08-26-2014, 09:11 AM
The mugging soured the mood for the evening. Or at least it put a damper on it. Instead of going home after a romantic walk and enjoying the evening together Ayden was preoccupied. He tried to talk to her about it but she really didn't have much to say. And the truth was, he didn't press it. She wanted to be with her thoughts and he'd let her have them. She'd bring it up when she was ready.
They got ready for bed and then settled in. He watched TV for a while and she dozed off against him. All in all it was not a bad evening, even with the mugging. He smiled at memory of the concert. Yeah, it had been a nice night. And with Ayden next to him sleeping he felt content. It got late and he looked down at her and kissed her head, switched off the light, and fell asleep too.
****
Ayden woke him up the next morning but at that moment he couldn't care less about sight-seeing. He just wanted to sleep But she made him laugh by trying to tickle and wrestle him at the same time, and then helped him get up. They left the room and had breakfast, after which they wondered the streets of Saint Petersberg. It was pretty city despite being in the deep of winter. They hit a couple museums, though by the end he was museumed out. They also went to the Winter Palace, which he actually enjoyed. Mostly, though, he just liked being with Ayden talking and experiencing this place together.
That afternoon, they walked in a park covered in white snow. It was beautiful. Russia was not what he remembered hearing about as a child. All in all, he was coming to love his new home. Maybe one day he'd get back to the States. It would nice to show Ayden where he grew up.
But she was from Texas. He couldn't remember if she'd told him that or he had assumed it from the slight accent she sometimes dropped. And her name wasn't Ayden. At least it hadn't always been Ayden. He cast his mind back through the haze- he'd drank a lot after she'd told him the truth. Not to mention the blows to the head at the gym and the club.- and a name floated up. Anne Lowe. She had been born Anne Lowe and had a family. He wondered what it must be like for them to believe their daughter was dead. What it was like for her to have family and not have any contact with them.
A funny thought occurred to him. Should he talk to her father before marrying her? It was an custom that was old even when he was a kid. No one did that anymore. But it did make him think. Now that she was no longer in her old line of work did she want to reconnect with them? The issue was probably complicated, since she'd started doing it to save them. He frowned, unsure.
"So...can I ask you something? Do you ever think about contacting your family? Of going home to see them?"
They got ready for bed and then settled in. He watched TV for a while and she dozed off against him. All in all it was not a bad evening, even with the mugging. He smiled at memory of the concert. Yeah, it had been a nice night. And with Ayden next to him sleeping he felt content. It got late and he looked down at her and kissed her head, switched off the light, and fell asleep too.
****
Ayden woke him up the next morning but at that moment he couldn't care less about sight-seeing. He just wanted to sleep But she made him laugh by trying to tickle and wrestle him at the same time, and then helped him get up. They left the room and had breakfast, after which they wondered the streets of Saint Petersberg. It was pretty city despite being in the deep of winter. They hit a couple museums, though by the end he was museumed out. They also went to the Winter Palace, which he actually enjoyed. Mostly, though, he just liked being with Ayden talking and experiencing this place together.
That afternoon, they walked in a park covered in white snow. It was beautiful. Russia was not what he remembered hearing about as a child. All in all, he was coming to love his new home. Maybe one day he'd get back to the States. It would nice to show Ayden where he grew up.
But she was from Texas. He couldn't remember if she'd told him that or he had assumed it from the slight accent she sometimes dropped. And her name wasn't Ayden. At least it hadn't always been Ayden. He cast his mind back through the haze- he'd drank a lot after she'd told him the truth. Not to mention the blows to the head at the gym and the club.- and a name floated up. Anne Lowe. She had been born Anne Lowe and had a family. He wondered what it must be like for them to believe their daughter was dead. What it was like for her to have family and not have any contact with them.
A funny thought occurred to him. Should he talk to her father before marrying her? It was an custom that was old even when he was a kid. No one did that anymore. But it did make him think. Now that she was no longer in her old line of work did she want to reconnect with them? The issue was probably complicated, since she'd started doing it to save them. He frowned, unsure.
"So...can I ask you something? Do you ever think about contacting your family? Of going home to see them?"