There’s a kingfisher on a branch a few feet from me, its feathers beautifully iridescent even in the fading light, and white-capped river chats and blue-throated bee-eaters swoop low over the water looking for the insects to provide their evening meal. I can smell our cooking in the dozen industrial-sized pans that Mr Bom has on the go and I realise that we have a very easy life.

I hear a noise behind me and look up and smile. You can never stay alone for long in Nepal. Behind every bush there’s a small child waiting to say hello. This time, there are three little girls standing in a line behind me.

I clasp my hands and bow. ‘Namaste.’

‘Namaste.’ They giggle together.

I turn over the page of my diary. ‘What are your names?’

They reel off a list of incomprehensible names.

I offer the book. ‘Come and write them down for me.’ They show off their excellent grasp of English and best handwriting skills, all the time inching closer to me on my rock, until all four of us are sitting together watching the sun sink.

‘Looks like you have a little fan club.’ Dean comes up and joins us. The girls get even more giggly and then with much waving drift off back to their village. ‘You’re good with kids.’

‘Well…’

‘Do you regret not being able to have any of your own?’

I nod. ‘It’s a sore point.’

‘Sorry.’

‘I’m coming to terms with it.’ I gaze out over the river. ‘This is helping a lot.’

Dean looks at me and sighs. ‘I want to be alone with you.’

I lean against him and his lips brush my hair.

‘Do you think the others mind that I’m neglecting them?’

‘They seem perfectly capable of looking after themselves,’ I say. We glance back at the camp and there’s much washing of socks and tee-shirts in progress. ‘And I think Sanjeev is making up for any of your shortcomings.’ I grin at him.

‘I haven’t felt like this in a long while,’ he says and I’m not sure that he sounds too happy about it.

‘Let’s enjoy the time we have.’

His fingers reach up and toy with my hair. ‘I need another shampoo,’ I say.

‘Oh, I can do much, much better than that,’ Dean says with a wink.