10-30-2018, 06:55 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-30-2018, 08:38 PM by Ivan Sarkozy.)
Zara was pretty focused on what she was doing. She barely spoke except to point out pieces she needed. Ivan dutifully dug through the appropriate piles, though it took him a while to find what he was looking for. More than once, she simply glanced over and dipped her hand in, pulling out what she wanted as if by magic.
He smiled. "You're good at this. What else do you like to build besides planes?"
Not looking up, she shrugged. "I don't know. Cars. Houses. Space ships."
He nodded, trying to think of something else to say. "My niece Zotya likes the Moskva Mermaid Girls. Do you like that show?"
Her head shot up, eyes bright. "Yah! My favorite is Suni."
His smile widened. "Yeah? Why?"
Plane in her lap, a single piece forgotten in her hand, she gestured excitedly. "She's funny, even when she always gets the other girls in trouble. And her pet octopus, Vosim too!" She got up and went to her bed and pulled off a stuffed animal- probably Vosim, if Ivan had to guess. "Mommy got this for my birthday."
His heart fell when he heard the word 'birthday' and he felt a stab of anger at Danya. He was grateful to her for today...but still. Four years he had a daughter and didn't even know it. Stolen years.
She held it out to him, shy smile on her face and the anger melted away as he took it, made its arms flap about while making a goofy voice.
And like that the ice was broken. His nervousness fled as she showed him her room and her toys. She was very smart, he saw. The legos thing was not the only standout. She had lots of books- science, animals, and places. She also showed him things she'd gotten when they went to Iran to visit.
The thought scared Ivan. The Dominion held sway there, but the instability went back a long time. But of course that wouldn't have stopped Danya. He wasn't sure if that thought was fond or irritated. Father for all of ten minutes, and I'm already being over-protective.
Well, she was safe now. And so he relaxed, and just enjoyed her enthusiasm until Danya came in announcing lunch was ready. "And go wash your hands," she said, teasingly adding "That means you, Ivan."
Zara giggled and he laughed. "Yes, mommy."
Zara playfully slapped at his leg. "She's not your mommy!" He just grinned at her.
When they all sat at the table, Ivan made a show of taking the cloth napkin and tucking it in his shirt under his chin. He whispered loudly to Zara. "I make a lot of messes." She laughed and when he looked at Danya, he saw her smiling at him.
A deep longing washed over him, as he looked from her to Zara, the three of them sitting at the table together, the sound of their daughter's laughter mingling with smell of a delicious stew that filled the air. The longing was an ache that made his heart want to burst, a hunger that had nothing to do with food. Tears almost came to his eyes with the realization.
This is what I want.
He smiled. "You're good at this. What else do you like to build besides planes?"
Not looking up, she shrugged. "I don't know. Cars. Houses. Space ships."
He nodded, trying to think of something else to say. "My niece Zotya likes the Moskva Mermaid Girls. Do you like that show?"
Her head shot up, eyes bright. "Yah! My favorite is Suni."
His smile widened. "Yeah? Why?"
Plane in her lap, a single piece forgotten in her hand, she gestured excitedly. "She's funny, even when she always gets the other girls in trouble. And her pet octopus, Vosim too!" She got up and went to her bed and pulled off a stuffed animal- probably Vosim, if Ivan had to guess. "Mommy got this for my birthday."
His heart fell when he heard the word 'birthday' and he felt a stab of anger at Danya. He was grateful to her for today...but still. Four years he had a daughter and didn't even know it. Stolen years.
She held it out to him, shy smile on her face and the anger melted away as he took it, made its arms flap about while making a goofy voice.
And like that the ice was broken. His nervousness fled as she showed him her room and her toys. She was very smart, he saw. The legos thing was not the only standout. She had lots of books- science, animals, and places. She also showed him things she'd gotten when they went to Iran to visit.
The thought scared Ivan. The Dominion held sway there, but the instability went back a long time. But of course that wouldn't have stopped Danya. He wasn't sure if that thought was fond or irritated. Father for all of ten minutes, and I'm already being over-protective.
Well, she was safe now. And so he relaxed, and just enjoyed her enthusiasm until Danya came in announcing lunch was ready. "And go wash your hands," she said, teasingly adding "That means you, Ivan."
Zara giggled and he laughed. "Yes, mommy."
Zara playfully slapped at his leg. "She's not your mommy!" He just grinned at her.
When they all sat at the table, Ivan made a show of taking the cloth napkin and tucking it in his shirt under his chin. He whispered loudly to Zara. "I make a lot of messes." She laughed and when he looked at Danya, he saw her smiling at him.
A deep longing washed over him, as he looked from her to Zara, the three of them sitting at the table together, the sound of their daughter's laughter mingling with smell of a delicious stew that filled the air. The longing was an ache that made his heart want to burst, a hunger that had nothing to do with food. Tears almost came to his eyes with the realization.
This is what I want.