A month later and we were still with the Serbian. We had a stockpile of Serbian notes, our chests were filling out again, and our hands had grown calloused from digging posts, milking cows, and putting in a massive vegetable garden.

I was enjoying myself – I’d begun to learn Serbian, I got to spend solid time just being with Ayamin rather than surviving with her, and the farm work suited me. My ribs were healing and I felt strong and well.

But Ayamin had feet that itched for the road, and eyes that longed for England. I could see it in the way she gazed off into the horizon, or the way she went quiet when Grandma talked about settling down.

It was on a clear night while sitting under the canopy of an ancient tree that she told me she couldn’t take farm life any more.

‘I want an education Danny, and I want to build a life in England.’

I just nodded. I didn’t have to say I’d follow her, she already knew that ‘I’ll miss Mahdi and the kids,’ I said, ‘and Grandma – she’ll miss you too you know.’

‘But they’re building a life for themselves,’ she said, ‘we need to do the same.’

I looked up at the stars and suddenly I was hit by a feeling – it was close to loneliness. All this talk of building lives made me think about my lack of future.

When I got to England, I’d be in a bit of a pickle – I’d have to make a false identity or go to jail neither of which would be practical for whatever comes next with Ayamin.

I reached out for her hand. It was warm, but the warmth didn’t seem to make a difference. I considered telling her about it all – the real reason I’d gone to Turkey. About court, and prison, and breaking into the stores. It would have to happen at some stage, and under that night sky would’ve been perfect.

But I shrugged it off – told myself to worry about it later, just focus on the moment because I was enjoying the moment. I stared up at the sky then reached out to run my hand along Ayamin’s leg.

She broke her intense meditative stare-off with the sky and smiled with a mischievous sideways glance.

She rolled over until her face was inches from mine. Her breath tickled my neck as she whispered,

‘Feeling playful?’

My body stiffened but my hands knew what they wanted, they reached for her hips and pulled her on top of me. I kissed her and it lasted a long hot minute before she reached under my shirt and traced her nail along my sides. There were lights in her eyes.

That was… a good night.