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Next Nina took her straw hat and tied it onto Larisa’s head with a pink scarf. Nina decorated her daughter’s shoes with bows, and Larisa looked like a peasant girl. She ran to a mirror checking herself out, and laughed with delight.
«I am a shepherdess!»
«Yep, honey.» Nina gave her a big toy lamb. «And you won’t be cold now.»
«We’re ready!» exclaimed Larisa, seeing her father, along with David VanStein and Hannah, enter the room.
«Are you crazy?» Vlad gasped. «It’s snowing outside and you wanna send Larisa out wearing only that?»
«Not to worry, honey.» Nina smirked, explaining about Larisa’s costume, and Vlad hugged his wife. «You’re the smartest woman ever!» He kissed her, then his daughter. «Good luck, my girls.»
«Where is Megan?» Nina asked David.
«She’s with Dylon. He is too small to go out,» said David, patting Hannah’s head. «Besides, he feels unwell. Maybe next year.»
And they all, except Vlad, left the house.
Vlad looked around the deserted room and sighed. He yearned to go with his family, but he had no driver’s license yet, and he was not familiar with the town. His eyes rested on the plate of candy that Nina had prepared for treating the children who would come to the door, and the thoughts of the young scientist changed.
«
From the kitchen he brought a scale and plastic cups, and started sorting the candy. Wrapped up in the task, Lapin took his notebook, and did some calculations.
«
The knock at the door disturbed him. Vlad jerkily opened the door. «What? What do you want?»
A boy wearing a pirate’s costume looked at Vlad in bewilderment. «Trick or treat.»
Vlad came back to reality.
«Sure.» He held a cup brimming with candy and dropped its contents it into the child’s bag. «Here you go.»
«Wow!» The encouraged boy shook his bag. «Thank you, sir!»
«Happy Halloween.» Vlad closed the door and wanted to go back to his calculations, but he heard a tapping. He threw his notebook and thought angrily, «
During the next few hours he just opened and closed the door giving candy out, and he was surprised at how many children were in this small town. The process became rote for Vlad, and when the door opened and Nina and Larisa came in, he mechanically held out a plate towards them.
«Daddy, daddy!» exclaimed the girl, showing her bag. «Look how much candy I got!»
«Some people offered candy to me, too.» Nina was talking with a winsome grin. «They said, „Let your
«And I saw a dog with horns,» Larisa said, piling her candy into the almost empty plate.
«Yeah, Vlad.» Nina’s doe eyes sparkled with emotion. «I thought I was going insane. Picture it. The door opened, and I saw a
«Goldy is her name,» cut in Larisa, rummaging into the candy.
«Yep,» Nina continued. «Her owner put something like a cap with devil’s horns on her head. Oh, he is such a cute old guy. You know, with a walking stick, neat clothes. Very nice man.»
«He asked me,» yawning, Larisa interrupted her. «And others asked me, „Aren’t you cold?“»
«Oh, what time is it?» The woman gasped. «Go to sleep, go to sleep.»
«But the candy…» The tired girl became capricious, and Nina took her in her arms, and brought Larisa into her room.
Vlad looked at the sweets, then at the plastic cups, and took up his notebook and calculator again.
When Nina finally came back to the room, he was asleep, with his head on his arms, half lying on the coffee table, and the plastic caps with candy in them surrounding him.
The woman took his notebook, and shook her head. «Oh, Vlad, Vlad…»
She gently woke him and helped him get in bed. Even falling asleep, Vlad still murmured about the calculation, and Nina lay next to him, pressing his head to her chest. «Sh-sh-sh. Enough, honey,» she whispered with all her tenderness. «Sleep, sleep, my beloved man.»
His closeness revived her memories and Nina thought about their first date.
That day Vlad unexpectedly asked her to marry him and invited her to a soccer game.
It was a great surprise to Nina. Vlad was her true love, the love from the first sight, but Vlad neither courted nor flirted with her before. He only paid attention to study, and the girl was sure Vlad even did not notice her existence.
That day a professor offended her, and Nina was crying in the University’s corridor. Then Vlad came to her and made his proposal.
«Would you marry me?» he asked casually, and the girl could not believe her ears. Vlad hugged her. «I’d like to go out with you. Right now. Would you come?»
She nodded, and did not even think that it was strange. It was her chance, and Nina rushed into this adventure, like jumping into the water.
It was also the last day of October, and the first snowflakes parachuted from the gray sky. It was very cold even for Moscow, but the frost could not cool down the true soccer fans gathered at the stadium. The stormy reactions of Vlad amazed the girl, because in most situations he was very reserved.
She did not understand all the details of the game, and only followed her beloved man.
If he was getting upset, she felt tears in her eyes. When he shouted, cheering on their team, she was screaming too.
And when the visitors scored a goal and the stadium fell into a deep gloomy silence, the girl sensed such hatred for the player who did it that it surprised her.
But the host team soon tied the score, and when a player from the host team scored the final goal, the stadium burst into an elated victory ovation.
«We won!» shouted Vlad, grabbing Nina into his arms. Carrying her like she was a child, he spun around a few times.
No one had ever done this to her, and the wowed girl panted, wild with euphoria. It was their first day together, and she prayed that it would not be the last.
When they went downstairs to the metro station, people going from the game were throwing coins making a glittering tapping stream of money running down along the steps.
