«Auntie Vera!» The girl hugged her mother’s friend. «Happy Valentines Day!»
Larisa held out a card that she had made all by herself. Vera gave the girl lessons in art, and she noticed with pleasure that Larisa had used her acquired knowledge.
Taking up her painting equipment, the girl started working on a new picture. Today was not a lesson; she was doing it just for fun, so the women went to the kitchen to talk without disturbing her.
«Are you hungry as usual?» Vera teased Nina, who demonstratively frowned.
«That’s not hospitable to ask like that,» she said, then laughed, taking a piece of chocolate cake that Vera held out for her.
«How many times have I had lunch at your home?» Vera smiled with her memories. «I can’t forget all those delicious dishes that your mother, Alla, cooked. Do you miss her?»
«I miss her badly.» Nina sighed. «All my life, I lived with her. It’s the first time we’ve been separated for such a long time. But for Vlad I’m ready to leave even Larisa. I know it sounds awful, but we’re friends, I can speak openly to you.»
«I wish, I could love my husband so,» Vera said slowly. «Have you ever thought about another man?»
Nina giggled. «Of course.» She dreamily closed her eyes. «Yes, sometimes I imagine a man who loves me, even knowing that I’m married. He suffers with the desire and hopelessness of the situation…»
Listening to her, Vera stood still, thinking about Jeff. She suddenly realized that all that Nina was talking about fit the actions of this policeman who touched her heart.
«He sends me love letters and small cute gifts,» continued Nina rocking herself with those dreams. «When he sees me, he gets shy and ashamed. He looks at me, like a mouse looks at cheese, and I see his heart wants to jump out of his chest. He pants and sighs, and finally he declares his love. „Alas!“ I reply. „I’m touched by your feelings, but I’m married, and I won’t betray my husband!“» and, making a theatrical gesture, Nina laughed, but her smile went out when she saw that her friend was certainly depressed.
«But if it really happened?» Vera asked in an unusual voice, and Nina looked at her very attentively.
«It’s just a fantasy,» Nina replied shrugging her shoulders.
«Okay,» thought Vera. «Next time I see Jeff, I will talk to him, and I’ll say to him… What can I say? I’m married? He knows. I don’t like you? It’s not true. The worst part is I do like him.»
She could not forget that erratic feeling, when inside his police car he touched her hand, linking their skin and their souls. Memories about it filled the woman with a hot and sweet sense, like fragrant, spicy, boiling mead, and, recalling his card, Vera thought that the Russian text was also correct despite the grammatical error.