‘Oh-kay.’ She laughs uncertainly. ‘I was gone all of five hours, Ben. How much have you had to drink exactly?’

I move back and look at her. ‘What day is it?’

She laughs wearily at the question, and slips her phone out of her pocket. ‘Well, since you ask, it’s actually Christmas Day. Five past midnight on Christmas Day, to be exact.’

She holds up the phone. The date reads: 25 December 2020.

‘Merry Christmas,’ she says.

‘Merry Christmas,’ I murmur back, and I can feel something swelling to bursting point in my chest now, because I know that it’s true: I’ve been given a second chance. I don’t know how or why, but I’ve never felt so grateful for anything in my entire life.

‘Is that new?’

She’s looking down at my wrist. The watch reads five minutes past midnight. I lift it to my ear. It’s still ticking steadily. Does that mean my journey is over? I’m finally back where I’m meant to be?

I look up at Daff. I can’t blow this. I know exactly what I have to do now.

‘It was … a present,’ I say slowly. ‘From Harv.’

Daff stands up and dusts herself off. ‘OK, well come on,’ she says. ‘We can put all this stuff back in the morning. Let’s go to bed now.’

‘No, Daff … wait.’

She sighs. ‘Ben, please. It’s been a pretty exhausting day all round. And now I come back and you’re drunk and being weird and—’

I cut her off, desperately. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But I’m not drunk, I promise.’

‘There’s a nearly empty wine bottle downstairs that would suggest otherwise.’

‘I know, but …’ I can feel the words boiling up inside me, rushing to get out. ‘Listen, Daff, there’s something I want to tell you – something I need to tell you – and I know that it’s Christmas and it’s late and this is not exactly the ideal place or time for a big, serious talk, but this is the most important thing I’ll ever say. And I just please – please – need you to hear me out while I say it.’

Over the course of this manic gabbled statement, the look of mild irritation on Daff’s face has transformed into one of genuine concern. She stares at me now, her eyes wide, almost fearful.

‘What?’ she says hesitantly. ‘What is it?’

I take her hand and guide her gently back down to sit on the floor opposite me. And as I look deep into her big hazelnut-brown eyes, it all comes flooding back – everything I’ve just been through.