𝘉𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘪𝘥𝘦 #1

2. Cambridge

Flashback – Calvin Harris

Present

"Hello, Savannah. I need that report today, okay? Before you leave". Exactly two hours had passed since papa last asked me for that darn report. It was ready, of course, but sometimes I liked to tease him a bit and make him think it wasn't. The reason he was rushing was because I was leaving tomorrow for the UK, specifically Cambridge, to manage one of the company's branches. Or, rather... our company.

"Calm down, papa. It's ready," I smiled, looking over the rim of my coffee cup, taking a sip; meanwhile, he crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes, tilting his chin to accuse me with his gaze while I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh.

"You've had it ready all this time, haven't you?"

"How did you guess?"

"Odnazhdy ty dovedesh' menya do nervnogo sryva" (You'll drive me to nervous collapse one day). I almost choked on my coffee when he blurted that out in Russian, his American accent making it sound hilarious and this time I couldn't help but laugh, getting up to hug him tightly. I was going to miss this man as if my life depended on it; papa had taught me everything I knew. Thanks to him, I'd developed a taste for reading, betting, and especially chemical engineering. We loved locking ourselves in the lab for hours, observing processes and creating new ones with minimal environmental impact and no animal testing. We shared the same desire to change the world for the better, and he'd made sure I followed in his footsteps, while emphasizing that if it wasn't compelling enough, I could leave and pursue whatever I wanted. But his vision of life had given me enough. Still, to support my studies, I'd been doing occasional modeling since adolescence, balancing both jobs and coordinating them to avoid overwhelming myself and ensuring neither interfered with the other.

That's why he was sending me to the UK, along with his main partner Vlad. Both of us were to take charge of the new branch opening in a month, but we were leaving tomorrow to finalize details, sign contracts, and supervise the machinery setup. It was our first lab outside Russia.

Dad returned my hug, kissing my forehead, and we looked at each other.

"I'll miss you so much, but I know I'm sending the best." I pouted slightly, understanding the sentiment. As an only child, I was moving alone to a city I barely knew, in a country I'd visited just once, where I'd only managed to go clubbing on a Friday night. Luckily, we'd visited Cambridge a few months ago to close the deal with the realtor for my house, and I'd bought some furniture to make it less empty.

"I'll miss you too, a lot. But you have to visit me when you can."

"That's non-negotiable, daughter."

We laughed simultaneously, and I stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. My 5'9" frame didn't quite match his 6'3".

The rest of the day was surprisingly calm, unlike usual. I appreciated it, knowing Dad had intentionally made it that way. It was Friday, anyway, so I used the time to finalize details with Vlad; the company jet would take us to Cambridge tomorrow at 8 a.m., and he'd travel with his wife. They had no children yet, and I thought they were wise to wait. Vlad and Svetlana had married about a year ago, when the contract for this new branch was being finalized, and Dad mentioned we'd be in charge; while they weren't rushing, they'd told me they decided to wait until settling in a country to open the factory. It was thoughtful, or so I saw it.