The Salon Code. Finding consolation at a home hairdressers

Today I went to the hairdressers to get my hair coloured (usual six week appointment). I have been going to this hairdresser for a couple of years now and found out about her through the mum of my ex girlfriend “S” (it pains me to write ex, sigh). It’s a little home salon and most of the clients have known this hairdresser for decades. I’d only sat down in the chair for a couple of minutes and one of the other women getting her hair done says “I know your mother in law. I saw her at a party and mentioned I knew you from the salon” etc. I interrupted gently and said, “errr well she’s my ex mother in law now”. They both gasped and apologised. I’m like, “it’s okay, you weren’t to know. It’s really sad because it wasn’t my choice”. Anyway I told them S had kickstarted the break up by text message and they were enraged. I ended up sharing more of what’s been going on and how S has handled it all (basically really meanly given the added stress of my father dying, mum about to die and shit consequences of having to sell my apartment). I shared how S admitted she’d been feeling like things weren’t going well for six months and hadn’t said anything. The women were really consoling and angry and it made me feel good. They kept dissing S’ generation. Even though it was completely one sided it felt nice to be backed up and comforted by the “salon code”. Still doesn’t make the pain go away but nice to be validated.