I can hardly remember the hospital beyond anesthesia, bandages, and the words "Он будет в порядке?" passing around me as if I wasn't only being healed physically.

  By the time I finally pulled myself together, my left arm was wrapped, my right shoulder stiff, and I carried a strange certainty that the worst had already gone past me.

  That's when the door creaked, and a small gap opened. After a moment, Valentina stepped inside, a lunchbox in one hand, a few unfamiliar nurses trailing behind her.

  Valentina didn't waste any time.

  "She got a bit worried over you," she said, passing the lunchbox into my grip.

  I frowned slightly. I didn't ask yet. I thought it'd be better if I find out on my own

  I lifted the lid and saw the neat little portions inside: a rye sandwich, a few slices of apple, and a small container of yogurt. For some reason, it reminded me of the canteen back in our hospital months ago. But my mind didn't let me hover around it for long, and I got to unwrapping the plastic around the sandwich.

  While I was eating, Valentina and the nurses discussed something that would take months to recover from. I didn't pay attention, but I didn't need to.

  When I set the empty container aside, Valentina gave a small nod. "Хорошо, that's enough rest for today. Time to get you moving."

  I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, wincing at the stiffness in my shoulder and the dull throb in my left arm. She didn’t offer to hold me; that wasn’t her style, but her eyes tracked every movement, sharp and assessing. “Slow steps,” she reminded me, tone clipped but not unkind. “No heroics. I don’t want to have to call someone back in here.”

  Outside the hospital doors, cold air hit my face, making me flinch. It was a lot colder outside than I had last remembered. A sharp reminder that winter is coming here in the Far East.

  Somewhere, tucked in the lunchbox or in the back of my head, someone cared enough to make sure I didn't go hungry. I didn't linger on who it was. I didn't need to

  Valentina slid into the driver's seat, brisk as always, and I followed her to her Land Cruiser. The engine hummed, and we pulled away from the hospital. Familiar street signs began welcoming me, and I finally knew where I was

  I settled my back, muscles sore, expecting the usual route to town center

  But then Valentina turned left at the roundabout

  "Подожди! Ты взял-"

  Then it hit me. I saw a narrow hill road ahead of us, our hospital's sign visible on the right, and the faint outline of modern rooftops glimmering in the late-September golden light.

  Valentina chuckled, "I couldn't resist asking your daughter a few questions."

  You know...I'm actually starting to get used to Valentina doing mischievous things without permission, and to Soyolma randomly contacting my friends. It's something in their nature that they cherish, and I think I should, too

  The road climbed gently, but the Land Cruiser barely did. Trees thinned out, giving way to open space and clean lines, and the city noise softened into something distant and manageable. I watched the rooftops grow clearer with every turn, all glass and pale walls, and deliberately so simple

  So, I said after a moment, more amused than I was annoyed

  What exactly did she tell you?. I knew the answer anyway, but just wanted to hear what she'd say

  "Not as much as I hoped," she said. "But nothing you shouldn't already know."

  That sounded about right. I leaned my head back, letting the rhythm of the drive do the work for me. The soreness was still there, dull and persistent

  But it no longer held my attention. Instead, my thoughts drifted to Soyolma. How easily she spoke to people and how naturally she connected with others. I used to worry about that. But lately, I'd been wondering if it's something worth protecting

  Then we stopped going uphill, the Land Cruiser slowed, and the tires were now crunching softly against gravel. The house sat slightly above the road, tucked into the hillside, its lines simple and straightforward, like those of every other building in this area.

  Valentina cut the engine, and flicked a glance at me in the rearview mirror.

  "We're here."

  She had already reached out for her door and creaked it open

  I frowned. Валентина...что такое?

  She laughed for a few seconds. I guess the word 'такое' was funny to her now, apparently

  After Valentina finished laughing, she grinned, still trying to catch her breath.

  "You thought I could fit the urge to get inside your house and go around it?"

