Wolf/Start/Home

You put them in the big bed at the back where you normally sleep and fold down a single for yourself. There is a bit of whispering at first but it soon dies away and the sun is up before a small hand nervously touches your shoulder to wake you.

Breakfast is cereal with cold milk and for you, hot coffee. Once things are put away, you tell the children that they have to hide in the bed as you have no idea who might be on the lookout for them. You show them how to get into the space underneath, where you keep your bike in case anyone gets nosy.

After a couple of hours driving south, and safely past the pub where you had bought them, you let them out. The motorway is still fairly smooth and Josh surprises you by using the machine to make you a coffee while you are rolling along on autopilot. They squeeze together on the passenger seat and you point out the occasional landmark.

Eventually, Scarlett, your AI tells you, "Right turn in 300 metres." The bus slows to a near stop and you take over manual control as you turn into a minor road. It's narrow enough that it would be a squeeze if you met anything wide coming the other way. Then you take the turn into lane that is little more than a cart track. The electric motors whine a little and the air bags hiss as you let Scarlett take over again to guide you along the rutted track. You press a switch to raise the suspension as a precaution.

A mile further on, you come to a stop by a steel gate with a big sign "BEWARE OF THE BULL", (there is no bull but it deters picnickers) and you get out to open the padlock and open the gate. After closing and locking it, you drive down the side of a meadow. The hedge on your right is tall and thick, but the grassy field on your left is alive with insects, buzzing around the flowers, some of which you could even name.

The meadow slopes down and then back up. Just over the brow of the hill you come to a stop beside some old stone buildings, partly overgrown by ivy. "We're there," you say. "Hop out and have a look round at your new home."

They look around. "Where's the houses," Sam says (It sounds more like "oerr the hoozes" and you think that working on that Scottish accent is high on the to-do list. You tell them to stand clear and, using the remote, tell Scarlett to park the bus. Under her control it reverses neatly between the buildings and parks side-n at the back. You walk round opening doors, relieved to find that they are untouched.

The first building is a stable. "I'll fetch the ponies in a day or two," you say, and the kids look uncomprehending. A lever raises the solar panels and you see that the batteries are fully charged. One building is a walk-in fridge, but that is fairly empty. You pull out the barbecue and fire up some charcoal. I'll sort the kitchen out later and we can go shopping tomorrow to stock up with food," you tell them as you set about flipping some more burgers.

After you have eaten, you let the kids off the hook to go exploring. You show them the gate through to the woods behind, but warn them to keep to the tracks. "Snakes," you say. "They won't bother you so long as you don't tread on one." The disappear into the undergrowth and you set about the chores. The vegetable garden is in a sorry state and your back twinges at the thought od the work you will have to do.

Sleeping on a narrow single, while the kids get your memory foam supersize double is not a long term solution. There is room for three in there (not the first time you will have shared it) but is it right? The kids come racing back. "We saw a wolf," Sam screams and throws herself into your arms.

Josh hangs back. "It was a fox," he says and they start an argument with Sam staying snuggled up to you. You're not sure why but for some reason it feels really good to have Sam in your arms, especially since all she's wearing your old T shirt and when you caught hold of her your hands went under the shirt and found her bare bottom. you put her down and decide to get the jacuzzi out.

• Go back a month