I felt Simon get out of bed, and nearly drag me with him–I got my hand caught in the tie waist of his pyjama bottoms. He’d taken to wearing them with a tee shirt for Mima’s sake. It made me smile, but he could be quite considerate when he tried.

I grumbled but followed him out of the bed and into the bathroom. Mima was asleep in our bed, and I wanted to say goodbye to him without waking her up. I hadn’t thought that we’d end up showering together, but that’s what we did and with the door of the bathroom closed and the air thick with steam, I won’t tell you what else we did in the shower, except that Simon’s legs were trembling a bit after and my back was cold. Needless to say we had to continue showering a bit longer.

I sneaked into the bedroom and withdrew some clothes for each of us, and we dried and dressed ourselves in the bathroom. Then on the way down to the dining room, I switched off the alarm clock. It was only six o’clock, I yawned as a reflex to learning the time; no wonder it was still dark.

I made us both a drink and also some coffee for Tom, who ambled in. “What are you doing up?” he asked me rather pointedly.

“Seeing Simon off, why?”

“You don’t usually.”

“So? I can change my mind can’t I?”

“Oh you can surely do that a’richt, lassie.”

I felt my eyes narrow at him although his were sparkling and a smile danced around his mouth. I blew a raspberry at him and he roared.

Simon sat and ate his toast and the egg I’d boiled for him. He couldn’t believe his luck, I’d actually got up to see him off. He was going to have to catch the later train, but he seemed unfazed by it.

Some fifteen minutes later, he kissed me goodbye and set off in his Jaguar for the station. They owned a lock up garage two minutes walk away and he parked in there, so his car wouldn’t be vandalised.

I felt an emptiness in my heart and had to sniff back the tear which had formed. My body felt heavy and I knew that I’d given up an hour or two of sleep, which whilst I enjoyed at the time, would regret as the day wore on.

I did too, Mima was a little monster and seemed to understand my tiredness enough to wind me up. Stella had to take over at one point, I was getting punchy with tiredness and nodded for half an hour in the lounge while she gave elocution lessons to Mima. ‘Ow now bwown cow. Shades of Pygmalion, I nodded off to sleep imagining I sold flowers for a living in Covent Garden Square.

“Mumm-meee wake hup.” I opened an eye and looked straight at one peering back at me. It made me jump. “Mummy, Mummy, I’s bin doin’ leck-cushun.”

“Oh, aren’t you a clever girl?” I said while wondering if we could get her money back.

“Annie Stewwa teached me.”

“Taught you,” I corrected.

“Annie Stewwa torted me.”

It was at this point, I decided I wouldn’t get involved in any explanations of English grammar and pronunciation within an hour of sleeping. Mainly because it was likely to make me want to return to my coma.

“Auntie Stella is a good teacher.”

“Yes, an’ Mima’s good too.”

“Mima is always good. Goodness look at the time, would you like some lunch?”

“Annie Stewwa’s making wunch.”

“She is?” I must still be dreaming. I sat up and Mima gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. I managed to clear my head enough to stand and then walk on leaden legs to the kitchen where Stella had opened a carton of organic leek and potato soup and was warming it in a pan. On the side was the new baked loaf, the one she’d made under my supervision in the bread machine. I was most impressed. She cut about a third of the loaf into doorsteps and then cut them in half.

“Nearly ready, Cathy, did you have a nice snooze?”

“Oh what? I was nearly comatose. Thanks so much for looking after Mima.”

“Did I hear some gymnastics in the shower in the middle of the night?”

“It’s an old house, Stella, it makes all sorts of funny noises, especially in the plumbing.”

“Yeah, but I thought I heard it do a fair copy of, When Harry Met Sally and the restaurant scene. She said ‘yes’ a few times and banged on the counter. I blushed and tried to change the subject.

“I think I might have seen the film years ago.”

“You have a copy of it on DVD.”

“Oh do I? Well what a coincidence. I must have bought it years ago.”

“You bought it two months ago, I was with you.”

“I don’t remember that,” it was true I didn’t, although I knew I had bought a copy fairly recently.

“Yeah, from that cheapo video shop, near the market.”

“I can’t remember that.”

“You bought a copy of Zulu for Simon, the same day.”

“Did I? I must be getting Alzheimer’s because I don’t recall any of that.”

“You don’t remember offering to look after Puddin’ either, then?”

“Stella, I’m sleepy not stupid.” I lifted Mima into her high chair and tied the bib around her neck. I mixed some cold milk with her soup and tested it for temperature, it was okay. I then sat and fed her most of it with a tea spoon. Mine was cold by the time she’d eaten half of hers. I whacked it in the microwave and then had to wait ten minutes because it was super-heated and would have dissolved my gullet.

Mima fell asleep in her highchair and got soup in her hair. So far today was proving wonderful. It didn’t get any better and I was pleased to go to sleep that night, from exhaustion. Tom had read to Mima and I washed up and went to bed by eight myself. I was knackered.

The next day, I awoke with Stella on one side and the beautiful banshee on the other. It was a better day, except that I did housework whilst Stella proved she wasn’t much of a speech therapist. However, it gave Mima some attention and me a chance to get things done.

I was in bed early again that night, I seemed to have no stamina. I slept like a log and again woke up to my two female bed-mates. I rolled over on my back to wait for the twenty or so minutes before the alarm went off and dozed.

Suddenly, it felt sudden, so maybe I was deeper than just dozing, a voice said,” Hatty Birtie, Mummy,” followed by a slobbering kiss.

Oh shit! I thought, I’m twenty five and I’d forgotten. Maybe I do have Alzheimer’s disease? The gentle shaking of my arm meant I was either having a mild fit or Mima was wanting me to open my eyes. It transpired to be the latter, which was a partial relief. All I had to do now was survive the day, which the way I felt was going to be something of a challenge.

“Mumm-meee, wakey-uppy,” I opened my eyes and got another wet kiss.

“Thank you, darling,” I said sitting up and hugging her. So began another day, or should I say, another birthday?