  I didn’t have the words to respond. This…wasn’t even Myroslav-level carelessness. I couldn’t tell if she was being rude or if it was that strange, teasing way she cared about me.

  But she didn’t need an answer.

  “And besides,” she grinned, “We both know you’ll need me.”

  I opened my mouth, ready to protest out of habit, or at least try to

  And nothing came out of my mouth

  She was right. Not in a dramatic way, just in a way people are when they've already adjusted their plans around you before asking

  I hated it that I needed her

  I hated even more that... it didn't really feel out of place for once

  Valentina didn't wait for me to say anything else. By the time my eyes wandered to look for her, she was already outside and halfway to the door

  "Мне что... нужно тебя тащить вас домой?," she looked back, asking the same question that was clouding my mind

  ...не нужно!

  She just smirked and shook her head, letting me take the next step on my own

  I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The air smelled faintly of polished wood and something neutral, the kind of scent that announces a house is lived in.

  But only carefully. Not messy. Not chaotic. Just plain, and too perfect. Not homey in the way I had imagined

  Valentina followed me a few seconds later. I didn't hear her footsteps at first, just the click of the door closing behind us

  She didn't say anything at first. She looked around and observed the layout, just as my thoughts began racing

  Did she move everything in without me? What happened to the ceremony after I left? How must she be feeling right now? What about our borrowing??

  And that's when I saw her. Mandukhai stood near the kitchen, arms loosely crossed

  I braced almost immediately. There was no version of this where I didn’t get scolded for two hours straight over what happened a few days ago.

  But then... nothing came.

  Instead, Valentina spoke first

  "Ага! вы, должно быть, Мандухай!" she spoke calmly, almost deliberately so

  Mandukhai straightened just slightly, surprised more by tone than words

  "Да," she replied after a beat. "Здравствуйте."

  Valentine smiled, but not widely, and neither performatively.

  She stepped forward and past me

  "Я Валентина. Мы с Микола работаем вместе."

  Mandukhai hesitated only a second before shaking it

  "I've heard," she said quietly

  "I imagine," Valentina replied, unfazed. Her eyes flicked briefly toward me, then back

  "Nice place."

  I paid close attention to her face, and I could tell this was neither praise nor judgment—just an observation.

  She then added lightly, "I think you should let Mikola decide more things."

  Mandukhai didn’t respond at first. Her brown eyes darted between me in the doorway and Valentina, who stood there with that infuriating calmness she always carried.

  I could tell things were spiraling, and fast. I had to do something before Mandukhai got into a hotheaded argument with one of my friends. Not again.

  Uhh... Why won't you come in, Valentina? I'll go make you a чай and a few piroshkis, I said, pretending like absolutely nothing is happening right now. I walked past Valentina towards wherever the kitchen was, but

  Valentina paused in the doorway, one hand on the frame, a faint smirk tugging at her lips

  "Я откажусь," she said, voice steady. "You need to focus on keeping yourself safe for now."

  “And besides…” Her gaze flicked elsewhere for a fraction of a second before returning to me. “Ты не единственная в этом доме”

  Mandukhai broke from her frozen stance, sighed, and turned sharply toward the corridors, presumably to the kitchen.

  I froze. She had never willingly given up to anyone except Babushka. And here she was… following directions like it was nothing.

  "You know, Зелёное сердце. I've worked as a supervisor for years." Valentina spoke from behind me with that recognizable tone that could disarm anyone

  She added, "And for long enough for me to be able to handle anyone easily."

  I let out a small chuckle

  I guess you're right on that one, Valentina

  Valentina's voice followed me softly, calm but certain

  "Зелёное сердце, I sometimes wonder... when will you make a nickname for me?"

  Of course, she would say that. Always pushing boundaries in ways that somehow always make it casual

  Ну... you are my supervisor. And I have to respect you.

  Valentina hummed thoroughly behind me, clearly unimpressed by that answer.

  "Мм... boring," she said plainly. "Respect doesn't disappear just because you stop being stiff about it."

