Normal Service is (Sometimes) Resumed

Today I went for a walk.  Nothing unusual in that.  I walked on my own.  Again nothing unusual.  What is unusual is that Julie stayed at home on her own for about an hour while I went walking.  Not just at home with Joe (who was out) but alone with just the TV to keep her company. While I was ambling along green lanes and across fields, enjoying the watery winter sunshine, she was flicking through the things I hate like MTV and X-Factor.

I had guessed we would reach this milestone sooner or later.  Suggest a walk to most teenagers fairly early on a Sunday morning and most of them give you the look.  But the difference today was that instead of having to abandon my walk to sit with my daughter, I could walk and she could not walk and we were both happy.  It is a small but very definite step forwards.

At the end of the hour, Julie had run out of things to do on her own and was getting restless, but fortunately Joe was back and could keep her company while I got on with housework.  Later on Julie and I have plans to go out together, and they will be all the better for having had this time apart.