Otherwise I might just have gone straight back to Connecticut, where Will was house-sitting for me.

Now whenever I hear of a friend who's lost a loved one, I no longer call with the polite offer, "If there's anything I can do…" Instead I try to think of one specific task that suits that man's need, like taking the dog to the boarding kennel, or house sitting during the funeral.

We will go and view the house before we buy it.