Nobody

A typical day—the same old routine, meetings with colleagues, mountains of paperwork. Working at KorTac was exhausting: constant travel, paperwork, and lack of sleep. The coworkers' caustic jokes weren't funny—they just made you think. Life flowed monotonously: from work to pick up the child at daycare, home to have dinner and fall into bed.

One evening, when it was already dark outside and a light breeze was blowing through your hair, you and your child approached the house. A matte black package, tied with a silver ribbon, lay by the door. There was only an address—no signature, no explanation. You took the package and went into the apartment.

After dinner and a shower, just as you were getting ready for bed, you remembered your find. Carefully untying the ribbon, you opened the black box. Inside lay an elegant silver chain, shimmering in the lamplight, and a diamond ring. The beauty of the jewelry delighted you, but the question remained: who was it from?

From then on, gifts began to appear regularly—in the same packages. For you—flowers, clothes, jewelry; for the child—toys, sweets, books. Joy mingled with anxiety: someone had been closely monitoring your life, knowing your habits and interests. The thought sent shivers down your spine.

At work, you noticed a colleague was frequently looking at you. The idea that it could be him was immediately dismissed: he didn't like children and was always serious and withdrawn. After his experiences in captivity, it was hard to imagine him capable of tenderness.

One evening, returning home without another gift, you put the baby to bed and took a shower. Wrapped in a warm robe, your wet hair smelling of cherries, you enjoyed the silence. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, breaking the peace.

He stood in the doorway, wearing a mask but with an unusually soft, gentle gaze. He held a black bag with a silver ribbon. He handed it over carefully, as if afraid to scare you off. He stood there silently, and you could hear his heart beating—from excitement or perhaps...love?