After weeks of waiting, uncertainty and hoping for the phone to ring, today I finally got to speak to my mum and Craig again.
We had around 13 minutes together, and I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it was to hear their voices. Not through updates passed on by lawyers or the Foreign Office, but an actual conversation with them both, catching up on family news, everyday life and all those little things that we would ordinarily take for granted.
And I'm delighted to say they both seemed in remarkably good spirits.
They told me they had just completed a five-day water fast, something they both felt had been beneficial to their wellbeing. After everything they've endured, particularly their prolonged hunger strikes earlier this year, it was reassuring to hear them speaking so positively about how they were feeling.
What struck me most was their spirit. Despite everything that has happened, the uncertainty of their situation and the enormous amount of time they've spent away from their families, they continue to find ways to remain positive and look after one another. Their strength and resilience never cease to amaze me.
For me personally, today's call brought an enormous sense of relief. The past few weeks have been particularly difficult, with promises of contact that haven't materialised and long periods of silence, leaving us wondering when we might next hear from them.
When someone you love is detained thousands of miles away, even the simplest questions can go unanswered for weeks. How are they feeling? Are they coping? Has anything changed? That uncertainty is something no family should have to experience.
We're hopeful that today's call will now become a weekly occurrence. We've been given assurances before that haven't been fulfilled, so naturally we remain cautious, but I desperately hope this is the beginning of more consistent communication.
And while today is a moment of genuine happiness for our family, it doesn't change the bigger picture.
A phone call is progress, but it is not freedom.
Mum and Craig remain detained, separated from their families and the lives they should be living. They have already lost so much time, time that none of us can ever get back. We can be grateful for today's conversation whilst recognising that the circumstances which make 13 minutes on the phone feel like such an extraordinary occasion are completely unacceptable.
Our goal remains exactly the same: to bring them home, safe and free.
Two important dates ahead
The next couple of weeks are hugely important for our campaign, and I really hope as many of you as possible will continue to stand alongside us.
Wednesday 21 October – Petition delivery to the Foreign Office
On 21 October, we will be gathering in London to deliver our petition to the Foreign Office. This is an opportunity to bring together the voices of everyone who has supported Mum and Craig and demonstrate that the public continues to expect urgency, answers and meaningful action.
Every signature represents someone who believes they deserve to be home, and every person who joins us on the day helps reinforce that message.
I would absolutely love to see as many of you there as possible. Your presence would mean an enormous amount to our family, particularly as we approach such an important meeting just six days later.
Tuesday 27 October – Meeting with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband
We now have a confirmed meeting with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, something we have been working towards for some time.
I want to acknowledge that the Foreign Secretary has already been involved in high-level diplomatic engagement concerning Mum and Craig, and I believe it's important to recognise that. But there remains a considerable distance between diplomatic discussions and securing their release.
We will be going into this meeting determined to understand what more can be done, what options remain available to the British Government and how we can turn those discussions into meaningful progress.
We have consistently called for every legitimate diplomatic and legal avenue to be explored, including the formal recognition of their arbitrary detention, diplomatic protection and the international legal mechanisms that may be available.
We understand that diplomacy is complicated, particularly when dealing with circumstances as sensitive as these, but complexity cannot become an excuse for a lack of progress. We need the Foreign Secretary's leadership, influence and the full weight of his office behind the effort to bring Mum and Craig home.
And finally, thank you.
As always, I want to thank every single person who continues to stand with us.
Whether you've signed and shared the petition, written to your MP, helped raise awareness, donated to the campaign or simply sent a message of encouragement, please know how much it means.
There have been some incredibly difficult moments throughout this ordeal, and your continued support has helped us navigate them. More importantly, it has helped ensure that Mum and Craig's situation remains in the public eye and that the pressure for their release doesn't disappear.
I genuinely believe that public support and public pressure can make a difference. We've seen it through the extraordinary determination of families like Richard Ratcliffe's, and it's one of the reasons I'm so determined to keep going.
The coming weeks present an important opportunity, and I hope we can carry the strength of this campaign into both the petition delivery and our meeting with the Foreign Secretary.
For today, though, I'm allowing myself to enjoy a moment of happiness.
I heard my mum's voice. I got to speak to Craig. We caught up on our lives, and for 13 precious minutes, the distance between us felt just that little bit smaller. After so much uncertainty, that means more than I can possibly put into words.
Please keep sharing their story, keep supporting the campaign, and if you can, come and stand with us on 21 October.
Thank you for everything you've done and continue to do. We have some important days ahead of us, and I'm more determined than ever to make them count.
One step forward, but one goal that will never change. Bringing Mum and Craig home.