Inventing Wonders

Chapter 25: The Premiere of All Premieres

There were no airplanes flying in the clear blue sky. Beyond the tall fence and some blooming bushes, the faint noise of the bustling street could be heard. But the air was free from messages and calls, there was no buzzing electricity. And it was soothing. Lara stretched out her arms, lying on the fluffy lawn, tilted her head back, and caught sight of Mark reading a newspaper on a bench. Behind him stood a white mansion that was more like a palace.

"You know, I could get used to living here..." Lara drawled lazily.

"Regret that we have to leave in September?" Mark looked up from his reading.

Mark, ordinary Mark, constant Mark. Mark, who would never hurt her. Lara felt at peace. And for that peace, she was willing to give everything.

"Well, it's hard to complain about moving to Spain... Especially in winter, I don't think I could endure another Epiphany frost!" she smiled and reached out her hands to her fiancé.

"You'll love it," Bulgari responded to Lara's gesture and sat down next to her.

"Of course, I will!" she placed her head on his lap. "Here, pigeons walk on the roads, but there—green parrots and oranges grow on the streets... Oranges or tangerines..."

Mark interrupted these musings with a long kiss.

"I always forget you know everything."

"We'll live right on the coast. Such space... I'll start writing fairy tales, my biography, and run along the shoreline..."

She wanted to continue: I won't see the uprising, I won't witness Ryleev's execution, I'll be far from the engineer... But Lara restrained herself and just smiled again.

"And it will be so good for the children."

Everything inside her tightened, life drained from her face, she bit her lip, and abruptly propped herself up on her elbows. She could imagine each of her children: Viktor the basketball player, Apollinarius the musician, and the beautiful Regina. She could imagine children, children with a husband, but not herself with children and a husband. She could not see herself as a wife and mother. She couldn't.

The painful awkwardness lasted no more than a quarter of an hour. Then someone came to see Mark, and taking advantage of the situation, Lara hurried to slip away. She ran out into the street, but peace did not come. If before she couldn't say for sure why she got involved in so many adventures, now, left alone with herself, she was scared. She needed to go somewhere, but nothing came to mind. She walked straight. Turned left, kept walking straight, seemingly returned back, a few more turns. Lara froze, took a deep breath, and entered the church.

The August suffocation remained behind the door. Through the long windows, thin, almost murky rays fell on the floor. Everything here was not as Lara remembered, but more familiar than any other place. Maybe if Lara once... However, she nervously scanned the walls, not daring to approach the icons. She was ashamed to pray.

"What burdens your soul, child?" The sudden voice didn't scare her.

Lara turned wearily, hesitant to respond.

"Have you come to confess your sins?" the old man in black robes continued.

"Sins..." Lara said lost. "No... That's not what troubles me... I'm afraid of the wedding..."

"I understand," he nodded, "marriage is a serious step in a young lady's life..."

"No!" she cut him off sharply. "I'm not afraid of marriage, what's a new step to me? I'm afraid of the ceremony... I don't love my fiancé..."

Lara hesitated. How could she not love Mark? He had done so much for her: given money for Kirillushka, found a noble lineage for Sasha. Mark was wonderful! Not to love him was simply foolish...