Easter Saturday April 8th 2023
Sam announced the family were making a last-minute dash to Sainsburys and would be arriving with hot cross buns, chocolate eggs and all the dogs for an impromptu Easter gathering of the clans at Mums house.
Congregated outside on the patio, untangling the maypole of dog leads from around my almost 93-year-old mother’s feet, we peeled off jumpers, feeling the first warm rays of spring sunshine. Mum looked pleased the family had descended, albeit unannounced.
Sam spotted a white feather by the table.
“There you go” she said smiling. I tucked it under my scarf.
The table was filling up- a pop up sort of meal with buns and strawberries. Ellie had brought large chocolate chip cookies Dom had baked at her house the day before with a recipe he discovered on TikTok.
Suddenly Sam said
“There’s a robin in the dining room!”
“What? You’re kidding!”
“No, we’re serious – it’s a little one.”
From the patio I could see my niece Sasha on the other side of the dining room window rushing round the room trying to catch it. She managed to scoop it into a blanket and release it.
“Robin’s here” I said to Sam “We just need the rainbow now.”
There was a frivolous egg and spoon relay race round Rosie’s magnolia tree. I wondered if anyone else realised but whispered Hi Rosie as I passed her.
Molly-May and Emily rushed by with their partners Ben and Samuel now firmly part of our family, while L-J was running alongside Tabitha. Foil-covered eggs on spoons are important when you’re seven and my little granddaughter grumbled when the egg tumbled then bent to pick it up and continued running. Ellie stood on the side lines with Max. He was excited after a visit to watch Fireman Sam on stage.
Later Ellie pinged over a photo from today’s collection shared on the family WhatsApp. It was of all of us sitting on the patio, engaged in conversation.
“Look at the photo” she wrote adding an emoji.
“Can you see?”
“OMG this is crazy”
“Yes!”
There just above our heads on this sunny day – with no hint of rain, was a rainbow. Phil said it was just the light refraction, but I believe otherwise – obviously.
Then a photo arrived from Sam of the robin-wings outstretched and flapping inside mums dining room window.
If you've read The Future is Rosie you will know just how much these messages mean to me. ‘Feeling’ Rosie and Robin very much around over Easter weekend didn’t make it okay that they were only there in spirit, but it helped a bit, so I wanted to share this with all my readers anyway.
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