Anyway, that was my exciting weekend.
I keep thinking about Yorkshire. Sometimes it feels like it was all a dream—the cottage, the quiet, you. Maybe that’s what it should stay. Something perfect that happened once.
And yet… I miss you. More than I want to admit.
E x
From:Aaron
To:Eve
Date:7 April
Subject:Re: Family survival report
Evening, love.
We’re in Derek now and the internet’s even worse than last time. Half the team’s been arguing with the router like it’s a living thing. If this message actually gets through, I’ll take it as a small miracle.
I read your email. And before you start convincing yourself that what we had in Yorkshire was just a dream, stop.
It was real, Eve. Every second of it. And it doesn’t stop being real just because we’re in different places.
You’re it for me. No distance, no bad Wi-Fi, no anxious overthinking is going to change that.
Hold on to that until I’m back. And maybe tell your mum you are not a single anymore.
A x
From:Eve
To:Aaron
Date:9 April
Subject:Pokhara, apparently
Hi, you.
Your message came through, miracle achieved. I pictured you all glaring at a blinking router in perfectsilence, as if intimidation might improve the signal. It made me laugh, which I needed.
I fell down another Nepal rabbit hole last night. There was a short documentary about Pokhara. A lake, snow-capped mountains, prayer flags that look like they are breathing, a small boat gliding over the water. I could almost hear the water against the oars. The narrator kept talking about how everyone uses it as a jumping-off point for big treks, but all I could think was that I would be quite happy just sitting by the lake and watching the hills change colour. It seems like the perfect spot to relax and listen to nature.
Your last email made me swoon. I was not aware women in their forties still did that. But apparently, we do. You should be warned that I had to sit down on the kitchen floor with a cup of tea until my face stopped being ridiculous. If your goal was to stop me overthinking, you succeeded for at least twenty minutes. That is a record.
Work here is still the usual circus. My boss has discovered bullet points and now everything must be a list. I spent an hour editing a paragraph into something that reads like a shopping receipt.
Please be careful. Drink water. Sleep when you can. Send two words if that is all the internet allows. I will keep writing, even if it is only to tell you what I had for dinner and what other ridiculous ideas my boss comes up with.
When you are back, we should talk about dates. Norfolk is ready for you, even if it is only for a weekend. And one day, when the world is sensible, maybePokhara. I will sit by the lake and you can tell me all your mountaineering stories again.
Stay safe, please.
E x
From:Eve
To:Aaron
