Her smile lit up all the dark places inside me. “You don’t need any ego-stroking, Alexei. That, I can guarantee.”
“It’s good to see you smile.”
“Thanks for today. For being there when I need it. So how did Gunnar persuade you to help?”
“I did not need much persuading. I have time and when Maya is with my father, I would rather spend it helping you.”
There went that brow wrinkle again. “I shouldn’t be one of your priorities, Alexei.”
“Why not?”
“Because you have responsibilities. Real ones. Not fake ones with your fake wife.”
“There is nothing fake about what is happening here.”
Rather than answer, or maybe that was her answer, she took another mouthful. It felt good to be here with her, minus the usual friction. This was how it was supposed to be before I screwed up.
Better enjoy it because you will be screwing up again very soon.
“The season starts soon,” she said. “What are you going to do about your dad?”
“I could hire a new nurse for overnight stays, but I’m not sure that another stranger is truly best for him. When he was more lucid, he told me not to put him in a home. That he would rather die.”
Her eyes turned shiny. She reached for my hand. “You’ll figure it out.”
“I hope so. I hope, when the time comes, I will know what to do.”
After dinner, Lauren sat at the puzzle table with my father while I did the dishes. When I had finished, I hung back at the entrance, listening in.
“Ooh, this looks like a piece of this red rose, Mr. Nazarov. Look—that goes here, I think.”
My father remained silent, just continued placing puzzle pieces. They were bigger than puzzles I was used to. Perhaps that was specific to Alzheimer’s or dementia patients. I would have to ask Maya.
I took a seat. “How is everything here?”
“This is Lauren,” he said, introducing us. “Your wife.”
I shot a quick look at Lauren and saw her bafflement matched my own.
“I didn’t say anything,” she whispered.
“Neither did I.”
Yet he knew. One day, several years ago, he had seen me checking out a news article about her retirement from professional hockey. It wasn’t the first time he had witnessed my obsession, but it was the first time he told me “Ktoh ni riskuyet, tot ni pyot shampanskava.”
He who doesn’t take risks doesn’t drink champagne.
I had sent her a text of congratulations on a great career through her Instagram. She never responded.
Sasha picked up one of the pieces and tried to attach it to another in a way that clearly didn’t fit. I went to remove it, but Lauren shook her head.
“How about this piece, Mr. Nazarov?” She held up another.
“You will call me Sasha. You are family.”
“Sure thing, Sasha.” She shot a quick smile my way.
My father took the piece from her and looked at it. Then he studied the piece that was attached incorrectly. “Aloysha, you have put this in the wrong place.” He removed it and set it aside, then added the piece Lauren had given him.
