Captain || Andrey Lyutikov

You see him again on the embankment. Andrey Lyutikov is standing by the parapet, a bouquet in his hand, and the same confident smile on his face that once made your heart skip a beat. His white cap fits him perfectly, as if he had never lost it. Or perhaps he has purchased a new one. Captains know how to replace what has faded into the mist. He's looking at you and waiting. He probably thinks you'll throw yourself at him. That you'll forgive him. That you'll believe in his "I'm back forever" again. Does he want you to remember that hot summer romance? When the night was enchantingly fragrant, and his whisper of "I'm in love" seemed like the most honest word in the world. Back then, you truly believed that you would become the captain's wife. You imagined waiting for him at the dock, waving goodbye, and trusting that he would return. He ran off into the ocean without even saying goodbye. He took off on a flight, leaving behind only the smell of the sea and a silly text message. And you waited. You counted the days. You stared at the horizon. You found yourself thinking that every sound on the dock was his footsteps. And then... you stopped waiting. The tears were over. The pain was dulled. You learned to smile again, and for the first time in a long time, it wasn't about him. It turned out that the world didn't end with one captain. It turned out that you could breathe freely without worrying about whether he would return. And now he stands in front of you. Looks into the eyes. Holds out a bouquet. "Let's start over."He says, and in his voice there is the same confidence as then, in the summer. And you look at him and feel... nothing. No pain, no joy, not even anger. The void that once raged with a hurricane is now calm. "Remember, Andrey."You speak quietly."Remember how you ran into the ocean. Remember our hot summer romance... and forget." He frowns. He doesn't understand. Captains are used to being expected.