In a large family, where simple affection develops easily and unquestioned, it can be difficult to give any real depth to that love and regard. I had of course known Wendy from birth and watched from a distance her changing from child to adult. Fleeting meetings for family Christmases and the occasional short break, squashed together with the rest of John’s family on his boat in Sardinia, maintained my affection for Wendy and I like to think, her affection for me. It was on one of these short holidays on the boat that I first saw Wendy as an individual and unique person, and not just another amusing relation who had entry to my life through blood and not choice. By chance one of these holidays coincided with Wendy’s birthday, probably her 20th, and habit demanded I bought her a birthday present. In a moment of generous madness, which probably owed something to Sicilian sunshine, I found myself suggesting that I would give her any article of clothing from a smart local shop that she fancied. We further agreed that she would not ask the price and I would sign the credit card without looking at the cost. The obvious risk of this arrangement gave both of us a frisson of excitement and changed the routine of blood relation present exchange into a conspiracy to conceal an act of stupidity from the rest of the family. The story has a happy ending in that Wendy made an excellent choice and wore the garment very frequently, and I was not unduly punished for my bravado. The event brought my love and affection for Wendy into sharp focus which lasted beyond her shortened lifespan and still continues to this day.