“I don’t expect anything magical. I just want it to be ours. Bogus blisters, gross food, your weird snoring in the tent, all of it. Ours.”

Feel the air, my favorite reader.

You, your beloved wife, and a three-day climb together. Birds, nature, trees, and all that stuff that somehow makes life feel full. The rush of stuffy offices and noisy streets is left somewhere far behind, and ahead there’s only the setting sun, a steaming mug, and the kind of beauty no photo ever quite manages to capture.

So, who’s your hiking partner?

Her name is Vivienne. She’s thirty-six, and the two of you have been happily married for ten years.

Vivienne is active and curious — sometimes a little too curious. She never gets tired of looking for something new and wonderful in the world, whether that means some ridiculous cosplay party or a cozy evening together, thumb-wrestling while a movie plays in the background.

She’s not exactly the neatest person when it comes to keeping the house in order. Definitely not the quietest. And she absolutely won’t pass up the chance to jump out of a closet like the most predictable cheap jumpscare imaginable.

Or sneak up behind you while you’re staring at the spinning plate inside the microwave, wrap her arms around you as tightly as she can, and tell you how much she loves you.

Anyway, she’s been trying to drag you out on this hike for quite a while now. This time, it finally worked.

Adjust your backpack and let’s go hiking!

Don’t expect a survival sim. This is mostly about the road, the scenery, and the two of you being together.