Fallen From Grace

When COVID hits

It was 4.30 in the morning. I had a nightmare, the kind where I screamed and woke up Andy, and Andy being Andy woke me up.
I had told him off about doing this before because most often than not if you wake someone from a dream because they're shouting or getting upset anyone could go into shock because I fully understood you're not meant to do that, but over time I've learnt to appreciate this so I'm not stuck with reoccurring visions in my nightmare or my head feeling as high as a kite as I sometimes had dreams where my world was spinning. It might be something to do with my fainting, it's got less and less since I've aged.

As I lay on his chest explaining what my dream was about he suggests getting up, that he'd take me for a car ride and we'll go deer spotting. I jumped at the opportunity and off we went. Andy was right there were deer's about. We went around this one corner and there were two brilliant white adults frolicking about in our headlights and that image immediately stored in my memory. After that night I wanted to be able to do that again. It was something Andy and I would do together, I'd be waking him up at four o clock in the mornings getting him motivated but we never got that lucky again. Andy would take me down popular deer routes, sometimes I'd see fawns, other times Andy would and I didn't. There would be rabbits hopping on the grass verges and every so often we'd see the odd fox. After a while of being on the road we would stop by a petrol station and grab a hot drink. Andy would just have a cappuccino and my usual was a hot chocolate.
On our deer spotting we usually caught the odd fawn running but then we saw two playing in a side field which was amazing. One time Andy pulled over just by a gate from the side of the road telling me he shouldn't really be doing this but he got me to get out and he pointed into the distance.

"Oh wow...."

There was a herd of deer with stags. I could see them grouping together with their antlers in the air just before the thick of trees. It was a rare sight of beauty and I loved Andy for pulling over all the more for it.

I told Judy about my experiences when she asked what I'd been up to. She said she sees deer in the mornings sometimes because of her two dogs. Judy now had another female dog and named it Minnie. Molly and Minnie were Cockapoo's but I now knew what I'd get her for a Christmas present. I had found an image of a Cockapoo with it's fluffy little body on a cushion cover and as she collected all things Cockapoo I was sure she was going to love it. The only problem was when it came it was just the cushion cover so I had to look around to find a cushion to fit in it which meant I had to measure this cushion because it wasn't as simple as pushing any cushion into it. Judy and I were bonding and forming more of a personal friendship.
Judy was also starting to see more of Andy and she liked that Andy was like a big kid playing with her two dogs.

"He's sweet," she'd say watching him.

"You're really good with dogs," she said to him marveling when he came inside.

"I grew up with dogs," he replied. "Mom used to rescue dogs."

"Ohhh, you've got the knack then. Kimberly..."

She turns to me and says.

"I won't be able to do this Friday because my Dad rang me and wants to take me out for a meal but I can do the Tuesday just text me and let me know. Do you like your garden Andy?"

"Yeah, you said you'd never seen it so tidy."

I stepped in quickly fully well knowing he didn't know about my expenditures.

"How much?" He asked on the way back.

"It's mates rates."

He was still looking at me for an answer.

"It's forty-five..."

"And?"

"Five pounds extra each bag she takes to the tip."