I've already said that Melanie could make my eyes and mouth bulge helplessly as she told me some of her experiences. Generally they were stories with a beginning, a middle and an end, but occasionally they were really something. Here's one.
It was holiday time for everyone, and I arrived at Mel's door half way through the day. She opened the door wearing casual clothes, the kind that usually meant she could get out of them quickly and easily. We had our usual hug, but there was something a bit different about her. She seemed a bit stiff, and moved as though she wasn't relaxed.
'You OK?' I asked. 'Hm,', she said, sounding a bit anxious. 'I need some help with a difficult situation. Can you do something for me?' I put my arm round her shoulder and said 'Yes, of course.' We moved through into the sitting room and sat on the sofa.
She had her hands clasped together and looked at me with a rather weak smile, and then coughed a bit, straightened up and sat more upright.