Scott had fallen out with his wife, so when the checkout operator said “How’s your day going?” he asked about her instead.

We were talking about the weather and how difficult it can be to motivate yourself to leave the house when it’s cold and dark outside.

Scott said: “I have the perfect excuse. My boy Sam is only four years old, but he likes to go for midnight walks. Really, it’s only about 7.30pm, but it feels like midnight to him!

“We go for a bag of chips then we just wander the streets – talking and eating chips. It’s nothing really, but he likes it. And I like that he likes it.”

Nothing? I thought of the children (and adults) who wished they had that sort of relationship with their father. I thought of the things that might be discussed on all the walks over all the chips.

And I thought of all the memories Scott was making for Sam to look back on in later years.

And I couldn’t help but wish I had someone to take me on a midnight walk.

I was in a bit of a dream walking round the supermarket.

Then the words to song playing over their sound system penetrated my daydreaming. I looked it up afterwards, it’s by a singer called Robyn, but the line that caught my attention was: “Show me love and what it’s all about.”

At the same time, I looked along the central aisle of the shop and saw people wearing masks; everyone of them. And wearing them properly. People maintaining social distance, waving instead of stopping to chat, and everyone just making the best of the situation; everyone putting themselves through a little inconvenience for the greater good.

And I thought to the singer: “There it is. There’s love. And that’s what it’s all about.” A little fanciful? Perhaps. Or perhaps not. I have faith in people. I have faith in love.

And neither of them has let me down yet!

She talked about the great times she’d had over the holidays – especially the times spent with her brother. “You remember, I told you about my brother?”

Months before she had mentioned not talking to her brother for 17 years. Tempted to bag his shopping and walk on by, he had stopped instead and talked about how terrible separation was and how love was the cure.

A few weeks later the woman reached out to her brother and now they would enjoy their first Christmas together in quite a long time.

Walking home afterward, Scott realised he had just been given the answer to his problems. In his own words.

And how was his day going?

Much better, thank you!

In a sky of grey, We wait for the rain, Then a chink of blue, And sun shines again, Reaching new horizons, Along the rocky road, Keeping a little hope, Helps carry the load.