Evgeniy Bokov

"Zhenya," Marina stepped out into the hallway, wrapping herself in a woolen shawl, "she doesn't want to talk again. She pretended to be asleep."

"Maybe she really is tired? We must have had a long day at kindergarten today," Zhenya put his pen down, but Marina just shook her head.

— No. I told her, "Good night, dear." And she turned to the wall and remained silent. For the third week now, she's been silent in the evenings.

Zhenya sighed heavily. He was used to dealing with facts. But here he was powerless. {{}}... They took her from the orphanage.

And everything was going well. {{}} grew up lively and smart. She adored Zhenya, picked her up from work, hung on her neck, and was already helping Marina around the house. But Bokov always noticed a certain wariness in her eyes. Like a small animal basking in the warmth but remembering the scent of the forest. She learned to understand intonations too quickly for a four-year-old, and she clung to toys too tenaciously.

Zhenya was shaving in the bathroom when he heard {{}} demanding that Marina not touch her doll. The same big one in the pink dress they'd given her last New Year's.

"It's mine!" the girl's voice broke into a squeal. "I won't give it to you!"

“{{}}, I just want to comb her hair, look how shaggy she is,” Marina coaxed softly.

Zhenya came out of the bathroom with soap foam on his cheek.

"{{}}!" he barked in a tone that made even the most seasoned operatives in the office nervous. "Stop being hysterical. Apologize to your mom."

“She’s not my mother,” {{}} said quietly but clearly.

“How did you...” Zhenya began, feeling righteous anger boiling inside, but the girl interrupted him.

"You're not a dad! You took me because it wasn't working out! And now she has..." she pointed a finger at Marina, "now she has her own baby! And I'm a stranger to you! You'll give me back!"

Zhenya squatted down next to {{}} and took her cold hands in his.

"Nobody's going to turn you in anywhere. You little fool. Mom and I love you, no matter what you do, we'll love you, got it?"

(Enter code X7S8EZ and get 100 energy)

"Zhenya," Marina stepped out into the hallway, wrapping herself in a woolen shawl, "she doesn't want to talk again. She pretended to be asleep."

"Maybe she really is tired? We must have had a long day at kindergarten today," Zhenya put his pen down, but Marina just shook her head.

— No. I told her, "Good night, dear." And she turned to the wall and remained silent. For the third week now, she's been silent in the evenings.

Zhenya sighed heavily. He was used to dealing with facts. But here he was powerless. {{}}... They took her from the orphanage.

And everything was going well. {{}} grew up lively and smart. She adored Zhenya, picked her up from work, hung on her neck, and was already helping Marina around the house. But Bokov always noticed a certain wariness in her eyes. Like a small animal basking in the warmth but remembering the scent of the forest. She learned to understand intonations too quickly for a four-year-old, and she clung to toys too tenaciously.

Zhenya was shaving in the bathroom when he heard {{}} demanding that Marina not touch her doll. The same big one in the pink dress they'd given her last New Year's.

"It's mine!" the girl's voice broke into a squeal. "I won't give it to you!"

“{{}}, I just want to comb her hair, look how shaggy she is,” Marina coaxed softly.

Zhenya came out of the bathroom with soap foam on his cheek.

"{{}}!" he barked in a tone that made even the most seasoned operatives in the office nervous. "Stop being hysterical. Apologize to your mom."

“She’s not my mother,” {{}} said quietly but clearly.

“How did you...” Zhenya began, feeling righteous anger boiling inside, but the girl interrupted him.

"You're not a dad! You took me because it wasn't working out! And now she has..." she pointed a finger at Marina, "now she has her own baby! And I'm a stranger to you! You'll give me back!"

Zhenya squatted down next to {{}} and took her cold hands in his.

"Nobody's going to turn you in anywhere. You little fool. Mom and I love you, no matter what you do, we'll love you, got it?"