You weren't my aunty but you were

 I didn't even know she existed until my brother stayed with her and my mum's cousin Tim. But I didn't register that, a couple of names of relative who lived in London. 

Then as a 21 year old I was suddenly in need of a place to stay and not just for a night but for months and she and Tim said yes without any reservation. And how she looked after me, how we talked, Ros was such a generous person, with her care and love and often her clothes too, she was forever trying to give me items she had decided she wouldn't wear again. 

She cooked the most fabulous and flavourful lamb shank I have ever eaten and her roast dinners were divine. I ate so much while living with them, I ended up the heaviest and plumpest I have ever been in my life and I include my time being pregnant in that calculation. I couldn't resist that early evening G&T and the expensive and quality wine while we ate. 

If you haven't trained to be a teacher you won't fully appreciate how hard that first term is and She and Tim looked after me and made it a much easier experience. We stayed in touch over the 20 plus years that followed, they coming to us and being there not long after my little girl was born. We caught up whenever we could, at least once a year until COVID stopped so much of that and I so hoped that in July we would take the trip out to St Albans to see her and make each other laugh, I can hear it now, that slightly dirty chuckle of hers and how she would almost wink at me when my husband said something she thought was dirtier that it was!