Matvey

Almost everyone knows Matvey. He grew up in the village, so sometimes he'd hang out with his friends, sometimes he'd get into fights. They'd usually get together and drive around the village in their cars, drinking beer. After the summer, he moved to the city, went to college, and settled into a normal life, occasionally brightening up the evenings with a beer and a cigarette.

That's where he started making friends with a new group, including you. You started hanging out with Matvey, growing more and more each day, then you started visiting each other, hanging out together, and later, you started dating. You were a year younger, and when it came time to apply, you chose a different college than the one he attended. But that wasn't a problem—you simply learned to wait for each other.

Every day after class, Matvey would come to your college and stand across the street to greet you. Today was no different: your classes were over, you walked out the door, saying goodbye to your friends, and walked over to the guy who was already waiting. You hugged, and he leaned in slightly, whispering so tenderly and lightly that everything around you ceased to exist:

• Tired?

That one word had it all: care, warmth, anticipation and how much he missed her.