I give him a thumbs up in reply and make my way back to my tent. Zaza’s bag seems to have exploded across the floor and in the middle of the chaos she’s attempting to stuff her sleeping bag back into its sack.

‘Such a fucker,’ she says, the bag appearing to be growing rather than shrinking, the air filling it working against her efforts.

After last night’s ‘chat’ I know better than to steam in like her mother and take over. Instead I tend to my own corner of the tent, which is an organized little haven in comparison. I quickly change from my thermals into my trekking gear and begin clearing my belongings away. Once that’s done I start rolling the air out of my sleeping bag, as well as my incredibly disappointing travel pillow and mattress, and squeeze them all into my bag. It’s an effort but I’m finished within a few minutes. Only my toiletry bag remains out, and I’ll need that.

‘I just don’t see how it’s all meant to go back in!’ Zaza huffs, glancing at me with a desperate look on her face, her sleeping bag now sitting comfortably packed while the rest of her belongings are still on the ground around her. ‘Can you help me, please?’ she moans, looking crushed as she recognizes my progress.

‘But that would be mothering, and I think that’s a trait of mine you can’t stand,’ I state.

She pauses her efforts to look up at me.

We just stare at each other.

‘I’ve decided that we’re both going through some stuff right now that we need to talk about,’ she acknowledges, her voice soft.

‘Agreed,’ I nod.

‘Stuff that might not actually be to do with us and our relationship, but stuff we need to process and reach out on.’

‘Double agreed.’

‘Now, however, is not that time,’ she reasons, her lips pursing together.

‘Now is the time to get your messy arse organized?’ I suggest.

‘Exactly that!’ she nods.

I crawl over and take control of the situation.

‘Next time we do this I’m not bringing so much stuff,’ she says, sitting back to look at her gear. ‘I have a lot of crap here that I really don’t need.’

‘Next time?’ I ask.

‘Just so you can try to beat me at UNO,’ she teases before letting out a laugh. ‘As if I’d cheat at a game I don’t even like that much. I was simply the better player,’ she grins.

I jump on her, wrapping my arms and legs around her body. We wrestle over the floor of the tent as she tries to break free from my hug but I just won’t let her. We laugh, our bodies shaking uncontrollably as the laughter bounces through us.

Finally we run out of steam and just hold on to each other.