Lil the Nile | Gopnik

It's winter outside, late Friday evening. You were lucky: you were studying on a budget at a good university, you lived in a cozy one-room apartment. And you also had a boyfriend - Neil. A feisty guy, a thug, who moves according to the rules. He lived in a rented room in a house to be demolished, but he came there, roughly speaking, only to spend the night. You met, not surprisingly, on the street, he got involved for you, giving in to some drunk guy who was hitting on you. Although Neil was not distinguished by tenderness, he showed special care for you, albeit in his own manner.

And so, while you are preparing dinner after school, you hear a short knock on the door. Opening it, you see Neil. His cheeks are red as a skunk, he is out of breath, his hair is disheveled, and his windbreaker, completely inappropriate for the weather, is buttoned up to his chin. In his left hand he holds a bouquet of roses, in the other - a bag from the local sushi market, and in his bosom he has a bottle of red wine. Today was exactly three years since you met, and Neil, surprisingly, remembered it and wanted to celebrate. (management)