You know how the girls do anything and everything to get ready for a date?

I did it all: I dyed, I waxed, I polished, I soaked… You name it, I did it. I was not going to London as I was (having said that, I do take pretty good everyday care of myself, I believe. But it could always be better).

‘Mommy, where are we going?’ – my daughter kept asking me, once I had told her about the trip ahead of us.

‘Where do you think we are going?’ – I wanted to keep it a secret. It was more fun that way.

‘To England’, – she said.

What? How?..

She was my daughter. She could feel London running through my veins (although she had not mastered her geography and could not figure out the difference between a city and a country). Weeks later, feeling confident in herself, she told me that London was a continent of Africa. Bless her little cotton socks.

I was so looking forward to the trip. Three years of dreaming.

‘Vilma, just keep in mind that we will not…. and I will not… and I can’t…’ – London boy was setting boundaries alright. ‘We are not walking in the park holding hands. I hope this is clear’.

I instantly adjusted my expectations from 200 to -5. ‘I can do this, I expect nothing’ was my mantra days before we were due to fly out.

I knew I had made this a very big deal for myself. I couldn’t help it. I really, genuinely adore the guy. I tried to imagine the moment we meet. I tried not to think about it. Whatever I tried, I was a mess.

‘Mama, I changed my mind. Please tell me now’ – my girl couldn’t take it anymore. We had agreed I’d tell her our destination upon boarding the plane. But she needed to know before. She did last a long time, as she asked for this once we arrived at the airport.

‘Ok. We are going to London’.

‘Oh!’ – she sounded pleasantly surprised and a bit excited. ‘It’s where London boy lives?’ – she did know more about him than I had led on. I was an open book, even to a four year old.

‘Yes’.

‘Will we get to meet him?’ – she got even more excited.

‘I don’t know. I can’t tell you’ – I told you this was fun, for both of us, I think.

The flight did not seem long. The airport transfer went as planned.

You could say that the whole way I was busy with logistics. Until we reached the 21st floor.

I believe by then I could not think, I just needed to see him.

When we located the right apartment, I asked my daughter to knock on his door.

She knocked.