Nightswan

NaNo - Day 29

- Vasilisa -

The sun was high when Vasilisa took Dash to the dog park a couple after Alessio'smeeting.  He wouldn't tell her anythingabout it, and she knew better than to ask. He'd tell her what she needed to know, and to be frank, she'd rather bein the dark about the rest of it.  She needed a break from her studies, and Alessio was at work.  The apartment felt so empty without him.  Vasi had been living in the one-bedroom space for months, and it still didn't feel like home.  But then again, neither did her grandparents' house when she lived with them.  Living with Leila and Andrei was the best of them all.  They accepted her and encouraged her, and with them, she felt whole.  But then they'd both perished, and part of her couldn't help but blame herself.  Her birth parents had died, and maybe she was the cause.  Death seemed to chase her like an unwanted pest, eating the breadcrumb trail she'd left behind to help her navigate home.

And she'd been forced on Alessio, too.  He hadn't wanted her, but he had accepted her, hadn't he?  Despite everything he had occurring in his own life, he still tugged her close and prioritized her as much as he could.  He arrived home early, bought her favorite foods and movies, and took off work when she needed his support.  She didn't even have to voice it.  He had learned all of her idiosyncrasies and possibly knew her better than she even knew herself.  He protected her time and time again because he truly cared for her.  He'd exemplified that fact.  Alessio expected nothing of her, then why did she always feel like such a burden?

Sitting down on a bench, she rubbed behind Dash's ears then released him from his leash.  He immediately started sniffing his surroundings before pausing to mark a tree trunk.  When he came across a Dalmatian, they smelled each other's rears for a few seconds then turned to face one another with wagging tails.  A split-second later, they'd bowed on their front legs then taken off, the spotted Dalmatian running like his feet couldn't carry him fast enough.  Vasi couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry if Dixon's bothering you."

The nearby voice made her jump, and she spun around on the bench.  The woman was taller than Vasilisa with far more curves, too.  Her hay-blond hair was pulled back in a very high ponytail.  The workout clothes she wore fit her perfectly, and her big, green eyes were the most prominent features on her face.  Freckles were splattered on her cheekbones and nose.  She could have—should have—been a model with such natural beauty.  Perhaps she was.  Vasi had never met her.

"No, I think my dog enjoys the company." Vasi offered the slightly older woman a smile. "Please, sit."

"Thank you.  That dog is a never-ending supply of energy.  We've already run three miles, and he still shoots like a rocket across the grass."

"Maybe the game of tag will tire them both out.  Dash is a pretty relaxed guy, but I think he enjoys chasing someone now and then.  My husband will play with him here when there's no one else to entertain him."

"You're married?  I don't see a ring on that finger of yours."

Vasi touched her bare finger.  The woman was right; she didn't wear a ring.  Neither did Alessio.  He had given her a simple gold band at their wedding but said it would probably be better for her not to wear it for her safety.  It didn't make sense when they first married, but it did now. "It's getting resized."

"Newlyweds?"

"We've been married since November," Vasi said.

"Congratulations!" When the woman smiled, her teeth were white and perfectly straight.  Definitely model material.

"Thank you."

"Oh, silly me, I've forgotten my manners!  I'm Bryanna, but everyone just calls me Bree."