This was written as quickly as possible, in a race with Anne08. It took me just over 2 hours from start to finish. It is short, but I think it stands up (so to speak).
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We met on an internet discussion board. I'd posted some geeky advice and she confirmed that I'd got it right.
It still seems incredible that it's happened; though I can - and do - go back and read those early messages to see if I can work out how I got so lucky.
First there were a few public posts and in one of them she mentioned that she'd like to visit my side of the pond.
That was when I sent her a PM, to offer my services as tour guide and to boast about what my part of the world, Yorkshire, has to offer.
It turned out that her visit was a while away - just a pipe dream at the moment. That didn't stop us chatting about theoretical possibilities and sooner or later the obvious alternative - me visiting Canada - cropped up. Helen, as I'll call her, waxed as lyrical about her homeland as I had about mine.
By the end of that first month, we'd sent well over a hundred messages to and fro and discussed science, religion and politics - as well as flirting a lot too.
At first sight, we were very different - and not just that at nearly 60, I was twice as old as her. The labels we gave to our stances looked like a list of opposites, but when we got down to details we found that real differences were trivial: both of us were open minded and tolerant.
As affection and respect grew, we exchanged more and more personal information too, sharing triumphs and defeats.
And then facts about our family relationships. It seemed we'd both had, well, I'll just say, 'interesting' pasts - with our partners' knowledge and support. For both of us it was years since we'd 'played away', but it had happened, so there was nothing in principle to prevent it happening again.
Suddenly, reality burst in. I'll quote her message: "Let's please do try this."
That was three months ago. Both our partners knew we were corresponding, but up to then it had all been harmless fantasy; we had to go back and say it could be real. My wife just laughed and said, "Of course it's all right!"
Helen's hubby wasn't quite so quick off the mark. It was easy for me, not only had our kids left home a while ago, but I'd be out of sight and out of mind of our acquaintances - and we had had occasional separate holidays before - for instance, after China, I didn't fancy Japan: the climate had really got me down. So she went with a friend who'd had a lifetime ambition to go. Basically, I had no barriers to climb.
That wasn't the case for Helen. Her kids were still at school - old enough to notice, but too young to accept the real explanation. And this would all happen in her home town...
However we did manage to come up with a cover story: mostly the truth with the gory details left out. We'd met 'on the internet' and she'd offered to put me up while I made a tourist visit.
Then there were all the practical details - health cover, when was the best season to visit (late Spring, early Summer), and booking the flight.
And now I'm here.
The plane's just landed and taxied in. I'm leaving the plane and going to the baggage carousel. There's mine!