JULIA DAY (61), stands looking out at her garden in a wedding dress. Her lip is bloodied and she's been crying. She throws her things in a bag, gets into her car and drives off. ONE YEAR EARLIER Julia's eldest son, PATRICK (34), lives in London. He phones his dad, TED, to remind him it's Julia's birthday. Their relationship is clearly fraught. He asks his associate, HEIDI to order his mum some flowers. There's clearly an attraction between them. Julia is stood up by all her children for her birthday dinner: Patrick has to work, DELLA (32) is stuck abroad and LEO (24) simply forgot. Julia cancels her table reservation, cross. Julia goes to the British museum and encounters BENJAMIN GREENE. Benjamin asks her out for a drink and since she no longer has plans she decides on the spur of the moment to go. At the pub, Julia tells Benjamin about her three children and the fact that her husband is now her ex, courtesy of her ex-best-friend. When, after more drinks, Benjamin refers to this as a first-date, Julia isn't sure how to take it. Benjamin walks Julia to her hotel and charmingly persuades her to let him come up to her room. Julia and Benjamin are on her hotel balcony. He asks her to dance with him. She can't remember the last time someone asked. They dance together. Julia and Benjamin wake the next morning, fully clothed. She tells him that he has to go as she turned sixty yesterday. Before she can say anything more he kisses her gently. They spend the day together and that evening they have sex. The next morning Benjamin wants to bunk off work again to spend time with Julia but she has to go back to Devon for a lunch. Benjamin says he'll meet her off the train in the evening. Julia visits Ted's mum, HAZEL. Ted turns up, there's a frosty atmosphere between them. MARSHA OKELLO, Julia's ex best friend, is outside. Marsha wants things to be civil between them but Julia isn't ready to have this conversation and drives off, upset. Julia pops home, picks up some post. On the train Julia opens a letter. It's her decree absolute. Julia meets Benjamin at Paddington. Patrick is in bed with his wife, EIMEAR. She surprises him wearing new lingerie and tries to initiate sex. But Patrick uses work as an excuse.