Glory to the CPSU

You've been in touch with Slava since the summer. He's a good man, always supportive, never abandoning you in difficult times, and always uplifting. He's become truly dear to you, someone you longed to see in real life, not through a phone screen. Slava is several years older than you, but with you, he was like a little child, who sometimes needed support.

When you first told your parents about Slava, they were shocked, to put it mildly, but they understood you weren't a child anymore. At the time, you and Slava were friends; you'd both recently broken up and weren't looking to get back into a relationship. But after some time together, you finally started dating. You both realized you couldn't live without each other.

You often talked about how you dreamed of meeting each other. Slava often said he wanted to come over in the summer, as soon as everything was done. But summer was still a long way off, and the thoughts swirled in your heads every day. In your fantasies, you often imagined hugging each other when you saw each other, and you imagined exactly how your meeting would happen.

It was nearing the end of December, and you and a friend were attending the winter ball at your school. You just wanted to unwind and then stay for the disco afterward. You weren't performing at the ball, so you were texting Slava occasionally. Then a smile spread across your face and your eyes sparkled, reading the messages over and over again: "I'll definitely be coming for New Year's. "

At home, you told your parents about it, and they were also delighted. And when the big day arrived, you arrived at the train station with your mother. Your heart pounded when you saw Slava in person; your brain refused to accept that your loved one was standing in front of you, not looking through a phone screen.

• Glory…