  She grabbed me by the back of the neck, thumb warm against my collar, and pulled me closer, not roughly, but with the confidence of someone who already knew I wouldn’t pull away.

  "Let's forget about this 'coworker' thing," she reassured, speaking quietly but somehow bursting with energy while at it

  "You know we have been friends ever since you came into my office that day. You can be anyone around me. You can call me or drag me anywhere, and I wouldn't care."

  First, it was Olga, and now Valentina too? Do I really mean that much to these people?

  So, I couldn't think of any competent response other than the usual quick and painless "Понятно."

  She let go of my collar as suddenly as she'd grabbed it, as it had never been anything worth holding onto

  I stood there for a second before I said, quietly

  You really don't do subtle

  She shrugged, already turning toward the hallway.

  “Subtlety is wasted on people who already understand.”

  Suddenly, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of gratitude towards her. She has done so much for me without ever questioning it once

  And yet, she has never asked for anything back in return. Valentina doesn't want anything more from me. And somehow, I know she is one of the very few people who genuinely cares about me, even if she speaks in a language that's always hard to translate, and sometimes frustrating

  "Valentina," I said before she could disappear into the kitchen

  She paused, looking back

  "Большое спасибо," I added. "For... all of this. The past few days."

  She studied me for a second, then waved it off

  "You don't owe me anything, Зелёное сердце."

  Her gaze drifted briefly to the staircase

  "Go walk around, see what you'd like to add. It's your house too."

  I hesitated

  But if you and Mandukhai-

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  "I can handle anyone," she interrupted with a small but confident smile

  I suppose she was right.

  Upstairs, the house was just...there. Too clean. Too intentional. I managed to find Soyolma's room. Empty, and waiting for something. And there, I thought of something I'd been thinking of for a while, and it was set. This room was going to get another member

  By the time I went downstairs to check up on Valentina, her shoes had already disappeared, and an empty plate glimmered on a counter across the house

  "She left." Mandukhai's voice spoke calmly somewhere out of sight

  I didn’t respond. I didn’t really feel the need to.

  At some point, I had started accepting the behavior of both women as just… normal. And instead of questioning it, I went back upstairs and lay down for a while.

  Mandukhai left soon after for her late shift at the salon across town.

  And when Valentina sent me a sick leave notice later that day, I did something I almost never did.

  I stayed

  And of course

  When Soyolma came home from school that day and saw me sitting there for once, reading a book by Валерий Брюсов, she dropped her schoolbag and stared at me like an intruder had broken into the house.

  At least, she did, until she ran toward me instead.

  She cried, because I was well. Because I was home.

  Between all the injuries, new places, and something new emerging almost every day, a loud, enthusiastic “ПАПАА!” from Soyolma never fails to make my day better.

  I spent the next few days just… taking in what existed beyond me, walking at my own pace for the first time in longer than I could remember.

  As much as I love my job, I had to admit something I rarely allowed myself to say: sometimes, it became too much.

  I'd spend my sick leave taking a 360-degree tour around the house, exploring every empty corner and crevice thoroughly. I'd hoped once I became well, I'd be able to add polish properly or maybe mess up Mandukhai's perfection on purpose just enough to make it look like people actually lived here. Maybe I’d even bring Myroslav over for it.

  Day by day, life returned to my left arm for the first time in ages. Back in 2001, I used to hope for a day like this. Because the idea of living the rest of my life with an arm that refused to obey me felt impossible

  What I didn’t expect was how easily I had learned to live without that hope. I stopped worrying. I adjusted. I went on with my life, even knowing the long-term consequences.

  And now, it wasn’t me choosing recovery, it was my friends. That realization carried more weight than the pain ever did

  Just as I was starting to refocus my attention on Soyolma, to know something more about my own доча beyond schedules or routines, I realized how rare this was. A once-in-a-lifetime stretch of being home for more than a few waking hours.

  But my body was already moving on without me.

