Ten minutes to five, on a warm, sunny, slightly humid summer’s day here in Johannesburg. It was cloudy earlier, changeable and cool, but the sky seems to have cleared and it is hot in my upstairs office. I have just been through to Rob’s space, on the cooler side of the house, where she is quietly working, to say, ‘Do you know what time it is?’

She looked up at me, and we both took a deep breath. At five o’ clock, exactly two weeks today, the wedding ceremony will begin, out in the Magaliesberg, at Roots Restaurant in The Cradle of Humankind. The rings are waiting, hers and mine, in their jewel boxes.

After a moment, an embrace, we both went back to our work: it is almost too much to talk about, we like to joke – but we are talking about it of course, and this evening we will be going over our wedding plans together. The balance must be paid, for our honeymoon in Botswana; there are family dinners to plan and logistics to think about; choices of flowers and a million other details to be thought through, discussed, agreed and provided for.

There is a view from up here, over the rooftops and the tree tops. I might have glass of chilled white wine in a minute; I might take just a minute to pause and think.