I check my watch, it's 4.25am.  We turn towards our cars but he walks one way and I head the other, jerking us to a halt.  Our arms are locked in stalemate between us as we look at each other and the lights on both our cars flash at precisely the same time.

"I'm driving," he declares without hesitation.

"How can you drive when you don't even know where we are going?"  I tug at his arm in the direction of my car.

"You can direct me."

"I don't think so, I'm driving so let's go." I reply slightly irritated by his assumption that he'll automatically take the wheel.

Smiling, he raises his eyes to the sky and shakes his head.  "Do you always get what you want Miss Feisty?"

"Yes, most of the time, especially when pushovers give in so easily!"  I flash him a smile.

"Well, that's the effect you have on me but why don't you drive my car?"

My eyes widen in surprise.  "I like that I have an effect on you but are you serious, drive that massive thing no way."

"It's not that big, your car is longer, mine is just taller.  Anyway experience tells me you wouldn't have any problems handling big things!"

"Behave you!"  I laugh and swat his arm.  "May be another time.  Now come on or there won't be any point soon."

We get in my car and I time check again, it's 4.27am.  My ancient trusty estate starts on the third time of asking.  I rev the engine then wheel spin her away.  Her wheels screech over the gravel and leave a cloud of dust in their wake, just like an episode of Dukes of Hazard.  I glance across at Harry.  His face is awash with amusement but his body appears terrified as he clings tightly onto the 'oh-shit' handle above the passenger window.  

"Better hold on Harry!"  I chortle towards him.

"I think I'm going to have to, I am in fear for my life already!"

As we turn out of the driveway onto the smoother surface of the road, my car calms her first-start nervousness and settles into a familiar rhythm.

Harry immediately reaches for my hand and pulls it his lap.  Having a part of me connected to him is the one thing I am beginning to relish.  However, with my car not being an automatic, I have to keep releasing my hand from his to change gears.  In the end he gives up and rests his hand on my thigh instead.  I cover mine over his and squeeze it lightly.  He's looking out the passenger window but the corners of his mouth turn up at my sentiment.

"So you started to say something about Packers?"

He turns to me and his face lights up as it always does when he talks about things he loves.  "Yeah, The Green Bay Packers who play in the NFL," he nods in agreement. 

"Right ok, American Football, I'm with you now."

"Yeah not 'G' for Geek, 'G' for Green, Go! You Packers Go!"  He does a cute little fist pump in the air and smirks.

"Just a little bit of fan then?"

"Yes I am officially a cheesehead!  That's the official name for us fans."  He says proudly puffing out his chest.  He then follows it up by giving me a history lesson into everything Packers.  "The team was founded in 1919 by Earl Curly Lambeau and George Whitney, they have won 13 league championships, the most in NFL history, nine titles prior to Super Bowl and four since – '67, '68, '97 and 2011. What makes them special is that they are the only community-owned franchise in American major league professional sports and I like that.  Downside is it's hard to get tickets.  Season ticket wait list is up to 30 years and most fans pass theirs down to their families in their Wills."

He is so animated telling me about the team.  There is never any half measures with him.   If he's passionate about something he makes it his business to be knowledgeable about it. 

"Well I'm sure you don't have any trouble getting tickets."

"I try and get to their stadium at Lambeau Field when I can but not as much as I'd like.  I mainly have to settle at being a bit of an armchair fan wherever I am in the world or whatever the time zone."

"So is Lambeau Field near where you live when you're in the States?"

"No, Green Bay is in Wisconsin so kind of North America, mid-west area.  It's a couple of hour's flight if I'm in New York and around four hours from LA."

"Sorry, not very clued up on everything US.  I only really know where the main cities like LA, New York and Chicago are."

"Well if the season is on when we are in the States, I will take you to your first Packers game."  He speaks the words completely nonchalantly continuing to follow our journey out the window.

"I'd like that Harry, very much."  A contented wave of feeling wanted that has been missing for so long rushes over me.  A squeeze of my thigh tells me he senses it too.  There's no fanfare, it's a simple honest promise spoken so naturally but huge in its implication that he already sees us beyond the confines of our current little bubble.

It's now 4.40am and with the country roads totally deserted, we've quickly scooted into the town.  I pull in at the 24 hour Costa Coffee drive through.  Harry slumps down in his seat and puts his head down as I give our order to the hormonally bored teenager through the window.

"Morning, two lattes please, one double shot with one shot of caramel syrup and one single shot plain and two almond croissants, one granola date square, a banana and a kiwi lime smoothie."

The teen mumbles the order back to me then I drive to the next window and reach for my purse to pay but Harry blocks my wrist and places a £20 note in my hand.

"Before you protest, no arguing, I am treating you to breakfast remember."

I mouth a 'thank you' at him and pay for the goods.  The order is handed to me in dribs and drabs and I dump it all in Harry's lap.  His head remains down but he laughs out loud as I drive away.  

"How much food and how did you know my coffee order?"

"Well I suspect you haven't eaten properly for a while and the coffee choice was a wild guess.  I figured you needed strong coffee with a sweet pick-me up." I raise a questioning eyebrow at him.

"You are right, I haven't eaten and I'm hungry.  As for the coffee, spot on!"

"Well the drive is about 20 minutes so tuck-in."

"Where are we going again?"  He tries to catch me out. 

"I never said, now trust me remember and eat."  I glare wide-eyed jovially at him.

We drive back out of the town and before long hit the country roads again.  I soon spot the turning we need to take and indicate right, pulling sharply onto the narrow country lane.  My old car snakes around the sharp turns and tight bends.  The only other vehicle we are likely to encounter at this time of the morning is a tractor from one of the nearby farms.  I pray we don't because we would never be able to pass and I could be backing right up to the main turning again.  Time check tells me it's 4.50am, running right on time.

Harry's Range Rover would make light work of this poor excuse for a road but in my car we feel every bump as we are tossed from side to side.  Harry clings onto the coffees, desperately sipping a bit out of both to stop them spilling through the sip hole.

"Your car is insane!  I said we should have brought mine."  He offers smugly.

"Yes you're right, yours probably handles the road amazingly with its traction control 4x4 ABS all singing all dancing technology unlike mine that only has gears and a break but I rely on her."

"I'm not dissing your car Lily, quite the opposite.  It's great, made in an era when cars were proper cars and you physically have to drive them."

"That's all very nice but if you could have a choice of my car or yours, you'd pick mine would you?"

"Every single time."

"You don't really expect me to believe that do you?  How many cars do you have?"

"A few."  His answer is unassumingly non-committal.

"Vague."  I copy his minimalistic answer because he is being humble again, a quality amongst many that I adore about him. 

"They're just pieces of metal that get you from A to B."

"If that is the case then tell me why you don't drive something like this then.  Why spend thousands of pounds and have multiple vehicles."

"I love cars.  Some I own for everyday driving that are safe and necessary for me to have; some I have for fun driving that are fast and sleek; and some I have bought as investments.  I know it's indulgent and I am extremely lucky but I never take any of that stuff for granted.  I can see why you are attached to your car though."

"Yep I am, she's like an old friend I can't bear to part with.  We've had some adventures together and she's made this journey a fair few times too.  She's the only car I've got and I love her."

Harry looks on fondly as we continue to bounce along.  The road is so narrow in places that stray foliage brushes against the wing mirrors.  The lane has huge hedges either side making it impossible to see what is beyond.  But as we turn the final corner it all becomes clear and I sense Harry shift in his seat at the view in front of us.

The previously restricted sightline opens up to a 180 degree view of the land all around that stretches out completely flat.  What I have brought him to see is standing tall in the distance in front of us.