She’d actively sought him out. Looking for him in the canteen at lunchtime, tracking down his lecture timetable. She did her research this time. She’d asked around, found out what he was like.

Nobody who knew him had a bad word to say. Witty. Serious. Clever. And best of all: single. She’d asked one of his PhD students why – he’d looked blank. ‘Just never seems interested,’ was the response.

Sophie wasn’t used to waiting around for something. She’d had maybe half a dozen conversations with Finn, and he was polite and interested – but he hadn’t asked her out.

So one day she went to his office when she knew he would be there. His door was open, and she felt her heart jump slightly as she knocked then poked her head round.

‘Finn?’ she’d said, and he’d looked up from his desk. He’d stared at her over the top of his glasses.

‘Sophie…’ he’d replied, pointing towards the chair next to him. ‘What brings you to the exciting world of meteorology?’

‘I…’ Sophie hesitated. She’d never done this before – ask someone out. Men always came to her. With flowers and overblown conviction. ‘I was wondering if you’d like to go out sometime? With me?’

‘Out where?’ he’d replied, initially confused. Then the penny dropped and his mouth parted in surprise. ‘On a date?’ he’d asked.

Sophie wondered if she’d got it wrong. Perhaps he wasn’t interested in her. Perhaps he was gay.

‘Yes,’ she’d replied. ‘On a date.’

He’d grinned – an expression that opened up his whole face – and she realised she had never seen him smile like that before. Then it was gone again, and he’d looked almost embarrassed.

‘I’d like that,’ he’d said quietly. ‘Very much.’

They kept it simple. To the cinema. No need to talk to each other if they couldn’t think of anything to say. But they chattered through the adverts, then through the trailers, finally being shushed by the older couple behind them.

Remembering that first date brings fresh tears to Sophie’s eyes. That was over eighteen months ago, and she’d never regretted a day. There is nobody like Finn. Nobody as clever or as determined. Nobody who looks at her the way he does. To him she is more than some silly hippy chick, researching pot and cancer. When he looks at her, he sees her.

And they never stop talking. About politics. About their work. He challenges her to think about what she is saying. When she first met Robin, she was nervous. She drank too fast and said too much, and she knew why Robin hated her. But after, Finn just said, ‘Opinions should be based on fact.’

She’d turned on him, eyes blazing. Determined to take her bad mood out on someone.

‘What do you mean?’ she’d shouted.