Page 147 of How We Began

He rolled over and watched me, his hand raised to shield his eyes from the sun.

“Fancy a trip to our tree?” he asked with a wink.

“Benjamin Chambers! It’s broad daylight!”

He laughed and tugged me towards him like a ship holding onto its anchor. It was just us. Well, just us and some geese that got braver with every moment we didn’t run away screaming.

21st May

(3.00 a.m.)

“Ben, are you awake?”

“I am now.”

His hands reached and out and anchored me back in. I must have moved a whole three inches away during my doze.

“I know what I want to do!” I declared.

“What now? Jesus, Lilah! Give me a little rest.”

I elbowed him in the ribs, which were handily close. “No! I know what I want to do.”

“What’s that, Lilah?”

His voice caressed my name, even in the middle of the night.

“I want to write a book.”

Silence.

“What are you going to write a book about?” His voice was quiet.

“About you.”

Silence.

He turned me to face him. We were just shadows in the night. He didn’t say anything, his lips just sought mine, and I kissed him back, imprinting chapters from our story onto my mouth.

(5.00 a.m.)

Ben is asleep, but I am lying awake thinking about my book. I wonder if anyone would bother to read it. Isn’t that the thing about love stories? They don’t always have happy endings.

22nd May

“Quick, quick! Look what I can do!”

I ran down the corridor banging on the girls' doors.

“This had better be good!” exclaimed Meredith, pulling her door open wide and glaring at me from under a red haystack.

Beth and Jayne cracked open their doors, peering out, blinking into the new day light as I paraded up and down sashaying my hips.

“Lilah, what are we supposed to be looking at?” Meredith didn’t look impressed at my wake-up call.

“Looook!” I squealed. “I can get my hair in a ponytail!”

I catwalked my new ponytail up and down the hallway.