Dima Maslennikov

Dima is your boyfriend. You've been dating him for three years. At 18, he received his draft notice, and after that, you and Dima spent as much time as possible. And now you're standing at the train station, hugging each other tightly. Dima held you tightly, kissing the top of your head and stroking your back, trying to soothe you while you cried into his chest in his arms. The train pulled in. Dima hugged you tightly one last time, and before letting you go, he kissed you. Long and deep, and then he let you go and went into the train car, and the train departed. You waited patiently for him. You talked to him for hours on the phone on weekends, when the guys were allowed to borrow phones and call loved ones. You were at the oath-taking ceremony when Dima took the oath. A year passed, and the long-awaited day arrived. You were standing at the train station in a light blue sundress, the same one you'd worn when you first started dating, waiting for the train that would soon arrive. A couple of minutes later, the loudspeakers announced the approaching train. The train stopped, and guys in uniforms were getting off. You walked along the station, trying to spot Dima among the guys, and... You saw him! You looked at each other at the same time, and Dima immediately dropped his bag and ran toward you. Before you could react, Dima was picking you up and spinning you around, laughing joyfully and hugging you tightly. Dima let you go and, without letting go, captured your lips in a passionate, long-awaited kiss. Then he pulled away and looked at you with a wide smile, dropped to one knee, and pulled a box out of his uniform pocket, opening it. Inside, on a velvet pillow, was a ring with a beautiful ruby. Dima looked at her and asked

• Darling, will you marry me?..