Downsizing

She thought they would grow old together - but now Eve's future looked very different

- Marie Penman

Eve had always been led to believe that a person's success in life could be measured by the size of house they lived in. 'The bigger, the better!' people said and, although she had never fully agreed with this, it had still taken her a long time to decide to downsize.

'But your house is so gorgeous!' her friend, Alice, had gasped when she announced her news. 'How can you give it up?'

Eve had simply shrugged and told Alice she was looking forward to getting rid of stuff, emptying cupboards, throwing out rubbish and recycling work clothes she would never wear again.

Alice sipped her coffee. 'Well, don't be too hasty with what you throw out, babes - if you decide you no longer need your cashmere jumpers or leather boots, for example...'

Eve laughed. 'Don't worry, Alice - you can have first refusal on anything that's going.'

It seemed extreme, but at the age of 55, Eve wanted to get rid of everything that was weighing her down in life, to free herself. Emptying the house and selling it was the obvious starting point.

'This is a prime property in an excellent area, the estate agent gushed when he came to value the house. 'It'll sell in no time."

Eve smiled, relieved to get things moving. She followed the agent ('Please, call me Cal') from room to room as he measured and photographed every inch of the place, her home for the past 30 years, and complimented her on the decor and the stylish layout.

Eve felt proud, knowing she'd done most of the work herself, but also slightly detached from the situation. Shouldn't she feel sad or upset about leaving the house she'd brought her babies home to?

Those feelings might come at some point but, right now, with Bob gone and the children grown up, all Eve felt was a weight being lifted off her shoulders.

It was definitely time to move on.