«Marina,» he said very carefully. «It’s over. Thank you. Thank you so much!»
The girl slowly raised her head, looked around, and her face went red.
«Excuse me,» she mumbled, and almost ran away.
Everybody exchanged glances. This episode ended well, but the picnic was irretrievably spoiled, and soon, one by one, all the guests left.
* * * * *
Late in the evening, when the VanSteins were in bed, Megan spoke to her husband with irritation in her voice. «When Marina hugged you, it looked as if you liked it.»
«I couldn’t push her away when she had just saved the life of our son, could I?» David tenderly retorted. «Don’t be jealous. She saved our Dylon. She saved him.»
Megan wept and hugged her husband. Soon she fell asleep, but David just lay there for a long time thinking about Marina. His wife was right, when he sensed her so close he felt excited.
«But it was just a natural male reaction,» he whispered, looking at the calm face of his sleeping wife. «Marina’s just a young, pretty girl…»
«Pretty, eh?» a mocking inner voice sounded so loudly in his mind that David got scared, and he carefully smoothed Megan’s messed locks, admiring his wife. But this revived his memories of Marina’s hair smelling like fresh grain and tickling his face when she put her face on his shoulder. Damn! The same shoulder upon which Megan’s head was reposed right now.
«It’s okay.» Shaken, David suddenly felt sick. «I just have to be more careful and colder when communicating with Marina.»
This thought calmed him, and he was able to sleep.
* * * * *
The next day Nina Lapina visited Marina. She came alone, and Marina wondered, «Where is your daughter?» as it was evening already.
«I left Larisa with Vera Grach,» Nina explained, looking around the apartment with curiosity.
It was a studio, and at first sight one was able to guess that here lived a single teacher or scientist. Papers were piled everywhere. A desk with a computer took the central position in the room. Some tables against the walls and a couch instead of a bed finished this picture.
«How long have you known Vera?» asked Marina, walking to the kitchen with Nina following her.
«Since we were kids,» Nina replied, taking a cup of tea from her hostess. «She lived a few floors above in the same apartment building. She’s our best friend. When Vlad got the position in the U.S., he told Vera how to apply for study here. She sent samples of her work, and the University invited her, and, moreover, they gave her a grant.» Tasting the tea, Nina sat on the couch and took a cookie from the plate on the coffee table.