She was in the supermarket when she saw the time.
The elderly shopper looked at her basket; only a couple of items to go. She could still make it home in time for his call. He always called at the same time. That way it didn’t put anybody out too much. He was always very regular. She hurried on through the crowds and made it in good time to her little car. On the way out she saw the line of cars building. Everyone seemed to be leaving at once! She just needed to be patient. Minutes later, out on the main road, it all stopped again; some sort of roadworks, with traffic cones. They hadn’t been there earlier. Some sort of emergency work, no doubt.
Why today, of all days? She looked at the time again. She wondered if she could take a different route to save time, but realised she couldn’t. She would just have to stick it out.
She finally arrived with just seconds to spare. As she opened the door she heard it ringing. Just as she dropped the shopping bags onto the counter, it stopped. She sighed and shook her head. The care home was pretty strict about how often they wheeled the phone trolley around. She would put the cold stuff in the fridge and call back. She was sure they would understand. After all, she thought, everybody runs late sometimes. With the last of the items put away she went to the phone. She stood looking at it. A shiver went through her body and she felt the tears welling. She slowly made her way to the chair. She sat for a long time, sobbing.
How could she possibly forget…?