‘I know you need to water the roots every day, but there’s no reason why you need to use the pail, is there?’

Gandalf comes over and wags his tail as if he thinks it’s a good idea.

I laugh and Stig looks at me in surprise. ‘What’s funny? I think it could work!’

I wrap my arm around his waist. ‘No, you’re right.’

He turns and leans close, and I hold my breath as his lips meet mine. He kisses me again and again, each one a tiny knock at the door of my heart. The softness of him melts every part of me. I feel like a thread unravelling, coming undone. Being with him, kissing him here under the tree, feels so right.

Stig pulls away and stares at something behind me.

I follow his gaze. ‘Something wrong?’

‘I thought I saw …’ He takes my hand and squeezes it tight. ‘When you see the dead, how do they appear?’

I glance at him, surprised. ‘Can we talk about it another time?’

‘Sure, sure.’ A look I know so well passes across his face – a dark cloud then sunshine. A flicker of emotion, followed by its opposite.

He yanks my arm. ‘Come on, before my nose freezes off!’

We walk back to the cabin hand in hand. There are so many things we don’t know about each other that our conversation jumps all over the place. I want to ask him about all his likes and dislikes, the places he’s been and the things he’s seen. I have a million questions.

As we climb the porch steps I stop and kiss him again. I don’t know which I want to do more, talk or kiss. The thought makes me laugh.

He pinches me lightly on the nose. ‘What’s funny?’

‘I was just thinking of all the kissing and talking I want to do. I don’t know how I’m going to fit it all in. Even ten lifetimes wouldn’t be enough.’

Stig flashes me his dimples. ‘Du er deilig. And we have plenty of time, don’t worry.’

I try to smile, but I can’t help worrying. What if Mum insists that we go home right away – what will happen to Stig? How will I get to see him?

Inside, Mum is drying up at the sink. The cabin feels so different – the emptiness and the shadows have gone. It looks how I remember: a place where I was happy.

She turns and gives me a knowing smile, then narrows her eyes. I know I’m going to have to answer a lot of questions about Stig, as well as everything else. Things might be tough for a while – I’m going to have to help Mum get her head around things. It should have been her supporting me, but that’s just how it is. We have to work together now.