A few years ago, I went to Ireland to study Irish in a small (and I do mean small) village. It was the first time I'd ever been away from my four children, the youngest one only a few months over a year old, so of course, I showed pictures of them to everyone I met. I stayed in a lovely B&B, and as I was there for two weeks, the lady of the house offered to wash my laundry with her family's weekly washing. Not wanting to impose on her, I took my washing down to the tiny laundrette in the village and handed it over to the lady there to handle, and she assured me that she'd have it ready to be picked up that afternoon.

Off I went to my morning classes, and at teatime, when I went up to the counter to get my cuppa and a biscuit or two, the young lady behind the counter insisted on me taking extra milk in my tea and also pushed several biscuits on me, telling me to put them in my pockets in case I got hungry later on.

Totally mystified, I took the extra milk and the extra biscuits, and went back to class. It was a lovely day, with everyone smiling at me and being very nice and chatty. That afternoon I picked up my laundry and took it to my lodgings to put it away. I unwrapped the paper surrounding my clothes, and there on top, neatly folded and slightly battered from use, was my nursing bra! I'd brought it on the trip with me simply because it was the most comfortable one in my drawer at home -- then the penny dropped on why I'd been given the 'special' treatment at teatime! Not a word had been spoken, but I knew the whole village thought I was expecting again -- talk about embarrassed!