Sorry about the long chapter folks, but it would not split easily.  

          I hope you like it nevertheless.

                                                                      *   *   *   *   *   *   *

At 10.30 am on Saturday morning, Clare was standing outside of Alan's apartment, feeling concerned. He answered the door immediately, holding a folded duster.

"Hi, Clare. Come on in." he said. He still looked pale and frayed, she thought.

"Hello, Alan, how are you feeling? I've been worried about you." She stepped into the spacious Hallway.

"Much better, thanks. It doesn't usually clear up this quickly."

"No lump on your head or anything?"

"No, just the migraine."

He smiled at her brightly and opening a large cupboard, put the duster away. A vacuum cleaner, steps and other large items were placed here and on the left hand side a narrow row of shelves held smaller items, neatly stacked. It was so Alan.

"I didn't realise that was a cupboard." she said.

"There's a shower room and toilet next to it." he replied and went across and opened the door for her to see inside. It was a beautiful, large room with black and white tiling.

He walked into the lounge and she followed happily, now knowing that he was all right. Romantic music was playing on the stereo and feeling suddenly emotional, tears sprang to her eyes.

"I can't listen to love songs."

"I'm sorry, I didn't give it a thought." Alan said, turning the music off.

"No, I'm sorry. I feel like I spoil everyone's fun, dragging all this sadness around."

She sat down on the red sofa. Alan came and stood at her side.

"Well," he said gently, "Time is a great healer, so they say."

She looked up at him. "You're so good to me. I'm so grateful to you and Angie. It would have been much worse without your support... and my family, of course."

She stopped for a moment, deep in thought.

"How do people manage if they have no family? Jessica was brought up in a Care Home, she has no family at all. I know you don't like her, but she's done very well to have come this far, all on her own, don't you think? It's quite an achievement."

"Really? I didn't know that. Poor Jessica. I know me and Philip lost mum and dad when we were in our early twenties, but we had their love and guidance for quite a long time. Well, you never know, do you?" Alan paused then said, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes, that would be nice."

He wandered into the kitchen and she rose from the sofa and followed him. He filled the kettle and switched it on.

"What a lovely kitchen." she said. "Did you do this?"

"It was fitted just six months before I came. It is nice, I would have chosen this myself."

"Yes, I would too." she said. "It's really lovely."

His modern kitchen was stylish and looked expensive and was large enough for a small breakfast table under the window.

"They're not cheap are they, new kitchens." said Clare. "I need one. I think I'll ask Angie to come and choose one with me."

As they waited for the kettle to boil, Alan plopped tea bags into two bone china mugs.

"Bob came back to the office last night and I told him about Gary." said Clare.

"Oh don't tell me...he's going to call the Police." Alan replied.

"Yes, on Monday. I think you knew that was a possibility. Bob always does things the right way."

"Oh God, I can't stand the thought of it!"

"Perhaps not, but we all feel that same. Gary needs to learn his lesson and Bob is furious with Gary's dad for putting him in this position. Knowing Gary, he'll sue Dixon's for unfair dismissal, so having the support of the Police will help."

Alan looked disgruntled, so Clare said no more. She wandered to the kitchen window and looked out on the garden, which mostly consisted of lawn, with a high wall around it.

"I love it here. It's unusual to have a garden. Is it quiet?"

"Yes, apart from Tarquin, Barking and Larking that is." said Alan pulling a face. "I've settled in really well."

The water boiled and Alan poured it into the cups.

"Who are they?" asked Clare smiling.

"Three rugby players who live in the next block. I can't remember their real names. They're a pain in the neck or the backside, whichever you prefer."

"Tarquin, Barking and Larking?" asked Clare.

"One is barking mad, the other is always larking about and Tarquin speaks for itself, what a stupid name. Fancy calling a baby that! But it suits him, he's more stupid than his name.  I don't remember their real names, but they're quite mad, all three of 'em. Sugar?"  

Clare was always amazed that Alan found trivial things hard to remember, as by now he should have known she took sugar in her tea.