  The pain in my arms had loosened its grip, and it had been four days since Valentina sent me that notice.

  -

  Chapter 7B(Yes, I'm doing this for transition chapters now, and there's nothing you can do to stop me)

  In no time, my life at the hospital had come back as if absolutely nothing happened over the past week.

  The pain in my arms had become a memory for me, but their routines didn't. There were a lot of moments where I forgot my left arm had been healed, and I, oh man, would I break or spill over so many things, and unfortunately, Valentina would be around in those moments often.

  By this point, everyone in this town had known me as the "наименее страшный" doctor at the state hospital, or, by older residents, "Доктор Кузнецов - the not so scary"

  For a while, the metal seats outside my room were filled with women in ordinary yet slightly colorful clothes, and they were almost always accompanied by a child.

  A relaxed child entering a doctor’s room was an endangered species. Because every kid I encountered(basically all my patients) would always be frightened, terrified, and so nervous they couldn't even dare to look at the doctor. Though I usually knew how to get past their shields. Some would require a bit more effort than the others, but never something too difficult.

  But after every shift, I couldn't help but wonder:

  I don't remember being assigned to this kind of "kid-only" role, have I?

  And when I asked Valentina that exact question

  “No,” she said. “Kids just end up with you.”

  Even if I hadn't handled the complex diagnoses yet, for routine checkups and vaccinations, the kids somehow trusted me more than anyone else

  The metal seats emptied and refilled so often that I lost count of the number of patients and the number of days. Mothers chatted quietly, some nodding at me when our eyes met, while their children, ever so cautious, clung a little closer before slowly letting go.

  My left arm was steady now, but once again, old habits kept coming back to bite me to remind me how much I had neglected myself.

  Valentina flitted through the chaos like it was her second nature, always a step ahead of trouble, always a quiet anchor when small disasters happened, cups teetering, charts topling, and children panicking through exams that actually didn't do anything

  And you might wonder, what has Olga been up to this whole time? Especially after we had that conversation in her car months ago.

  She was still there, still steady in her way.

  To others, she seemed unchanged. But around me. And, by extension, with Valentina, it was a little more complicated than that.

  At lunch, she sat at the same table as me as usual, but instead of sitting across from me or at the opposite end, she had begun sitting beside me.

  Our conversations typically covered our experiences with patients and our shared moments from this year, specifically. But these talks never really went far, as we were both hesitant to mention anything from our own private lives. I found myself wondering what she thought of all this, even if I’d never ask.

  Except there was one time when she did ask me a question that caught me off guard

  "Miko, I think you should get your master's."

  She didn't say it like advice or encouragement. More like an observation, deliver the same way she noticed small changes. As if it had already occurred to her long before it reached me

  I thought it was a joke at first. I already had my bachelor's, and I already had my place. I had stopped counting money twice, and I was content with that.

  But the thought stayed.

  It followed me through corridors, through paperwork, through quiet evenings at home where time suddenly felt less urgent and more... available

  Before I could realize it myself, I was already researching universities across the Federation, anywhere that wasn't in the west

  I began quietly studying for it every other day. I knew a lot anyway, but I made sure to get in prepared just in case. It almost felt like I was back in 1994 all over again

  I didn't tell Olga yet that I ended up taking her words seriously, but somehow, it felt decided

  Somewhere along the way, it occurred to me that it was 2007 already.

  I only noticed it in the first place when I was at the car dealership after buying myself a gray Toyota Camry

  I signed my autograph, and I glanced at the date near it. Spring 2007? Че?

  Nonetheless, I would come to love the vehicle. It didn't need to start with persuasion like our 20-year-old SMZ did. Its powerful engine somehow always kept quiet, and all these things inside made it feel like you're ahead of time. No wonder why people love Japanese cars so much

  Then, slowly, without realizing when it began, I started noticing time again, not in shifts or schedules, not in patient charts, but in seasons: the way light shifted through the hospital windows, how the cold stopped surprising me.

