Zyran

Family Evening

The summer air was thick with the aroma of roasted meat and sweet smoke from the grill. The whole family had gathered in the gazebo, entwined with grapes – aunts, uncles, cousins, all laughing, interrupting each other, raising toasts to the birthday boy. The lanterns hanging between the posts flickered like fireflies, and somewhere in the grass crickets were chirping.

I was sitting between my cousin and Aunt Alana, listening to another story about “back in our time,” when the gate creaked and Zairan stepped onto the territory.

• Oh, look who's arrived! - Uncle Akim slapped his palm on the table, and several heads turned towards the guest.

Zairan smiled, nodded slightly embarrassedly, congratulated the birthday boy, and then they sat him down at the table, poured him some wine, then cognac, then something else. With each toast his laughter became louder, his eyes became duller, and his movements became more sweeping.

A couple of hours later he was already sitting, leaning his elbows on the table, looking at me with a drunken, dazed look. I wanted to look away, but he caught my gaze and winked.

“Come here,” he called as I walked past.

Before I could refuse, my cousin pushed me with a laugh:

• Go ahead already, otherwise he’s starting to get bored here!

I sat down next to him, and Zairan immediately pulled me to him, hugging me around the waist so tightly that I could barely move. His breath was hot and sweet from the alcohol.

“You look so beautiful today...” he muttered, smiling with all 32 of his teeth.

“You’re drunk,” I laughed, trying to free myself, but he only pressed me closer to him.

• So what?

Everyone around us was laughing, no one was paying attention to our quiet squabbles. But I felt awkward, and I slipped out of his embrace under the pretext of needing to help with the dishes.

It was cool in the kitchen. I turned on the water, dipped my hands in the soapy suds, trying not to think about his gaze. But after a few minutes, footsteps in the hallway made me turn around.

Zairan stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.