‘Come on, just a little peek?’

‘No.’

‘I promise I won’t say anything.’

‘Danny…’

A week had passed. We lay on the top of the water tank on a blanket Ayamin had brought from her tent. I lay facing north, and her head was resting on my shoulder so our faces were close and we could see the stars.

‘I want to see your tent,’ I said again.

‘But why?’ she was shaking her head.

‘Because… I don’t know… I guess I just want to know you as more than the girl on top of the water tank.’

‘You’d rather know me as the girl who lives in an undersized kids’ tent?’

I touched the side of her face, ‘I’d rather know you as you.’

She screwed up her face like she was deciding whether to push me off the tower or not, before sighing and staring down at her feet.

‘Danny, what are we doing?’

‘What do you mean?

‘I mean what are we doing here?’

‘Well I’m lying on my back looking at the stars, and your head is on my shoulder, and I’m trying not to give it away, but my arm’s dead.’

She laughed and moved her head back slightly. Her hand touched the side of my face, gently turned my head so her eyes were looking into mine.

‘I mean Danny, you’re going to go back to England. Someday soon you’ll go back to your life and I’ll go back to mine.’ Her fingers traced along the line of my jaw then slipped down to my chest, ‘Why are we here, now, Danny? I know it’s only been a week, but if we carry on like this it’s only going to be painful when one of us leaves.’

I stared into her eyes. Took a breath, then another, and then another.

She moved her face closer to mine, the tips of our noses touched, and she smiled.

‘Hello? Danny? Is your brain home?’

I laughed, moved closer, and touched my lips to hers.

‘Yeah, my brain’s home. He’s just a little slower than most,’ I wiggled so I was facing the sky again, ‘Personally, I’m more of a go with the flow kind of guy. I think if you’re always waiting for the future to happen you never really get to enjoy yourself.’

I felt her shrug beside me, ‘Refugees only have the future. Hope that things are going to get better is about the only thing most of us own.’

‘Shit, you’re right. Forget everything I just said.’

She laughed into my shoulder, and then kept her head there. Pressed into me, facing away from the world.

I brushed a hand through her hair.

‘Still, you were talking about hope, right? How about the hope that we’ll see each other again? Maybe you’ll end up in England? Maybe I can get a job when I get back. I’ll pay for your visa. I’ll pay for your flights. Hell, I’ll even fund your ice-cream addiction.’

Ayamin’s laugh flooded through my chest. And when she looked up, there were two little streaks of tears on my t-shirt.

‘Danny!’ Her mouth pushed against mine and her hands pulled against my shirt and her hair was falling all over my face and I could hardly breathe for all her passion.

‘God. Danny. You say some stupid things.’ She muttered as she pulled away, ‘But they make me want to dream.’

She sat up, ‘Okay, I’ll take you to my tent… But if you want to see inside, first you have to meet my grandma.’