They had an agreement that whoever goes first would do their best to come back.
However, when she became ill, all such thoughts were no longer on their minds. Their time was consumed with him caring for her over the final months. When she finally passed away, it was left to him to make all the necessary arrangements. When the funeral was over and all the consoling friends and relations left the house where he had put on a short reception, he was suddenly left alone. He would need to consider the future, a future without her. Meanwhile, she, as promised, was making a concerted effort to return. Eventually, she found a way.
It was late one evening, only a few days after the funeral, that she managed to visit their home, where she made her way to the bedroom, fully expecting him to be asleep. She wasn’t sure how she would make her presence known. She didn’t want to frighten or upset him. She decided that she would take whatever steps were appropriate, when the time came.
When she entered the bedroom, she discovered an empty, unmade bed. Despite this, she felt his presence. Without understanding how, she instantly found herself in the noisy, local pub where she discovered him fully drunk. He was standing with a group of pals singing bawdy pub songs.
It was her first and last visit.