"Just one, please." He gave her mug one teaspoon and then heaped three into his.

"You do know, Alan, don't you that sugar is called the 'white death?' It causes heart attacks. Haven't you tried cutting down?"

He smiled. "Come into the lounge."

"I know you're young, but three sugars?"

He laughed. She sat down on the red leather sofa and he sat next to her.

"You're laughing at me!" she said.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. What did I say?"

"The sugar, but it doesn't matter because I don't eat much sweet stuff, no cake or chocolate."

"I love chocolate. It's not good for the heart either, though is it?" she said.

As they sipped their tea, her eyes scanned the room, which was large enough for a three seater sofa and two two seaters, in red leather. The walls were painted cream with modern white uplighters. The flooring was real wood, covered by a fluffy red rug. On the left hand wall was a set of modern shelves, a desk with a chair, and a small telephone table with a drawer. The lounge door was on the left next to the fireplace. An attractive silver carriage clock stood on the mantle-piece and hanging above it, a large, stunning mirror with an engraved silver frame. To the right, was Alan's pride and joy; a large screen television.

Doors on the right led to the Alan's bedroom and the kitchen. Behind the large sofa, facing the fireplace, was a small dining table with four chairs against the large balcony window to the left of which was the balcony door.

"It's a lovely apartment. I'd like one like this, it's so roomy."

"I'm very pleased with it and as I said, I've settled in quite well. The only drawback was not having a garage for the car, but I've just solved that problem." They were silent for a while and drank their tea.

"I need to find a new cleaner." said Alan. "I came back one day to find her sitting on my sofa, drinking my coffee, with some man."

"What a nerve!" said Clare.

"She's 62 and a married woman with three grandchildren. What on earth was she thinking! Adultery is up there with murder as far as I'm concerned. I think it's disgraceful, really."

Alan was serious and Clare laughed at his face. She always found him funny when he was being serious.

"It's not funny, Clare, it's really not." he said, crossly.

"No, it's not that, it's your face." she laughed.

"It's such a nuisance." said Alan. "She did my washing, ironing and everything. I'm not domesticated at all. How am I going to manage?" He looked positively furious and Clare laughed again.

"Men!" she said.

"You and Angie will get yourselves into trouble one of these days with your sexist remarks. I've told you before, it's not right." he replied.

"I know, but men are hopeless sometimes and I'm afraid you're no exception." she continued to laugh. He was looking annoyed, so she tried to stop.

"Don't worry. I don't mind helping you out until you find someone. It wouldn't take long to keep this clean. We could write out an advert now, if you like and put it on the notice board downstairs. You never know, perhaps someone here might know of a cleaner."

Alan looked surprised.

"You would come and help me out?"

"Yes, but only if you try very hard to find someone else." She added jokingly, "It might affect my work and my boss might not like it."

Alan smiled. "That's very kind of you, I'd pay you, of course."

"Oh, don't be silly. You've been so good to me, every time I ask for help you're there. Is there anything I can do now, while I'm here?"

"Well, no, everything's okay for the moment. Would you like to see the rest of the flat?" 

"Yes, I'd love to."

She followed him out onto the balcony, where he'd placed a small round table and a couple of chairs. The balcony overlooked the garden, where a young mother and father were sitting on one of the benches with a small child in a buggy, eating a bun. Clare stood and watched them. She loved to watch parents with their children. It was always fascinating, watching the acts of affection and the amusing things children did. It was too far away to hear their conversation, but she'd loved to hear that too, if she was close enough.

Alan was also watching. "I often wonder what my baby would have been like. Would it have been a boy or a girl and what would he or she be doing now?"

His words tugged sharply at her heart-strings. She understood precisely how he felt.

"I know. I feel the same. If I hadn't lost my baby it would be ten months old by now."

A sombre mood settled on them as they continued to watch the parents and the child.

"They live in the next block, but she's expecting another baby, so they'll be moving out some time next year I expect. They've got three bedrooms, but he uses one as an office as he works from home." said Alan.

They paused for a while, still watching the couple and the child.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Clare asked.

