Luca

Luca starts his part-time preschool place tomorrow, so today was our last full Monday together. We'll miss these relaxed days, though I'm sure we'll move over to spending some days together during school holidays,rather than week by week as we've done since he was a baby. Luca's been at a forest school nursery two days a week for quite a while, but this will be a step towards helping him to prepare for school in September.  He's ready for it.
It's been a good day, with plenty of easygoing playtime. Jack called in for a while too, with Simone, and we all had lunch together.  Simone was delighted to see Luca, and greeted him with smiles and those whole-body wriggles that babies specialise in. He, in turn, plied her with toys and general entertainment.
Later I had tea at Josh and Ruth's, took Eben to his drum lesson and stayed on to babysit for the evening. Josh and Ruth had a rare night out, at a small local gig.
In the middle of the evening a sad message arrived from a friend, to let me know that someone we've both known for many years has died suddenly.  He was Richard's student on a Master's course many years ago, and was the long-term partner of a friend of mine (a woman who died last year). I don't yet know what happened; he was a good 15 years younger than I am, so this wasn't a death in advanced old age.  I know that since his partner's death, he had been bereft.  Richard and Ι hope to be able to go the funeral, whenever it turns out to be.