«If he said something offensive,» Bill thought resolutely. «I’ll hit him, so help me God, I’ll do it!»
«He said that you Americans are going to take away all the pretty Russian women,» Alla explained with a bashful smile.
«Not all of them.» Bill laughed. «But the most beautiful for sure.» And he kissed his fiancée.
The Conclusion
«Please, don’t change the color,» prayed Nina, staring at the window on the tube of a pregnancy test. «Oh, no.» She hung her head. Once, it could be an error, but it was the second time. With trepidation Nina waited two weeks from her first try, then repeated the test, and now all hope was gone.
«How can I tell Vlad?» she thought, feeling a chill creep along her back. «He’s always talking about our tight budget. How could it happen? I didn’t miss my pills! Nina, you’re a fertile sow!» the woman scolded herself. «You’re not a help to your husband; you’re just a worthless burden!»
* * * * *
When Vlad was driving Larisa to school, he suddenly asked his daughter: «Do you want to have a brother or sister?»
The question startled Nina, and she glanced at her husband. «Does he suspect something?»
Vlad kept his eyes on the road, and Nina dared not ask him.
«I want a sister, like Dylon,» replied the girl.
«But Dylon is a boy,» Nina corrected her daughter. «Do you want to have a brother?»
«No, I mean, I don’t want a big sister,» specified Larisa. «I want a baby sister, a baby like Dylon is.»
«Honey, all people are babies at first.» Nina smiled.
«Okay.» Larisa took her bag as they reached the school, and Vlad stopped the car. «A baby is okay with me. Hannah had one.» And the girl left.
«Could you drive me to the University?» said Nina to her husband. «Lana asked me to be her first „patient.“ She needs someone to practice on, so I agreed.»
«I always had a suspicion that you are mental,» Vlad bantered.
«You are a rude fellow!» Nina pushed him. «I’m not a psycho, but I am crazy…» She paused, and continued talking fervently. «I’m crazy about you, my dear sweet man.»
And Vlad glanced at his wife with a smile.
* * * * *
«Nina, please.» Lana tried not to laugh. «Could you be a little bit serious?» She snorted, as, lying on the couch, Nina was giggling, and her frolicsome mood spread to Lana.
«„What a year today?“ Hah-hah-aha!» The woman could not calm down.
«It’s a standard list of questions!» Ire was aroused in Lana’s soul, but Nina laughed so sincerely and naturally that it was impossible to be angry with this cheerful young woman.
«Okay.» Limpson sighed, and looked at her notebook. «Let’s try again. So, Mrs. Lapina, please, relax, and tell me about your problem.»
«Vlad is right,» Nina forced herself to become serious. «I am mental. What am I so happy about?»
She thought about her morning test, and all merriment left the woman instantly.
«I don’t know how to tell my husband about my pregnancy,» she confessed, and Lana looked at her with curiosity, «Nina, is it true, or did you say it just for my practice?»
«No, it’s true.» Nina cried, and covered her face with her hands. «Oh God!»
«Congratulations,» murmured Lana taking her reading materials. «Well…» She browsed through pages. «How to inform your partner… Here it is! How to inform your husband, let’s see…»
* * * * *
Hearing a car stop in front of the house, Nina stared at the door with worry. As Lana had recommended, Nina had cooked a special dinner and prepared Larisa’s baby’s pictures to browse through later. She left Larisa with Vera Grach, so nobody could interrupt their talk.
The woman saw her husband enter the house, and she tried to smile.
He looked around, and gazed at his wife. «You’re pregnant, aren’t you?» he asked without any previous greeting, and Nina’s fake grin disappeared.
«How did you guess?» she barely squeezed out.
«I saw a box from the pregnancy test in the trash,» he explained calmly taking his jacket off. Confused, the woman kept silent.
Vlad came close and hugged his wife, «Don’t worry, honey. David said that after the next semester I’m going to have a permanent position. It would be enough money for all of us.»
«Vlad.» Looking at her husband with adoration, Nina could only repeat his name. «Vlad…»
It was fuel to the fire of her love. It was all her hope.
It was simply the breath of her life.
Epilogue
Bill Thompson came back from Russia with his wife, Alla, and with two of her dogs. Now the Thompsons already have five dogs, and I heard they are going to get two more from the local shelter.
Oleg Merkulov was killed in Moscow, and Jeff Menard married his widow.
Vera’s last exhibition was a fantastic success, and Mr. Limpson plans to organize a showing in New York next year.
Ruslan works for Mr. Limpson, and some people claim his innovations are going to double or even triple Mr. Limpson’s fortune. Well, we’ll see about that.
Ruslan has not married Lana yet. He demanded that she finish her education first. She listens to him like a lamb obeys a shepherd. She studies hard, and now she is one of the best students. And more – the whole town was surprised when she unexpectedly won first prize in the local Cuisine Contest.
The Lapins are expecting a baby. Vlad now has a permanent position at the University; he is immersed in his scientific duties, and David VanStein always compliments him and his work.
The VanSteins live peacefully now, and no one dares to remind them or Joe Jones about Marina Aleksandrova. Anyway, she is gone, and nobody in the town knows what happened to her, or where she is now.
But I know six new students from Russia should arrive here this summer.
Watch out, town! The Russians are coming!
The End
The quotation from Bespridannitsa /A Girl Without a Dowry/ by Alexander Ostrovsky