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Back Walking on Sunshine Save as PDF
Chapters (46)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. Three Months Later
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. Epilogue – Five Years Later
  44. Acknowledgements
  45. An extra note from me …
  46. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Ten minutes later, once the plane’s in the air and after Zaza and Vicky have finished fidgeting in their seats and are finally settled with snacks, the entertainment system is up and running and we’re settled in watching Reaching. We laugh in the opening credits, then again in the opening scene, turning to each other with tears in our eyes. The ninety minutes fly by, and although, like most good love stories, there’s a tinge of sadness and heartache in the film, there’s also a feeling of optimism and hope, which leaves us all exhaling with joy at the end. I forgot how much I love a soppy film. Since being on my own I’ve purposefully steered away, thinking they might be too much for me emotionally – but that was brilliant. Cathartic even.

We take it in turns to climb out of our seats and go to the loo, and on my way back I grab a bag of Kinder Schoko-Bons from my bag to share. I check on the rest of my bag while I’m there, on the Tupperware box that I decided to bring with me.

My hand rests on top of it for a moment. I take a breath.

‘Are you getting chocolate then?’ Vicky asks, breaking into my thoughts.

‘Yes!’ I say, grabbing them before zipping my bag shut.

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16

Zaza

By the time we’re off the second flight, through passport control, have collected our luggage and been driven by minibus from Cusco airport to Hotel Prisma, I’m shattered and ready for my final night of luxury before roughing it in a tent for a few nights. I have never camped or had any desire to do so before. I’ll be honest, whenever Liam and I go away it’s with the freedom of two people who work hard for their money and therefore want to spend their time off in comfort and glamour. Not Beyoncé-level glamour, don’t get me wrong, but fancy kaftans around the pool, champers by the shore and the biggest straw hat I can get in my suitcase – you get the drift. When I’m away I like to live my best life.

Liam has been finding my attempts at becoming ‘trek ready’ hysterical. He’s hardly a regular camper either, but somehow the adventures he went on as a kid when he was in the Scouts left him far more experienced than me as an adult. I’m looking forward to that changing when I get back and can regale him with our tales – all while enjoying the great big hotel bed I’ll be slipping into for Liam’s brother’s wedding.

The wedding.