The Long Trek – Part 2: Wind Break

The wind dropped in the night, which in that valley was a small miracle. Sofia woke at first light to a stillness so deep she could hear the glacier creak. Marcus was already awake, on his side, watching her.

"Morning," he said.

"You're staring."

"I'm allowed. I'm your husband."

She laughed and snuggled against his chest under the thin blanket. The alcove smelled of candle smoke and mountain air. Somewhere beyond the wall, other trekkers were rustling their packs.

"We don't have to leave for an hour," Marcus said into her hair.

"No."

"Plenty of time."

"For what?" she teased.

He kissed her answer off her mouth. It was not the kiss of two tired parents at the end of a long week. It was the slow kiss of the couple who had once stolen a whole summer in a borrowed flat. They kept their voices low and the blanket high. Hands that knew each other well rediscovered old places, unhurried and a little giddy, and she was laughing again, silently, face pressed into his shoulder.

"Twenty years," she whispered.

"And I still can't read the map," said Marcus.

"I know. I love you anyway."

They set off late, in bright sun, with hot coffee and light feet. The final climb to the viewpoint took ninety minutes. At the top the three granite towers glowed rose-gold against a flawless blue sky, and hundreds of metres below the lake shone like a turquoise coin.

Marcus took her hand. "Same again for our thirtieth?"

"Next time," said Sofia, squeezing it, "we bring better socks."

They stood there until the wind returned, and then a little longer.

More married couple romance: The Cruise · Couples Retreat · The Second Honeymoon