‘Greg!’ I shout out and, dropping my backpack, I weave my way through my colleagues and start to run towards him, scattering the tourists going the other way.

As we get closer together, I can see that Greg looks as if he got dressed in the dark. He’s wearing an ancient fleece and trekking trousers that he hasn’t had on for years. The Worzel Gummidge of trekkers. By contrast, the rucksack he has over his shoulder still has the label attached to it. My heart squeezes with love for him.

‘Annie!’ he shouts again, and there’s anguish in his voice.

‘I’m here!’

Then, when he sees me, the relief on his face is palpable. He too throws his rucksack to the ground and I run full pelt into his arms. As we meet, he picks me up and spins me round, his mouth on mine. He hangs on to me tightly.

I press my face into his neck. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I’m coming with you,’ he says breathlessly. ‘I couldn’t let you go alone.’

We hug each other again.

‘Why? Why now?’

‘I was sitting on the canal bank with Ray and I suddenly realised what a twit I’d been. I thought, what on earth was I doing there when you were going on this adventure without me?’

I look at him again to make sure that he’s really there. ‘But how? How did you do it?’

‘Chelsea brought the cash she borrowed back yesterday and I raided your old handbag for the rest of the sandwich money. I just had enough so I phoned Dream Days and told them that I was a complete idiot and I needed to be with you. They fixed me a ticket at the last minute.’

‘The very last minute.’ I glance back at the bus. Everyone else is on board and Blake is standing on the step by the door.

‘Come on then,’ I say, excitedly. ‘Or they’ll go without us.’

Greg takes my hands in his and our eyes meet. ‘I was so worried that I’d left it too late, Annie.’

‘You nearly did, Greg,’ I breathe. ‘You very nearly did.’

‘I’m here now,’ he offers. ‘Can you forgive me?’

‘If you can forgive me.’

‘Let’s fulfil our dreams together from now on,’ my husband says. ‘What do you say?’

‘As long as you don’t want me to take up fishing,’ I joke.

‘No more fishing,’ he says. ‘Now it’s just me and you. We’ll do whatever you want. Travel the world, jump out of planes, swim with dolphins. I don’t care as long as we’re together.’

There are tears in my eyes when I tell my husband, ‘I’m liking the sound of that.’

‘Come on, you two lovebirds,’ Blake Chadwick shouts across at us. ‘You’ve got a bus to catch!’