Splayed out like a star on the bed with Jake’s palms pressed to mine, our fingers interlaced and pinned down on the mattress. He’s panting on top of me and finally finds the strength to move, rolling off gently and lying beside me after an energetic couple of hours in an empty house. I’m lying in the afterglow of the best morning of my life.

Yesterday we endured a day of meetings, one with an interior designer, then the local press for the announcement of our engagement in the ...