23 May 2026
Today was simple.
And maybe that’s why it felt so perfect.
Tilly was with me all day and she’d asked if we could head into town for skincare and sun cream, so around ten o’clock we headed out together for one of those aimless little mooches that somehow end up becoming the best memories.
First stop?
Costa.
A frappe for Tilly.
One of those tiny ordinary moments that probably means nothing to anyone else but somehow becomes stitched into the memory years later.
Drink in hand, we wandered into town.
Superdrug.
Boots.
New Look.
WH Smith.
No rushing.
No schedules.
No pressure.
Just us.
Somewhere between shops I finally got my conch jewellery changed — long overdue. Fifteen minutes of fighting to get the piercing bar off because Dave, in true Dave fashion, tightens jewellery like he’s sealing away ancient evil. Eventually victory was ours.
Out came the old.
In went the new.
Red and black.
Very me.
Back to meet Tilly and then lunch at Chop House because wandering town together somehow always ends in food eventually.
We headed home afterwards expecting nothing more than a chilled afternoon.
Then life did that lovely thing it sometimes does.
A message from Jenny.
Beach?
So suddenly beach bags were appearing, towels were being grabbed, and we were heading to Pembroke.
Joel joined us after work.
Our first sea swim of 2026.
Cold water.
Girls laughing.
Sunlight on the sea.
Talking nonsense.
Talking about life.
Sitting quietly.
Just existing beside people who matter.
Jenny.
Immy.
Joel.
Tilly.
Hours somehow slipping away unnoticed until half past five arrived and reminded us normal life still existed.
Then home.
Splat on the sofa.
Ryan Trahan on Prime.
No huge milestone.
No dramatic revelation.
Just me and my not-so-little girl sitting together.
And tonight I realised something.
Life isn’t built from the massive moments.
It’s built from frappes.
Piercing changes.
Unexpected beach texts.
Saltwater hair.
Lunches.
Sofas.
Ordinary Saturdays that quietly become memories before you realise they’re happening.
The world feels very loud lately.
Packing twenty years into boxes.
Preparing to leave a home that watched me grow up.
Thinking about new beginnings.
Mortgages.
Change.
Fear.
Excitement.
But today felt like standing still for a little while.
And maybe that’s why I loved it so much.
A cup of stars kind of day.
The very best kind.