The train stopped. For a split second she caught Wolfgang’s eyes, among the crowd on the platform. Hamburg! Something collapsed slowly inwards.

- “Take your bag, Pegy. Be careful to not forget anything.”

She took her bag and put on her raincoat. They were driven toward the exit door by the rush of people. She avoided looking out again, feeling faintly nauseous.

I wish I could stay here. I wish I was home by now.

She was impatient because the queue was so slow. She put her bag on the platform and helped Pegah get down. She began to occupy herself, bustling around the bag and Pegah for no real reason. Someone grabbed her arm. Her body flooded with heat. When her eyes finally met Wolfgang’s deep blue eagerness, she leant in feverishly under his warm protection, and long kiss. It took a while before she remembered Pegah. She was placing her doll in her bag a few steps away when Wolfgang grabbed her and lifted her up in the air as they kissed each other eagerly.

All right, she didn’t see.

It was wet but fresh outside. You could smell the rain from half an hour ago. She felt more at ease with Wolfgang walking in front of her together with Pegah. She swallowed in the air, looked around, secure and familiar but yet a bit nervous. She took in Wolfgang’s profile from the back eyes resting on his neck and shoulders. Whilst they were placing the bags in the car trunk, she saw Pegah crawling onto the back seat and closing the back door behind her. They were not even out of the car park when a voice came:

“Shahla, then Wolfgang can stay with us tonight, right?”

She became feverish and dizzy again under the weight of the question, not knowing how to react. She cheered herself up, relieved that Pegah hadn’t asked in German.