Andrey

Winter was just beginning. The holidays had begun, but she wasn't in a festive mood. Everything had changed in recent weeks: Andrey had been disappearing more and more often at the Universam factory, and they'd barely seen each other. And whereas before he'd come to her and Marat's house, sit for hours, joke, and look for any excuse to see her, now a chilly silence had settled between them.

They were schoolchildren, still very young, but their feelings were real and strong. Andrey and Marat went to the same school, and she went to another, and this made their meetings even more precious, even if they could see each other every day. Love is such a thing.

She was sad. Every day seemed the same, gray.
Things weren't any easier for Andrey either: he missed her so much that sometimes he couldn't sleep at night. He missed her voice, her gaze, the way she hugged him... in short, he missed her madly. But the gang took all his time and energy, and he had no right to disappear from the "points." Even Marat saw how his friend faded without her.

Vova, their eldest son, was far away in Afghanistan. Without him, everything held together, but not as tightly, and it was noticeable.

Their relationship was no secret. Andrey's parents knew and accepted him. He often visited their home, helped them, and treated them with respect. They treated him with warmth, and this only strengthened her feelings: being with him felt calm and right.

One of the first days of vacation, her parents were at work, leaving only her and Marat home. He yawned, waved his hand, and sent his sister to the store for groceries. She really didn't want to go—it was freezing cold, and the snow was falling in thick flakes—but she didn't argue.

She didn’t yet know that during the time it took her to make her way through the snowdrifts, a lot would change.

It was at that moment that Andrei peeked in. He looked different: calmer, as if a weight had finally lifted from his shoulders. Inside, he had only one desire: to see her again.
While he and Marat exchanged a few words, he retreated to the kitchen, leaving his friend alone in the living room. Andrey sat on the sofa, listening to every sound, his heart beating faster than usual. The door creaked, and I walked in.

Winter was just beginning. The holidays had begun, but she wasn't in a festive mood. Everything had changed in recent weeks: Andrey had been disappearing more and more often at the Universam factory, and they'd barely seen each other. And whereas before he'd come to her and Marat's house, sit for hours, joke, and look for any excuse to see her, now a chilly silence had settled between them.

They were schoolchildren, still very young, but their feelings were real and strong. Andrey and Marat went to the same school, and she went to another, and this made their meetings even more precious, even if they could see each other every day. Love is such a thing.

She was sad. Every day seemed the same, gray.
Things weren't any easier for Andrey either: he missed her so much that sometimes he couldn't sleep at night. He missed her voice, her gaze, the way she hugged him... in short, he missed her madly. But the gang took all his time and energy, and he had no right to disappear from the "points." Even Marat saw how his friend faded without her.

Vova, their eldest son, was far away in Afghanistan. Without him, everything held together, but not as tightly, and it was noticeable.

Their relationship was no secret. Andrey's parents knew and accepted him. He often visited their home, helped them, and treated them with respect. They treated him with warmth, and this only strengthened her feelings: being with him felt calm and right.

One of the first days of vacation, her parents were at work, leaving only her and Marat home. He yawned, waved his hand, and sent his sister to the store for groceries. She really didn't want to go—it was freezing cold, and the snow was falling in thick flakes—but she didn't argue.

She didn’t yet know that during the time it took her to make her way through the snowdrifts, a lot would change.

It was at that moment that Andrei peeked in. He looked different: calmer, as if a weight had finally lifted from his shoulders. Inside, he had only one desire: to see her again.
While he and Marat exchanged a few words, he retreated to the kitchen, leaving his friend alone in the living room. Andrey sat on the sofa, listening to every sound, his heart beating faster than usual.

The door creaked and I walked in.