  The snow retreated from the yard in uneven patches, and what remained was mud, fence lines, and space that felt larger than it had any right to be. Soyolma moved through the house quietly now, careful not to disturb anything, as if the walls were still deciding whether they wanted us there.

  I noticed it in the small things first, how quickly she finished her homework, how little time she spent outside, how the silence lingered even after she closed the door

  Whenever I was conveniently around the time Soyolma's school ended, I'd pick her up and drive home.

  At first, it was easy to miss, but every time our schedules aligned, the more my presumptions about her proved wrong.

  I had long known she didn't talk much at home to anyone, and I thought that would be the same at school as well

  But Soyolma would leave the school building almost all the time, laughing with her friends, her arms flailing around constantly, and that stiff posture I'd known of her was completely absent outside of home.

  Soyolma would usually retain that energy inside journey back home. I'd occasionally ask her about her friends, and she'd always describe them in such vivid detail, almost as if they were her angels, and she'd end every story with:

  "Только если бы он был у меня поблизости"

  I didn't think much of it at first, but eventually, it boiled to a point where I couldn't just stand and do nothing anymore. I cannot just keep postponing it because getting one is expensive, high-maintenance, or stressful. I couldn't watch this anymore

  I almost spilled it to her while thinking about it, aching to relieve her of this quiet misery as soon as possible, but it had to be a surprise

  During one of Myroslav's monthly drop-offs, I'd decide asking him could be potentially helpful. After all, he had a house too, somewhere his routines and the little things he cared about played out without interference. Maybe he’d notice things about Soyolma that I didn’t, or at least offer some insight into how she acted when I wasn’t around.

  Myroslav joked that houses like this were made for echoes, not people, and that unless you figure out something to argue back with, silence will always find a way to win

  That was just about enough of what I needed to hear.

  Myroslav laughed it off, then he saw I wasn't laughing back

  "Ждать. You're not actually not getting one, are you?"

  Too late, I replied, already heading to my computer to start researching

  I wanted one who could bring the smile she has at school home, and never let the thought of loneliness ever cross into her mind again, and a bonus if it can guard the house

  Within an hour, I'd convinced myself

  Spring break, warm day, a completely unsuspected Soyolma. A German Shepherd would be waiting for her.

  Chapter 7C(double the confusion baby, woooo)

  Across the next 2 weeks, the first thing I did after arriving home was:

  Rush to my desk, open Yandex, and search obsessively for the right one.

  But because I live in Ust-Kamensk, basically every breeder I found was thousands of kilometers away.

  Then I tried out this website called 'Avito.ru', and bingo

  A dude called 'Konstantin' lived here, and he had a young German Shepherd available

  Идеально!, I shouted out loud in the middle of the night, almost waking up Mandukhai in the other room

  Not long after, and on the exact day, Soyolma would come home and probably collapse onto her bed before announcing to me.

  "Каникулы!!"

  Little did she know that today would bring more excitement than spring break ever promised.

  I went to the very outer edges of the town, and I could almost hear the river flowing delicately in the distance

  Konstantin greeted me at the gate, and behind him, a young German Shepherd wagged its tail nervously, then froze, ears perking up as it caught my voice.

  I caught the little pup staring at me silently. This struck me as odd because all the other dogs were playing around, barking, chewing on things, or doing anything other than just sitting still.

  Weirdly, it reminded me of someone. I wasn't sure exactly who, but I knew it anyway

  I asked Konstantin while observing the mysterious little being,

  So, what do I need to know about it?

  Konstantin answered, his excitement in his voice noticeable, "Рад, что вы спросили."

  I simply nodded

  "He's 11 weeks old, good with people, stays close to doors, and doesn't bark unless there's a reason."

  I let him continue; he was talking about how excellent he is for both companionship and for being a guard for any place with yards.

  I didn't respond with anything other than мхм, ага, or понял

  Then the pup stood up and began making his way over to my feet

  I kneeled down and let him edge closer. My left arm stretched, and it let the curious thing sniff

  I stood up and looked Konstantin in the eyes, and he knew what I was about to ask

  "Follow me, sir. I'll sign the paper, and he's all yours."

