A tent unzips. I look up to find Scott clambering out with a big yawn, his arms stretching wide to the view before him. He’s rugged, worldly-wise. He’s capable, able and strong while light on his feet. I know because I’ve watched his calf muscles contract and relax rhythmically for hours as we’ve walked, his feet never misjudging the ground below.

His focus is completely different to my own, which is consumed with the motherload with no time for anything else. Whereas I have a million and one responsibilities he seems to run on a different frequency.

A quick, sharp pang of desire hits.

For Scott?

Surely not.

Maybe.

If I weren’t me right now, if I too lived my life in a different way and had taken another path, maybe I would be more spontaneous, more feisty, more fun. That version of me would glide over to Scott right now, my arms looping around his waist from behind in a seductive manner before teasing him back into his tent for a bit of hanky-panky.

Jesus.

Hanky-panky?

I’ve turned into my mother.

He turns and I startle at his eyes on mine.

His hand goes up and I wave back. Hoping he can’t read my mind and therefore isn’t aware that I’ve just used an old-fashioned rhyming compound to describe what sex with him would be like.

‘You’re up early!’ he practically shouts, causing his voice to echo around us.

‘Got a headache,’ I say, tapping the side of my head, my face screwing up to let him know just how much discomfort I’m in.

‘Stay there. I’ve got something for that,’ he says before disappearing back into his tent.

Thankfully, intrusive thoughts of going over there and diving in behind him don’t come back, and within seconds he’s out and walking towards me swinging around a first-aid kit.

At this point I see Chef Jonny wandering out of the dining tent and wonder how long he’s been up. Maybe I was wrong to think I was the first to wake up.

‘Headaches are such a nightmare up here. Super common because of our altitude but that doesn’t lessen the pain,’ he says, unzipping his pouch and rummaging inside. ‘Here we go – super-strength painkillers. They should do the trick but let me know if your symptoms worsen and I’ll see if there’s anything else I can do for you.’

He pops two tablets into the palm of my hand.

‘I should’ve remembered the altitude tablets …’ I say, placing them both in my mouth and chugging back some water to wash them down.

‘You thought you’d do it the hardcore way,’ he shrugs.

‘No, it was me being forgetful.’

‘Vicky, it sounds like you have a lot of things to remember. Give yourself a break.’

‘Yeah … my head feels so groggy,’ I say as a sharp pain attacks.