Act Two

IX

" (1) *Алло?" "Xenya, it's me. I'm afraid to inform you that my student, Miss Baranovskaya, has declined the physical therapy. I let her know that if she changes her mind, she can see you Saturday." The woman on the other end spoke. The blonde woman took a deep breath, letting it go quietly. "Thank you for letting me know. I hope she realizes how beneficial it will be. I will see you Saturday then." The two women said "goodbye" before hanging up. The blonde placed the spiral-corded phone back on the wall, returning to the dishes she was cleaning.

"Who was that?" Her husband entered the kitchen from working outside. "Oh, Vanya, it was Dita from the dance studio. Her student that had a bad injury declined physical therapy." "That's a shame. Maybe this student will come back for help eventually." The man shrugged poured himself a cup of coffee. "I hope so too. I hate to see young ballerinas have to quit so early." "Speaking of quitting, have you heard from Yasha recently?"

Oxana could only hope the student would call for help.

"I never want this night to end." The pear-eyed woman sighs as she settles into the older man's off white vehicle. "I feel the same, Lilya. I don't like the idea of taking you home now." Lilia meets the man's gaze, her whole demeanor is gentle and safe. That's how she always feels around him. "Why do we have to end it now?"

The young woman never wants to lose contact.

Yakov escorts Lilia back to her building, offering to walk her to the flat's door. He only feels comfortable knowing she is safe behind the locked door. "Thank you so much, Yasha. You always know how much our time together means to me." Lilia says softly, turning to the man before she goes inside her flat. "Me too. I love being around you." He smiles, standing close to her. "Thank you for joining me, as always." The brunette glances to the floor before returning her gaze to the blonde. Neither says a word, silently embracing the space they consume.

"I'll see you again soon, hopefully?" Lilia whispers, taking a short breath. "Of course. You can't keep me away for too long." Yakov answers, gaining a smile. "I would hope not. You best get home before it's too late, Yasha." Lilia lets out a small sigh, blinking slowly. Yakov agrees and they say farewell. Before he can get away, Lilia pulls him down by his shirt collar, carefully pressing their lips together. The man's hands find their way on her waist, bringing her close. Lilia's hands move up to the back of his neck, never wanting to let go. Unfortunately, they must eventually separate.

The blonde gazes down at Lilia with a small smile and rouge cheeks. " (2) *Спокойной ночи, Lilya." The older man whispers. Lilia meets his blue eyes, hating the farewell but knowing she will see him again. "Goodnight, Yasha." She says back, waving "bye" once he takes his leave. Lilia continues to watch as he disappears down the hallway and towards the staircase. She turns around and unlocks the door to her flat to enter. By the time she is in, her hip is making every pained centimeter loud and known. Hiding an uncomfortable injury is not easy, especially being an athlete.

Lilia sighs as she leans against the back of the sea-foam door. She has to take a quiet minute to let the tension ease enough to proceed to maneuver. Once able, the brunette unzips her coat and allows it to drop on the cold, hard tile. Pulling down the waist of her jeans, she's able to get a small peek at the forming bruise on her right hipbone. The woman has to help herself into the bathroom for a better look at it, not able to see much from the fabrics covering her and the poor lighting.

Entering her bedroom first, she lays flat on her mattress to wiggle out of the jeans. "Ow, ow... please don't be bad." She mutters to herself, eventually getting the denim past her thighs. From there, she can easily slip out but not without a tenderness from her hip. Lilia pushes herself back up, stepping into the bathroom and switching the overhead light on. "Oh no..." She can already see that the bruise is visible from beneath her undergarment, extending to her upper and inner thigh. "I didn't think I fell that hard." She decides to turn around and look over her shoulder to stare at her reflection in the mirror. Luckily, it mostly bruised in the front and not much discoloration is on the back of her leg.