  And one thing leads to another

  I'm getting back inside my Camry. But this time, I was accompanied

  According to Konstantin, I had been lucky. If I had arrived an hour later, someone else would've adopted him, or at least that's what he said

  Just as I was about to start the engine, my eyes drifted past the wheels and to the river ahead

  A low sandy bend in the river with two birch trees leaning over the water like watchful sentinels

  It took me a second longer than it should have.

  That was the exact spot Myroslav and I had that conversation 2 years ago. When I was still a baker, I didn't know what I was doing, and I only had him

  In the 24 months that followed, not only did I get myself into the medical field, but I was also hired as a junior, I met many amazing people, and I'm here with a fixed left arm, a decision made from those around me.

  The 2 pair of trees had grown noticeably taller, the rustling of their leaves in the strong and endlessly persistent spring winds audible, and a few patches of snow were still visible in some pockets

  Two years on, and everything I'd done or seen hadn't changed the person I was at that river bend.

  By the time I was done with myself, my head turned slowly to the pup beside me, and he was already snoozing and curled up in my jacket.

  Whether he'd shed on it didn't really bother me.

  Instead, I just tucked him in more comfortably.

  I almost pushed too much force into my left arm again, but I knew what I was dealing with, so my arm decided before my brain did

  He was so light that even a gentle push could probably roll him over. Wonder how big he'll be when he's grown

  The Camry rolled over familiar streets, quiet except for the soft shuffle of the pup who was completely buried inside my jacket by now, save for his nose poking out

  During the drive back home, I realized I had timed everything perfectly after seeing the time clock pass 15:00

  I almost took a right turn at the roundabout to Soyolma's school, since our times aligned again

  Except that the pup's little sneeze inside my jacket reminded me

  Not long after, I parked in the empty driveway and opened the door.

  The pup sniffed the air, ears twitching, then cautiously stepped onto the grass. Each tiny paw sank slightly into the soil, and I could feel a strange mix of pride and relief swelling in me. He paused, looked up at me with those trusting eyes, then pressed on, tail slowly wagging.

  For a moment, the yard wasn’t just a yard; it was the start of something new, for him and for us.

  I thought about where the pup will be sleeping, where he would drink and eat, and which corners of the yard would feel most like home

  I’d look around the yard, turning slowly and looking for a spot that would be just right.

  I’d eventually look away from the house to the town in the small but warm valley

  There, I realized that it would be better to decide with Soyolma after she’d be over the initial surprise. I won’t do it alone this time, at least not right now

  In the corner of my eye, I saw an old blue trolley bus stop at the ostanovka(bus stop), but not just any, that old blue trolley bus

  About time, I whispered to myself

  My eyes wandered around the yard to find the pup

  It took a few seconds, but I tracked him sitting near the old apple tree, gently licking his right paw

  Мапышка, I spoke near his tiny bunny-like ears, let's introduce you to your new home

  I didn't know exactly how to hold him the right way

  So, instead, I just let myself do the work, and my arms didn't wait to follow instructions

  My left slipped under his chest

  My right supported his hind legs

  He was warm and light, his tiny heartbeat pressing against my palm

  I hugged the pup closer to my chest for a second, letting him squirm slightly against me.

