Believe me, I went through the brochure until I found a trek that had the word EASY next to it in great big letters. But it still looks like an awful lot of walking compared to my usual twenty-minute stomp to the train station.

‘Are you going to be sharing your tent with an utter wombat?’

‘Hah!’ I have sorted that out at least. ‘I’ve booked a tent all to myself.’

‘Luxury,’ Edie says, failing to hide her sarcasm.

‘And someone else puts it up for you.’

‘I’m so tempted to join you,’ she adds. ‘Why didn’t you make your point by sodding off to a five-star spa in Thailand?’

There’s no way I’m going to admit that, rather belated, this is crossing my mind. ‘I’ve done that stuff before,’ I say bravely. ‘There’s no challenge in that.’

‘I might have come with you then,’ Edie offers. ‘Two whole weeks without the kids.’ Edie closes her eyes.

‘I…’

‘Don’t speak,’ she instructs. ‘I just want to hold that thought for a few moments. Two weeks without kids…’

‘Be pleased for me,’ I beg.

She opens her eyes again and is still looking fazed by this.

‘I’ll get that wine.’ I go through to the kitchen. My legs are killing me already and I’ve only been going up and down the stairs with my soup for one night. Edie follows me.

‘I am pleased for you,’ she says. ‘Really, I am.’

‘I need a break,’ I explain. ‘I just want to get away from all this. From Jake, from hormone injections, from fertility-enhancing nasal sprays, from my job. They wanted to move me sideways on to My Divorce.’ I hope my desperate look encompasses all I feel about that. ‘I’m utterly fed up.’ I’m into my stride now. ‘I wanted a complete change.’

‘You’ll certainly get that,’ Edie concurs. She finds some glasses in the cupboard and plonks them in front of me. Her need for liquid refreshment seems to be reaching crisis point. ‘When do you go?’

‘Er…’ I’d sort of hoped she wouldn’t ask that. She gives me her most scary stare. The one she normally reserves for her children. I cave in and blurt out, ‘Next week.’

‘Blimey,’ she says. ‘That is quick. You’ll never be fit enough. You’re going to have to bribe one of those Sherpa chappies into carrying you.’

I have a feeling she may be right. About the first bit, if not the second.

‘And the office were happy for you to take a holiday at such short notice?’

‘Er…’ I sort of hoped she wouldn’t ask that either. ‘I’ve resigned,’ I admit. ‘Today. And then I walked out.’

Edie is blinking lots, but not speaking at all.