Can I put ‘epic hugger’, ‘awesome present buyer’, ‘teacher of how to do the splits, while fuzzy on red wine’ on my curriculum vitae?  And if so, are these skills of any interest at all to two teenagers who are auditioning girlfriends for their dad?

I’m in my first significant relationship since the Mexican and I went our separate ways, all the way back in 2011.  He is a gentleman a little older than myself (information to which my dad responded, ‘oh well done!  He’s not a toy boy!‘).  He is also a widower.  This was a complete shock, primarily because it was something I had never considered, not even once, while merrily swiping through the pool of romantic delight that is Tinder.  Also, while swiping through my life in general.  It’s something reserved for couples at the end of their days, grandparents, great grandparents – but not someone the same age as myself.  He was so very young.  I cannot even begin to comprehend living through that situation.

We’ve been seeing each other for close on six months now – ok, ok, simmer down (I know. OK!), and he recently floated the idea of meeting his children.  I admire greatly his approach to my integration into his life.  Also: terrified.  We’ve been dating – coffees, lunches, cinema, the occasional dinner.  He introduced the idea that he was seeing someone after a couple of months, he’s talked about me openly since then when he was meeting me for a date. And almost six months down the line, he wanted to introduce me.

That night was Friday last week.  I’m certain I was more nervous than they were.  Most definitely his son, who was so not nervous, that he decided a trip to the cinema to see F&F8 with mates, was fundamentally more interesting.  Fair enough.  I can’t imagine how boring meeting me would be when I was fourteen.  I did however meet his daughter, with rivulets of sweat running down my back – like meeting the parents when you’re seventeen, only in a parallel universe.  It was pleasant and short, as I was picking him up for dinner.  A perfect first introduction, no more than half an hour.  While I waited for him to organise himself, we chatted in general and looked at some photos on display and talked about my (I now know) pretty average Spanish and complete lack of Catalan.

I can’t tell you how relieved I was, to get my hands on a pre-dinner Campari…… 

I’m very aware that I have a lot to live up to, and a lot to prove – but with that first important step taken, I hope that we can continue to build something that maybe, maybe becomes really special.  Watch this space…. 

NB.  I think I’ll keep the gymnastics in my arsenal, for another couple of months down the line, when I really need to pull out the big guns………..  *backflips out of the room*