Before I could even come back with a response she’d got hold of one side of the hammock’s net and lifted it as high as she could, making me topple out the other side and into the water with a splash and a yelp. I imagined I’d come back up to find her swinging gleefully, but she was still standing in the same spot, hands on hips, frowning at me.

‘OK, I deserved that,’ I agreed, wiping drops of salt water away from my eyes.

‘Come on,’ she said.

And we both attempted to climb on together. It was clumsy with lots of wobbling and laughter as we tried to balance ourselves, but eventually we were on, with her snuggling up next to me, our arms and legs tangled.

And we talked, about having to head home and back to real life, about shifting our focus on to family life, and about coming back to that exact spot when we were in our eighties, and swinging together in exactly the same way – although maybe with a bit of help needed to get on the blooming thing.

And we dreamt.

And we laughed.

And we slept.

And it was heavenly.

I can’t help but smile at the memory. Yes, the sadness is still there, I long for the feel of our legs and arms entwined – her skin against mine, the sound of her laughter filling my ears and the sight of her heart-meltingly gorgeous brown eyes looking up at me. But the fact I have those moments to look back on, that we didn’t get so stuck in our nine-to-five jobs and living-for-the-weekend mentality that we forgot life existed beyond those pockets, fills me with joy, reminding me what’s important, and what I have to do as I move forward.

Forward.

I retain my glee at the thought of tonight’s hotel knowing that although my sleep has been broken here – last night the animals on the farm seemed to be having a party – I’ve slept far better than at home. If I manage to get some decent sleep in before I get back to my own bed then this might end up being the reset I’ve needed.

There is a renewed energy as we trek today. There’s a collective feeling of lightness as we walk in the sunshine, knowing that this is the last day we’ll be walking alongside each other on this route.