«Why are they doing this?» wondered Nina. Vlad shrugged his shoulders.
«We won. It’s a tradition.»
She saw him hesitate, but he took out a small coin and threw it too.
«
At home, as Alla opened the door, the giddy Nina gleefully addressed her: «Mom, I’m gonna get married!»
While her daughter was telling her all the details of the day, Alla just stared at her.
When the girl finished, smiling like a drunk, Alla slowly replied, smoothing her daughter’s hair. «It’s okay. Even if he abandons you with a child, I’ll help you raise our baby, don’t worry.»
Nina could not reply, and Alla left the room.
«
* * * * *
Recalling that day, thinking about her family life, Nina thought, «
She was tired after the Halloween walk, but Nina also was glad, as she liked this tradition. It was the first Halloween in their life, due to the fact that this holiday does not exist in Russia.
Asleep, Vlad was next to her, and, feeling his calm breathing tickling her breasts, Nina smiled, losing herself in the thrill of peace and love.
Chapter 4: To Be With Your Loved One
At the same time that Nina and Larisa Lapina were getting home, Vera entered the city supermarket to do her shopping. In spite of the fact that today was Halloween, she knew no kids would be at her door, because she lived in an apartment building.
She was not in a hurry, and at a leisurely pace she walked down aisle after aisle looking for staples.
«Hello!» she heard. Vera saw a black police officer, and she recognized Jeff Menard.
In this small town they often met by chance. They had already had a few short talks, and Vera smiled. Nobody was around them now, and they were free to chat for a while.
«Hi, Jeff,» she whispered, giving him a playful glance. «Ready for trick-or-treat?»
«I’ve already given out a lot of candy,» murmured Jeff, looking at her with adoration. «Many children came into the police station for Halloween.»
«I didn’t know…» Vera stopped short, and turned toward a shelf, pretending to choose a product. Jeff did the same as two women entered the aisle at almost the same time.
Waiting for these outsiders to leave, Jeff, with an impatient sigh, rummaged through boxes of cookies as unnecessary for him now as a package of salt for a person suffering thirst.
The women stood not far away and started a lively discussion, and Jeff saw Vera give him a quick look. They did not need words. Pushing their carts, they left the aisle from different ends.
Passing a few aisles, they walked in parallel until they found one without people, and entered, meeting in the middle. They laughed, enjoying mutual understanding.
«Gosh!» Jeff giggled. «I feel like I’m meeting with a Russian spy.»
Smiling, Vera wanted to reply, but her face clouded again, for another man came into the aisle. He soon left, but Jeff sighed as his playful mood faded. He noticed Vera glancing at her watch, and asked her, «Are you late for something?»
«Almost.» Vera looked at him with an apologetic smile. «Tonight there is a Halloween party on campus – a short play, dancing after, snacks, et cetera. I’m curious to see it.»
«Can I go too?» Jeff asked unexpectedly, even to himself. Vera looked at him with compassion.
«Sorry,» she murmured. «It’s for students only. Bye.»
«I understand,» he sighed watching her go.
* * * * *
In the police station, Jeff sat at his desk and browsed through his papers. His shift was already over, but he just did not want to go yet to his empty home.
Then he overheard a colleague talking with his student son.
«Dad, you promised,» the student whined. «The whole party depends on you. Don’t wreck our Halloween.»
«The students’ party?» Jeff got interested. «What happened?»
«I foolishly promised my boy to take part in the play,» explained Jeff’s colleague. «But the chief gave me a lot of paperwork for tonight. I can’t, I really can’t.»
«Is it a difficult part?» asked Jeff, and they stared at him. «I mean, can I replace your father?»
«Great!» exclaimed the student. «All you need to do is just go on and say one phrase: „Your Majesty! Be ready for anything!“, then stand behind the royal throne. That’s all. It’s almost the last scene of the play. Just a few minutes. But the costume… it’s a knight’s costume, the whole-body armor. Not real, of course. It’s fabric. The helmet is aluminum. Is it okay with you?»
«No problemo.» Jeff laughed. «Let’s go.»
* * * * *
He repeated the phrase all the way to the campus. Not worried about the play, Jeff was only concerned if Vera would be there.
«
* * * * *
In the changing room, the student gave Jeff the one-size-fits-all costume, and the police officer started pulling it on straight over his clothes. While he was donning his armor, some other students led David VanStein into the room.
Tired after the Halloween walk, David had forgotten to put on his costume at home, but the students would not allow him to enter the party wearing casual clothes.
«No-no-no!» objected a female student in the costume of a sea cadet. «You have to change.»
«Yes! Yes! Yes!» the others supported her.
«Marina, please.» The professor smiled seeing Jeff in the room. They nodded to each other and said, «Hi!»
«I know a great costume.» Marina grabbed some clothes and held them out to David. He could do nothing but put them on.
Here were wide Turkish trousers, a redingote and musketeers hat. David tied around his waist a scarf belt fitted with a fake saber. Everybody gasped, as he looked exactly like a pirate captain.
«Are you happy now?» David asked with sarcasm.
«Yes, I am,» Marina murmured inaudibly. She recalled the many books she had read as a teenager. In these stories, females often changed into male costumes to be with their beloved men. Now she did the same, and Marina chuckled to herself seeing her plan work.
Busy with his outfit, Jeff did not notice when everybody left. His colleague’s son helped him with the helmet, then went away also, and only the director of the play was left.
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