We sat on a crumbled stone wall above Briancon. Its stone buildings and wooden houses seemed like miniatures compared to the landscape around them. There, Ayamin began her story.

‘I was angry Danny. I hated you a little bit. So I started to walk. I left Milan and I just kept going. We’d spent all our money on the bus so there wasn’t much else for me to do.

Three days later I was in some small Italian town. You might’ve passed through it. It’s the one with the statue of Caesar in it. I found a space to sleep under the arches of a community hall and woke up to flashing lights and a policeman shaking me awake. He told me I couldn’t sleep there.

He took me to their jail and gave me the best meal I’ve ever had. It was some sort of a stew his wife made – but the feeling of the heat filling my cold, empty stomach was heaven.

In the morning the policeman said I should apply for refugee status or I’d either stay locked up or be forced to leave the country. I told him I wanted to get to England and he said it was impossible.

Later he came in carrying a radio and set it down on the table next to me. It was playing your interview Danny.

When it had finished he turned the radio off and we stood there watching each other.

We’re going to let you out on bail. He told me, Whatever you do, you’ve got to stay in this town. Don’t even think about travelling to France… that would be very bad… it’d be even worse if you travelled to the place this Danny was talking about and met up with him… That would be very, very bad. You should most definitely not do that.

Then he gave me our pack and let me go. When I put the bag on, it felt heavier than I remembered. The policeman waved from the front of the station.

So, I started walking again. I missed you Danny. I really did. I wanted that feeling of us taking on the world together.

I found the policeman had loaded my pack full of all kinds of travel food, enough to keep me alive a few days. So I turned my head towards France and I walked and I walked and I slept a little and walked some more. I found Briancon, and I found you Danny.’

As she finished her story Ayamin pulled her tattered copy of Two Hearts in the French Night from the bag.

‘No wonder it’s set here,’ she said, ‘This is a place for stories.’

She flicked through the book and stopped when she came to a red poppy preserved between its pages. It made me think of Teete.

‘Is that her flower?’

‘She said she wanted to see Paris. So, I’m going to show her.’

I slipped my hand into Ayamin’s.

We walked back through the town to Graeme’s flat. He was waiting at the door with a patient, sad smile on his face. Our final cup of tea together was spent talking about the trip ahead.

As we went to leave, he handed me a bag of scones, and a map of France for the road, ‘You take care Danny.’

Part of me felt guilty for leaving Graeme so suddenly. But a bigger part was consumed with Ayamin. I shook his hand and we left.

At the side of the church, Henry the scooter sat in a small pile of snow. Ayamin buzzed around him cleaning off his seat, admiring his colour and the pink helmet attached to him.

‘He’s so cute!!’

‘Alright,’ I said, ‘I’m feeling a little jealous now.’

Ayamin laughed, bent down and kissed his headlight.

‘How about n…’

She didn’t have time to finish as a snowball exploded on her face. Ayamin screamed and then bent down to gather up a small mountain of snow in her arms.

‘Come here.’

She ran after me, I dodged her attack, then lept on her. The two of us landed face first in a pile of snow.

When she poked her head out from the snow little snowflakes were hanging from her eyelashes. Her face was red.

‘Danny!’

I threw my head back and laughed until she shoved a chunk of snow into my mouth.

‘Now we’re even.’

I wrapped a hand around her butt and slid her body closer to mine. Ayamin was grinning as I kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her lips.

On the surface, her skin was icy and made me shiver.

‘Danny,’ she whispered.

‘Yeah?’

‘I’m cold.’

I laughed, and with a groan, stood to my feet. I held out a hand to Ayamin.

‘Come on you.’

I pulled Henry’s key from my bag and Ayamin hopped on the seat behind me, little Henry’s suspension dropped to an all-time low with our combined weight.

‘Ready?’ I asked, turning the key.

‘Ready,’ she grinned.

Little Henry started first time, I revved the engine, and we shot through the town square. Ayamin’s hair trailed behind her, ‘England here we come!’

We streamed down the mountainsides, I felt Ayamin’s arms tighten around my chest, she was yelling pure joy.

‘I missed you Ayamin.’

‘I love you Danny.’