‘Glad to hear it,’ he says with a nod of the head as he steps back, clapping his hands together. ‘Right, I was actually knocking to see if you were ready for this meeting. It’s not just us three – we’re in with others who are doing the Inca Trail too.’

‘Yeah,’ I nod, looking around the room to locate my handbag and key, remembering that we have the first day with the others. ‘We’re not going to have to mingle with them though, are we? They aren’t going to be trekking with us anyway so there’s no real point.’

‘Wow, it’s a good thing you didn’t go travelling.’

‘And it’s a wonderful thing the rest of them are buggering off so the three of us can have some proper time together.’

‘You’re such a delight.’

‘And you know it!’ I laugh, passing him my handbag before grabbing a red scarf from my suitcase and looping it from the nape of my neck to the top of my head into a bow. ‘I’m ready. Let’s mingle jingle with our temporary mates.’

Mike shakes his head at me as we walk out of my room.

17

Vicky

‘Hey!’ I sing into my phone as soon as it’s picked up.

‘Hello, my backpacking wife,’ Nick croakily says back, leading me to imagine him tucked up in our comfy bed, wrapped up in our creased sheets.

‘Oh no! I forgot you’d be asleep!’ I whisper, remembering that not only do we have thousands of miles between us, but six hours too. ‘I’ll phone back tomorrow. I just wanted to check in … are the kids OK?’

‘Sound asleep.’

‘Good, good,’ I say, feeling a sudden longing to go in and see them sprawled across their beds, no doubt with their duvets thrown off them and their mouths wide open. They both sleep like me. ‘I’m sorry I woke you.’

‘It’s OK,’ he replies softly. ‘Glad you’re safe.’

‘You sleep. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

The call cuts off, I imagine him dropping his phone sleepily next to him and the panic he’ll have in the morning when he can’t find it. Or maybe it’ll get lost in the covers and he won’t hear the alarm meaning they’ll all be late. Sod’s law states the kids will start sleeping in while I’m away, an anomaly that’ll quickly disappear when I’m back.

I shouldn’t worry, Nick’s mum should’ve arrived earlier and she’s usually up before the kids anyway. She’ll run the ship better than I do, I’m sure.

I put my phone down next to me, aware that it’s highly unlikely anyone will call me when everyone back home is asleep, and look around the room.