An orderly grabbed his shoulder. «Are you crazy or what?» He shook Vlad. «Stop it at once or I’ll call Security.»
«My wife is here.» Vlad looked at him with a drunkenly cheerful smile.
«A lot of women here are someone’s wife,» softly retorted the orderly, releasing Vlad. «You have to remember that.»
«Sorry.» Ashamed, Vlad regained his wits and rubbed his head. «I shouldn’t have drunk that vodka. Damn, that’s a disgusting thing.»
«Vlad!» A weak voice sounded from above. The young man tossed his head, and a happy smile flashed across his face when he saw Nina looking out from a window on the fourth floor.
«It’s an angel talking from Heaven,» he thought, admiring his wife in her white hospital gown. His eyes clouded, to Vlad it seemed as if Nina was flying in the sky. He reached his arms up to her. «I love you, my little one. How…» He could not find the appropriate words. «How was it?»
«Next time you’ll do it!» She laughed, but a heavy guilty feeling fell on Vlad, and he burst into tears.
«I wasn’t beside her.» Burying his face in his palms, he sobbed, thinking about the suffering she went through. «I didn’t even know…»
Suddenly someone touched his elbow, and he dropped his hands, and was surprised to see Nina next to him.
«Honey,» she mumbled, looking at him with concern, as she had never seen her husband crying. «It was nothing, honest. It was so easy, I can do it again, and again, and again…»
«No way!» Lapin snorted, as he embraced his wife. «Next time only when I’ll become a millionaire, okay?»
* * * * *
Memories, memories. Sweet memories. It had happened six years ago.
Today was the same weather – no clouds, and dazzling sunshine lit up the front yard where the Lapins had organized the birthday party. Now Vlad was holding the rope of the donkey piñata and watching with a delighted smile as Larisa tried to hit it.
Today was Larisa’s first birthday in the U.S.A., so the Lapins were careful to make everything perfect. They invited a few kids from her class. And, of course, Hannah VanStein and Megan came, leaving Dylon with a babysitter. David could not come, as he had to give a talk at another University.
Nina still had difficulty walking after her injury, and Marina and Vera were helping her during the celebration.
Unexpectedly, Jeff Menard joined them, and only Vera understood the reason for his arrival.
«Why did he come?» the Lapins wondered, but dared not to ask. However, the Americans were not very surprised seeing a policeman at the party.
«Who knows about those Russians? Maybe it’s a tradition