  His tiny heartbeat synced with my own for a second

  Fumbling in my pocket, I pulled out the key and turned it in the lock. The door swung open, and I stepped aside, still holding him against me

  'He hadn't been outside for long' were my final thoughts when I gently put him back on the ground without cleaning his paws

  A faint trail of dirt marked his path as he padded ahead, sniffing curiously

  At first, I panicked. The house just got dirty

  My shoulders tightened, and I rushed to the bathroom for a brush

  Except I forgot to take off my shoes, and I also left a trail behind me

  I realized it early enough not to paint the entire house in brown

  But also too late for it to leave an impact anyway

  Блин..., I muttered

  Then I heard quiet but numerous taps against the window

  My head turned instinctively to inspect the source, and all I saw was a flock of sparrows clustered along the glass

  A few seconds later, footsteps reached me through the grass, slow and familiar

  Without thinking, I kicked off my shoes and moved, the pup already tucked against me before I realized why

  Guessing he would be stiff like he has been so far, I quickly put him behind the shoe rack and hoped for the best

  Just as metal clinked inside the door lock, I made my way to the bathroom and silently waited

  The tap dripped once, then stopped. I dried my hands even though they were already dry, smoothing the towel more than I needed to

  She should have been inside by now. Shoes kicked off, bag dropped, and probably a loud sigh

  I heard the front door click from behind the glass of the bathroom door

  And nothing followed

  My eyes fell to the floor before I could stop them.

  A faint brown trail curved inward, small marks paired, stopping just shy of the shoe rack

  Хуй... as my shoulders stiffened. One side of me wanted to yell at myself for forgetting to clean them. The other just froze, not wanting to interrupt anything

  "Папа...эээ, что происходит?"

  That came out so suddenly, I nearly jumped, and my head almost hit the... doorframe? But wasn't I just inside the bathroom?

  I turned around, half-expecting... I didn't know what.

  And there she was, my доча in her neatly dressed tuxedo uniform, her long hair tied back, and staring back at me with the same emerald eyes.

  But this time, instead of her brows being tied down or her standing there like a statue, Soyolma had her eyes wide open and her hands on her head, scratching away whatever uncertainty there is

  Then I caught a flash of brown in the corner of my eye, waddling out from under the shoe rack, wobbling uncertainly behind Soyolma

  And worse? It leaned on her legs

  О нет, as I braced for the embarrassment that would consume me any second now

  "Это что... собака?", Soyolma asked gently

  Сюприз!... Доча, he is yours now. I exhaled, hoping she'd love him as much as I already did

  She blinked twice, then again, as if checking whether the brown shape was a hallucination or not

  Then a grin spread slowly across her face, small and bright

  She reached down, letting the pup sniff her hand

  He wiggled and pressed closer, and she laughed softly, a quiet, surprised laugh. One that I haven't heard from her in too long

  She crouched just a little, tilting her head to watch him stumble over his own paws, and her fingers ran through his soft fur, careful but curious

  Seeing her like this brought so much joy to me. It's mundane things like these that makes any contradiction, especially at how much I fumbled on merely sitting up the surprise, make you mean worlds

  I eventually asked her,

  Доча, он тебе нравится?

  Instead of hearing a 'да', or 'конечно!', like I had expected

  Soyolma just said "Спасибо, папа. Ты самый лучший в мире."

  That sent shockwaves across me, and I was stunned for a good minute or two.

  Did she... really mean it by that?

  The pup shifted between us, warm and solid against her legs, and I realized the moment was still moving even if I wasn't

  Then I finally asked her what I had been longing for ever since I saw the pup on Avito.ru

  What do you want to name him?

  Soyolma thought for no more than a few seconds, looked up at me, her eyes wide but loose, and said out loud:

  "Мишка!"

  I stood there for a second longer, listening to Soyolma talk to Mishka in a voice she hadn't used in years

  There, I eventually decided to let her have the moment and go upstairs. Much later, I'd realize I had forgot about the dirt, yet again

  Upstairs, the house felt familiar. I sat at my desk, opened my computer out of habit more than intention, and let the screen glow fill the room

  The university page was still open.

  Irkutsk State Medical University

  Entrance exams: Next week

  I sighed, muscles tense, but I was ready

  Давай, Иркутск, вот и я

  Alright, that’s about enough for Mikola. This chapter took a little long to make because my corrupt ahh country decided to launch quadruple blackouts a day in my city, a very effective attack, and my own computer’s lags became a great accomplice. And unfortunately? No sibling updates this time