Above I used the words "doomed love affair" - perhaps that is unfair. The lady in question was separated from her husband at the time (effectively a single mother bringing up her kids) and Ashley was also single. They reportedly had a great time together over an 18-month period or so (Ashley's biographers interviewed both persons) but it didn't work out for the long term... and later they each moved on to other relationships. Ashley wrote the album after the relationship finished. As Paul Simon wrote, "the arc of a love affair" might be better... With apologies to those concerned for any insensitive choice of words!

- Tony