The days were getting longer, the bleak winter was just a horrid afterthought. I could now feel the warmth of the sun on my face as I admired the lush, green trees that were dotted around my urban landscape and the plethora of birds in the sky.

These were the best of days. The warm weather. A decent job but most importantly Leslie. She was my first and last thought of each day. We discussed everything about each other.

Our favorite films – “Gattaca” for me, and “Die Hard” for her.

Music – Eminem for me, Coldplay for her.

Location – Galway for me, Dublin for her.

The list would just go on and on. There was nothing I didn’t want to know about her.

Then it happened. She was coming to see her Gran and would meet me afterward. It was set for a Saturday. It was to be a flying visit but would help us plan her next longer stay. We arranged to meet at 7pm in an accessible pub close to my apartment called The Court.

All that day, the anticipation built. She sent messages telling me she was on her way. I decided to get over to the pub at 6pm to get a bite to eat before she arrived. It was largely empty apart from the odd staff member and one or two people watching the horse racing that was blaring in the corner. The dinners provided there were always delicious and I went for the Chicken Supreme with a vodka and coke.

A young chubby barwoman took my order and delivered it to my table twenty minutes later. The smell of the freshly cooked chicken whetted my appetite and I quickly tore into it.