She expected him to say, "I don't know" on account of his bad memory, but he surprised her by his answer.

"A little girl. Miranda. They're potty training at the moment. I called in to see them the other evening and Miranda was walking around with the potty on her head, it was really funny. Her mum wasn't impressed, though. I'm afraid I laughed my head off."

"You'd make a lovely dad, Alan. I'm so sorry about Marie." said Clare.

"I've got someone else in mind, Clare, so don't worry about it." said Alan avoiding her eyes.

Clare pricked up her ears. "Ooh, why didn't you say? Angie can't know or she would have told me."

"Angie doesn't know." Alan replied, blushing. "I'm sorry I mentioned it, anyway I haven't asked her out yet and she might have a boyfriend, I'm not sure." Alan looked embarrassed so Clare decided to drop it.

"Come and see the bedroom. There's a lovely view of the park from there."

He showed her into his bedroom, which she'd seen before, but today with the sun shining in through the large windows, it looked very swish. Medium blue curtains hung from a stylish curtain rail. All the accessories in the room were the same shade of blue, the lampshade, the bed cover and the rug on the floor, but the walls were painted white. It somehow gave off a 'Mediterranean' feel. The floor to ceiling cupboards all along the left hand wall, were a pale creamy colour and in the right hand corner was a spacious en-suite containing a bath, basin and toilet. The gleaming bathroom tiles were navy and white.

On a set of drawers under the window was a photograph of Alan's father and mother, looking happily into each other's eyes and also one of the family, Alan's parents with him and Philip. Clare picked it up to study it more closely.

"Aah, isn't it lovely?" she said.

"I still miss them, Clare."

"Yes, I know. I really loved your mum and dad, it was like having another aunt and uncle, only better. I never really liked my aunt and uncle. It's true what they say, isn't it? You can chose your friends, but you can't choose your family."

Alan didn't reply to her remark, but said, "Come and look at the view."

She looked out at the park from the window. It was such a glorious day. The sun was shining and everyone was out and about enjoying the weather.

"I'd love to see the park. Do you fancy a walk?" Clare asked.

"Yes, that's a good idea. The fresh air might clear my head."

So they walked in the park. Alan showed Clare the lake with the swans and ducks. There were lots of children out and about feeding the ducks with their bits of bread. They watched the children and laughed at their antics. They sat on a bench and had a long conversation and she could tell Alan was feeling relaxed. She tried to get him to tell her the name of the girl he liked, but he wouldn't be drawn. She kept on about it until she annoyed him and then had to apologise.

She looked at her watch. "I'd better get back, I've got things to do."

"I was just thinking," said Alan "Would you like to come to lunch? What's the time?"

"It's half past twelve."

"I've enjoyed your company, Clare, please don't go. There's a lovely pub around the corner. If we go now, we'll get a table." Alan pleaded with her and she thought it mean to refuse.

"Oh, all right, that would be nice. I need to get out more, I know I do, Angie keeps telling me."

They ate a lovely lunch at the cosy pub around the corner, called 'The Crown'. It was very clean and the food of a good standard. They sat talking about old times until 3 o'clock when Clare said she'd better go as she had to call in on her mother, but before she left she wrote out an advert for Alan to post on the notice board in the flats. 'Trusty Cleaner Wanted' it read. As it happened, Alan's neighbour Charles knew a 'nice little woman' who did his cleaning and ironing and she didn't have to get involved.

She offered to pick him up on Monday morning and take him to the office as he didn't have his car, but he refused. It wouldn't be a hardship for him to walk to the office, he said.

Eventually, Clare left and as she climbed into her car she thanked him for a lovely afternoon.

"Thanks Alan, I really enjoyed it." she said as she fastened her seat belt.

Alan held the car door open for her.

"My pleasure." he replied.

"You'll think I'm soppy." said Clare smiling up at him. "But, I think you're the nicest friend I've ever had."

He returned the smile and closed the car door for her. She turned the engine and drove away and he stood in the car park, grinning and waving until she reached the corner and then he was out of her sight.