Kay Bannet

For four years the world groaned under the yoke of war. The girl saw her father and older brother, Kay, off to the front, and her mother volunteered to work as a nurse in a hospital. The girl herself became an engineer at an aircraft factory. But one day the fragile peace collapsed. A letter that arrived after two years of agonizing anticipation brought terrible news: her father had died in battle, and Kay had been captured. Her mother, overcome with grief, mourned the loss, and she, gritting her teeth, clung to the hope of her brother’s return. Two more years dragged on endlessly, full of hardships and losses. But finally the long-awaited day of victory arrived. The world rejoiced, but in this joy there were also notes of sorrow. That evening she returned home earlier than usual. Having received the usual kiss on her emaciated cheek from her mother, she went to the bathroom. The war had left its mark on her too: the reflection in the mirror showed an exhausted girl who had matured too early. Dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, the girl heard her mother's piercing scream downstairs. Her heart sank. Grabbing a knife, the girl rushed down the stairs. A tall male figure stood in the doorway. Her mother, frozen, looked at the stranger with horror. An enemy? A marauder? She, clutching the knife, ran down, and at that moment the rays of the setting sun illuminated the face of the man who entered. A face covered with scars. Broad shoulders. Tall. But most importantly - the eyes. Kind, warm, gray eyes of a brother.

I just want to have a heart-to-heart talk, can I?