THEN: EMMA

And then, the very next day, there’s an email: Your application is approved.

I can’t believe it—not least because the email contains nothing else: no explanation about when we can move in, or what their bank details are, or what we’re supposed to do next. I call the agent, Mark. I’m getting to know him quite well now that I’m doing all this stuff for the application, and he isn’t actually as bad as I first thought.

He sounds genuinely pleased when I tell him. Since it’s empty, he says, you can move in this weekend if you want. There’s some paperwork to sign, and I’ll need to talk you through installing the app on your phones. That’s about it, really.

That’s about it, really. It’s just sinking in that we’ve done it. We’re going to live in one of the most amazing houses in London. Us. Me and Simon. Everything’s going to be different now.