FLASHBACK #25: Stockholm Cruise With The Neighbour

Come November 2002, my neighbour and I had known eachother a year and she knew about Bree and I; after Bree returned to Helsinki one Sunday evening after a visit to Tampere, I invited her up for 'tea and biscuit´s' and built up to coming out to her.

When I told her, she was visibly shocked; she claimed she had no idea, that I seemed too masculine to be gay. Since that day, I have been much more open with her, sharing everyday news and gossip with her. Coming out to her actually strengthened our relationship.

Sometime during November, we had arranged an overnight cruise to Stockholm to do some early Christmas shopping. I was looking forward to the trip, but it was kind of bizarre how the trip turned out. She travelled from Tampere to Helsinki and came to visit us in Töölö. We had some tea and pastries with Bree (they get on fantastically, I should add) before taking the tram to the harbour. We boarded the boat, had the customary sumptuous on-board evening buffet, a few drinks and then chatted most of the evening in our cabin.

When we woke up the next morning, we had already arrived in Stockholm and we made our way into town by bus. Just after lunchtime, we were back on the boat again, spending all of our time in the cabin. As much as I love Stockholm, something in us was pining for something that wasn't with us: our partners! My neighbour had recently met this guy and you know how it when you first meet someone? "He said this, we're doing that, he's so nice...!" I was just as bad, filling in my neighbour with all the things Bree and I had done during our first 6-8 months. Relationships are fab, aren't they?! We were both besotted!

I was happy for my neighbour because when I first met her, she had just ended a two-year relationship and, as we headed towards another cold winter, she had found someone to cuddle up with! Aww! Well, at 4pm, the ship set sail once again, bound for Helsinki. We got on amazingly well, chatting non-stop during our entire trip. After dinner and a few drinks, we were once again talking about our loved ones!

It was during this trip that I realised how close my neighbour and I had become. We could talk for hours about anything. If walls had ears, they would be shocked by the subjects we talk about!