Dear Diane,
   
I want you to know that our friendship is everything for me. I don’t have a close relationship with my mum or my sister, so, for me, you are family. When I was thrown into looking after my 16-year-old niece for two years, all through her A-levels, you became ‘great granny Di’. With me not having my own children, and you having a son, you gave me so much advice and were a helpful sounding board.
   
I don’t see the age gap, I’ve always been more mature anyway. Realistically, we should switch our ages round. I’m like the grumpy older person, and you’re the young, free woman, loving life.
   
You are completely fearless. You will travel the world on your own and can walk into a room and automatically make 30 friends, because you have the confidence to go up and speak to people. It makes me think, ‘Okay, I can do this’. If you can talk about your business the way you do – so passionately – I can do it about my business.
   
Thank you for always being there. I can be thinking, ‘I need to speak to somebody’, and you will message me – you just know when I need you. Through all the trials and tribulations and dramas of life, you’re there, without exception.
   
Love,
Charlotte

Dear Charlotte,
   
It was one of those chance meetings, and we hit it off. When I started going to networking events, I loved that we saw each other regularly and built our friendship. I began to admire your business, how you work and how you’ve achieved so much – and then what a lovely, kind, caring person you are.
   
My career started before you were born, working at Scotland Yard as a fingerprint expert and crime-scene examiner. You have to have a certain type of personality to be able to do the jobs we’ve done, and we definitely have similar personalities – we always know what the other one needs and are as invested in each other’s businesses as much as our own. Running my business on my own, it’s me or no one, and it’s lovely to share all the highs and lows with you.
   
Thank you for being there in the difficult times, too. Lockdown was so tough for me, with my son away at university and being on my own but, as soon as we could have people in gardens, I was your first call. Remember how I brought my own plate, knife, fork and wine glass and you would throw burgers down the garden to me?
   
My favourite times are when we go to the theatre together and, every time, we both cry. At exactly the same time, we’ll look at each other and there will be tears.
You keep me young and you give me a different perspective on life. I want to say thank you for falling into my life and sticking with me, for always being there and loving me just as much as I love you.
   
Love,
Diane

Find Charlotte’s private investigator company at taylorinvestigations.co.uk, and discover Diane’s team building events at forensicminds.co.uk

Lara Kilner is a lifestyle journalist. Her writing regularly appears in national newspapers, including “The Telegraph”, “The Times”, “The Observer” and “i Weekend”.