10-29-2018, 04:49 PM
He slowly- slow because of the pain, he told himself- followed her down the hall, his heart pounding in his chest. It wasn't like he was going to face one of those things from down in the tunnels. And he wasn't following a criminal's trail, entering and clearing each room of a darkened building. That kind of heart pounding made sense.
But for a four year old girl?
Danya stopped at the door. Bright colored letters spelled out 'ZARA' across it. "Relax, Ivan," she said, taking his hand and opening the door. On the floor sat the little girl from the picture. She was hunched over a pile of lego bricks, head down in concentration, tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth. A tablet sat in front of her displaying picture instructions for building. He noticed the legos had been organized into different colored piles.
She looked up and his heart froze. Blue eyes stared back at him. His eyes. The rest was all Danya, though with chubby cheeks and little pointed chin rather than her mother's mature face. Her black hair was also tied back in a ponytail.
She looked from her mom to him and then at their intertwined hands, the puzzle plain on her face. "Zara. This is my friend Ivan. I wanted him to meet you." The puzzle faded.
Ivan took a breath. Then he remembered his niece Zotya, tried to remember how he was with her. He let go of Danya's hand and knelt- carefully. Oh so carefully- down on one knee and held out his hand. "Hi, Zara. I'm...uh. Nice to meet you." She looked at his hand for a moment then shook it. He looked at her legos and what she was trying to build. "So, uhh, whatcha got here?"
She looked at the tablet. "It's a airplane." Ivan smiled at her. He gestured to the half finished thing.
"Can I take a look?" She held it out to him and he took it and turned it over, examining from every angle. He looked back at Danya with surprise in his eyes. Complex. "Wow. That is really cool," he said, handing it back to her.
Danya came over and knelt beside her- their- daughter, and spoke up, pride plain on her face. "She loves building. I'm guessing she has an engineer inside her." Then to Zara, she said. "Honey. Mommy needs to finish lunch. Can Ivan stay and help you?"
Zara shrugged, ponytail swinging as she went back at the tablet. "Ok."
Ivan looked at Danya, fear returning in waves. She smiled, eyes twinkling and winking. She whispered "You're a tough guy, Ivan. I think you can handle it," the tease clear in her voice. Despite himself he smiled- and winced. Maybe he should take some kind of pain reliever.
Man up, Ivan.
Danya left the room. Zara was digging through one of the colored piles. "Can I help you find the pieces you need?"
But for a four year old girl?
Danya stopped at the door. Bright colored letters spelled out 'ZARA' across it. "Relax, Ivan," she said, taking his hand and opening the door. On the floor sat the little girl from the picture. She was hunched over a pile of lego bricks, head down in concentration, tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth. A tablet sat in front of her displaying picture instructions for building. He noticed the legos had been organized into different colored piles.
She looked up and his heart froze. Blue eyes stared back at him. His eyes. The rest was all Danya, though with chubby cheeks and little pointed chin rather than her mother's mature face. Her black hair was also tied back in a ponytail.
She looked from her mom to him and then at their intertwined hands, the puzzle plain on her face. "Zara. This is my friend Ivan. I wanted him to meet you." The puzzle faded.
Ivan took a breath. Then he remembered his niece Zotya, tried to remember how he was with her. He let go of Danya's hand and knelt- carefully. Oh so carefully- down on one knee and held out his hand. "Hi, Zara. I'm...uh. Nice to meet you." She looked at his hand for a moment then shook it. He looked at her legos and what she was trying to build. "So, uhh, whatcha got here?"
She looked at the tablet. "It's a airplane." Ivan smiled at her. He gestured to the half finished thing.
"Can I take a look?" She held it out to him and he took it and turned it over, examining from every angle. He looked back at Danya with surprise in his eyes. Complex. "Wow. That is really cool," he said, handing it back to her.
Danya came over and knelt beside her- their- daughter, and spoke up, pride plain on her face. "She loves building. I'm guessing she has an engineer inside her." Then to Zara, she said. "Honey. Mommy needs to finish lunch. Can Ivan stay and help you?"
Zara shrugged, ponytail swinging as she went back at the tablet. "Ok."
Ivan looked at Danya, fear returning in waves. She smiled, eyes twinkling and winking. She whispered "You're a tough guy, Ivan. I think you can handle it," the tease clear in her voice. Despite himself he smiled- and winced. Maybe he should take some kind of pain reliever.
Man up, Ivan.
Danya left the room. Zara was digging through one of the colored piles. "Can I help you find the pieces you need?"