if you want any?"
"Thanks mum. That'd be great"
Lydia brought two steaming mugs through and sat next to Sulama.
"So how are you and Kent looking forward to the birth?"
"Well, how can you really prepare for such a big event? We've got nappies, got a plan for when I go into labour, started talking about baby names....what else can we do?" "You know I'm really proud of you. After everything with your father, you could have gone in the wrong direction. I'm just glad you've found happiness with a man you really love."
Sulama pursed her lips before speaking.
"What about you though mum? I want you to be happy. Robert isn't going to be around forever. He'll leave home when he's older and then what? You'll be stuck in his place with no-one around."
"Well thanks!" Lydia responded with mock dismay.
"You know what I mean. Everyone gets lonely. You don't get out much. You should get out more and have some fun. Aren't there any guys you have your eyes on?"
Lydia laughed.
"What? What is it? Sulama smiled broadly.
"That's exactly what I used to say to you when you were younger. Shaahira was always the wild one. You always just wanted to hang around the house. I had to try and find new and ingenious ways to get rid of you so I could get some space!"
"Now it's my turn to ask for thanks!" Sulama let herself fall against the back of the sofa laughing.
"Anyway....I'm forty four now. I'm not exactly a spring chicken. You have your whole life in front of you. I've lived enough experiences to fill two lifetimes and I just want to rest and do without the hassle."
They sat chatting for a couple more hours before Sulama got up to leave.
"You need plenty of rest now in your condition. You get tired easily so just take I easy OK?"
"Can you stop worrying mum?? I'll be fine. I've got Kent to do all the shopping, cooking and cleaning and stuff, so I just put up my feet and relax for the evening".
Lydia saw her daughter to the front door and then closed it as Sulama left.
Robert was upstairs in his room, playing on his latest Xbox game. Lydia turned the TV on and started watching a documentary on orang-utans. When that had finished she went upstairs to his room.
"Time to go to bed. You've been on that thing since you got back from school."
He scowled, placing the game controller on the floor sullenly and getting up to prepare for bed.
