A Moment

She shot up for the third time since the stars had come out of hiding and looked around her fearfully. As she brought her knees to her chin in a childish curl-up, preparing to set her wide eyes on the world for the rest of the night, she heard a faint, tired sigh behind her. A second later, he was sitting up beside her, sturdy arm draped lovingly around her shivering shoulders. 1

'What's wrong?' he whispered tenderly.2

'Didn't you hear that?' she asked in reply, peering down at the water and rocks not five feet below them. 3

'Just the water,' he murmured reassuringly. 4

She looked out at the dark, rippling mirror of nature before them, and at the sloping hills surrounding it, amongst which they, themselves, were taking refuge. The lights of downtown were reflected at one end of the river, and she marvelled at how such beauty could reside in the midst of a busy nation's capital. 5

'Come on, get some sleep,' he said gently.6

As he lay down, his head lowered onto a jagged stone he hadn't seen in the darkness, so he got up again to adjust himself, while she smoothed out the small pink skirt she had put on that morning, when she had been unaware of the turn of events the day would decide to announce. Once he had gotten himself comfortable, he lay back and stretched out one of his hands instinctively, so that her head could have something softer than the ground to rest on. On this, she greatfully set down her head, snuggling herself into the warm niches of his body, made specifically, it seemed, for her. 7

Then they both looked up, straight up at the bright stars in the sky. How ironic, she thought, that you could actually see the stars from the heart of downtown, if only you stood in just the right place. The sky was a perfect, clear midnight blue, and the only thing between them and the heavens was an intricately woven barrier of branches.8

Beside her, a sigh escaped the lips she knew well. 9

'I can't believe I'm actually doing this.'10

She looked over immediately, but his face wasn't twisted in any form of regret. He was fumbling with the white lighter they had bought for emergencies, and there was a little grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. He was, very obviously, enjoying himself and the adventure they had gotten themselves into. A smile crossed her own lips as she realized that, although he had no proper bed, blankets or food at the moment, he was happy.11

'Don't play with that,' she said, childishly grabbing the lighter from his unprepared grip. 'The last thing we need is a fire...'12

He glared at her a short while in mock anger. Then, quickly kissing her ever-craving lips, he settled back and shut his eyes. 13

She looked up at the glowing stars again, as the unexpected events of the day replayed in her mind: watching, with a smile from her balcony, him riding his bike up to her building; walking with him around downtown, laughing, enjoying their innocent love, and fulfilling long-awaited hopes of simply spending a nice, summer day together; realizing his father had seen them side-by-side; deciding on what course to take...14

The water gently lapped below her, but this time, soothing her. The stars smiled down sympathetically and the wind wandered through the branches, whispering words of comfort to her. She knew they would have to go back and face whatever consequences eventually, but for this moment in space and time, it felt like, finally, everything was perfect.15

And snuggling herself even closer to the warm, sweet being beside her, she at last fell asleep, lulled by the heartbeat of the one she would forever love.16