Page 17 of All or Something

If it wasn’tfor the few clothes that remained, I would’ve thought Galina skipped town. Seeing her return is a relief, even after being aggravated by our mothers. She’s staring at me, but I can’t make out her expression. I’m both glad and sad that she’s returned.

Her absence made me think and I came to a decision. What she’ll do from here seems quite obvious. She’s likely leaving soon. Why would she stay?

“Hey,” she says softly when I hang up on our moms.

“Hey. I have something for you.” Might as well get this over with. This is actually the best outcome. We can move on. I hand a manila envelope to Galina. “You are free now.”

Inside are divorce papers. I didn’t tell our mothers about this just yet, but I will. There’s no need for her to carry that burden as well.

Galina is confused for a moment before pulling out the documents.

“I don’t know what to say.”

I take a seat next to her. Our time together hasn’t been that bad, but it’s not what she wants and not nearly what she deserves.

“You don’t have to say anything. We’ll get this finalized and then you are free to do whatever you want and see whoever you want. Our parents still won’t bother you.” They better not. Unable to help myself, I add, “And if you ever need anything, I’ll still be here for you.”

She lunges at me, throwing her arms around me. “Thank you, Sergey.”

“When do you think you’ll leave?” I ask.

Galina hesitates as she pulls away and suddenly seems nervous. I would have expected more jubilation. “Actually, I think I’ll stay, if that’s okay?”

My eyes widen. That was not what I expected to hear. “You want to stay?”

“Yeah. Stay and see what happens. If you’re good with that?”

She wants to stay? The disbelief is almost overwhelming. “Are you sure? This is your ticket.” I grab the papers and wave them. She’s free to go. She’s free to make whatever choices she wants. “You’re free to do whatever,” I remind her. “You can be happy now.”

“I know. Thank you; I truly appreciate what you have done for me and honestly, I wish I would have reached out sooner. Maybe you’re right and we should give us a fair chance. Without outside interference. Things have been good so far, right?”

This is unbelievable. “If you want to stay, I certainly won’t stop you.” I’ve enjoyed having her around and spending time with her. It will be nice to continue that and get to know her better.

She opens my nightstand drawer and tosses the papers in there. “Let’s table that then. Start with a clean slate. We can decide later if we actually want to be husband and wife.”

“Whatever you want,” I tell her, and I mean it. I’ve always hoped we would work out, and it looks like we’re at the beginning of discovering if we will. She’s had it much harder than I have and it’s time things get easier for her. Whatever she wants, she can have. It’s just more of that all or something mindset. We finally get to work on the something and maybe one day, we’ll have it all.

July

“Ah, this is the life, Sergey,” Galina says with a sigh. She glances over me, but her eyes are hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Her smile, however, shines my way. “We should do this every year.”

We’re on a beach, the hot sun warming our skin. We’ve been here for two weeks so far and will be leaving soon. Things have been going extremely well for us. Going on dates while I’m home or enjoying time at home, whichever Galina and I are in the mood for. Our relationship has grown uninhibited. There’s a vast distance between us and our parents, but the distance has been good for both of us. Each of our parents are learning how to respect the boundaries I’ve put in place that Galina has longed for all these years.

“Already planning a future with me, Galina?” I ask.

She laughs. “As long as it includes a vacation like this every year, absolutely.” She rolls over. “Lotion me up again.”

I throw my legs over the side of the chair, grab the sunscreen, and begin rubbing it on her skin. It’s been one of my favorite things to do on this trip.

Galina releases another contented sigh. “I love you, you know?”

Her words make me pause briefly. She said it first about two months ago. It blows me away every time. I’ve worked so hard to get to this place with Galina and I can’t believe she’s rewarded me with her love.

“I know,” I reply. She raises an eyebrow at me, so I add, “I love you too.”

Another gorgeous smile. “I have a present for you.”

“What’s that?” I ask as I finish rubbing sunscreen down her back and legs.

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