It was just after one when Sam’s truck pulled up by End Cottage. It turned out that time passes much slower than it seems while crashing through a forest in the dark, or hiding all alone in a tent. Irene was fine, wrapped in a blanket, sipping her second hot tea with a generous tot of whisky, and there were enough of the other guests still there that in the light of a successful search, it almost recreated the party atmosphere.

I asked if everyone could stay while I quickly changed. It was enough to set me off crying again, finding them all squeezed into the living room – my neighbours and friends. My family.

After offering a whole-hearted thanks to everyone, especially Irene and Sam, I dried my eyes, blew my nose and got straight to the point, given the late hour and the exhaustion seeping into my battered bones.

‘I had a speech all planned for this evening. I promise to keep it quick, but if you can indulge me for a few more minutes, I wanted to finish off a momentous four months by telling you what this evening was all about. It was all about this.’ I lifted up the Dream List in all its ticked-off glory. ‘When I was sixteen years old, I made a list of hopes and dreams for the future. Or rather, for a very specific future that included a Dream Man. A man I then spent thirteen years waiting to show up, so those dreams could come true. Despite my devastatingly honest best friend believing that the list was as daft as it was boring, she helped me realise that I didn’t need someone else to make my dreams happen. In fact, waiting for this elusive Dream Man was only stopping me from stepping into the kind of life that I wanted. So, I decided to tackle the Dream List on my own. And this evening, I completed it. You might agree with Steph that it’s a pretty pathetic list.’

‘I never said pathetic!’ Steph called out.

‘Okay, a not-so-wild-and-adventurous list, then. But to me, this has been the biggest adventure. Learning what matters most to me, when it comes down to it. Which is creating a safe, welcoming place to call home, spending time with people I love, knowing who I am and what I like, and making time for that. Helping people by sharing my skills and letting them reciprocate that kindness. Having the courage to step out of my comfort zone, even if that is just the other side of the hedge. I don’t want to travel the world having fantastical experiences. I want my adventures to be right here, to put down roots and build something solid that will last. Is there a bigger risk than choosing to be yourself, however boring or peculiar that might be, and allowing other people to know that person, while committing to loving them for the long haul?