Felicity Carmichael, Agony Aunt for the Digital Recorder, finished reading the email she had plucked from her inbox and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. How wonderful to read about someone who was happy, well, almost happy. And to be asked for advice about love, straight forward love and the passion it aroused was a particularly pleasing start to her day!
Ellie was right, Fliss did read all manner of emails in the course of her job. So far this week she had advised a young man to take his festering, pus-filled toe to the doctor and stop trying to cure it through meditation; she’d read a harrowing email from a young woman who Fliss had implored to seek help before her abusive husband broke more than just her heart, and she’d sent a very firm response to a middle-aged woman who had been playing footsie under the table with her daughter’s new boyfriend and was now considering offering the young man a crash course in the joy of older women.
Fliss had no personal experience with any of these situations, it was all very much a matter of common sense. She had never held any aspirations to be an agony aunt before the job was dropped in her lap by a frantic editor one chaotic Monday morning, but her innate kindness and empathy had kept her in the position for many years. Over time she had built up a large repertoire of sensible answers for the most outrageous of situations, always taking a moment to stare out of the window, tapping her chin with her pencil as she tried to imagine exactly what she would do in such a situation.
But love was different, love she did understand. And not just love, but the overwhelming feeling of love for a work colleague. Reading the email, Fliss had been immediately whisked back to the halcyon days of 20 years previously, when she had also caught a glimpse of the back of a young man’s head and immediately lost the power of speech. Her heart had fluttered so wildly in her chest that she’d been unable to breathe and she’d slipped her hands, clammy and shaking, under the desk to hide the effect the tall, wickedly handsome young journalist was having on her trembling young body. She remembered all too well the butterflies that would career around her stomach, crashing into each other in sheer delight whenever he walked towards her, the shiver that would run down her spine if ever he turned in her direction. And should he send a smile winging across the room, one of those slow intimate smiles that told her exactly what he was thinking, she would almost pass out with ecstasy.
Smiling happily, Fliss got to work. This response wouldn’t need much thinking about. She would be able to give Ellie from Leeds some excellent advice, although she may keep this one private, not everything belonged on the pages of the Digital Recorder and running a hand through her short, red hair, she spread out her immaculately manicured fingers and began typing, allowing her thoughts to drift back to the early days of her relationship with Jasper Carmichael, when even hearing his name mentioned would bring a flush to her cheeks.
The birds had most definitely sung far louder after she had met Jasper, the sky had turned a delightful shade of blue and Fliss had walked on air. A colleague at the time had shrugged and labelled it a workplace crush but Fliss had been certain it was love. She had known they were meant to be together and had refused to listen to anyone who suggested otherwise.
And she had been right. Her feelings were very definitely reciprocated and as the weeks passed, despite agreeing that it was foolish to tie themselves into a relationship when they were both on the cusp of bright new careers, Fliss and Jasper had become a couple. Within months they’d moved in together and two years later, on a cold dismal day in November they had married, being far too impatient to wait until Spring arrived with its much-improved weather and photographic opportunities.
Tapping away on her keyboard, Fliss told Ellie that she understood entirely how she was feeling, how truly delightful it was to be so completely in love and how Ellie must take heart from the fact that Fliss’ own crush had been the real thing, resulting in a marriage that had endured for 18 years. A slightly smug