th Tanya. They exchanged stories of days in Stalingrad frequently, and Tanya had just as much if not more to share than Peter. O

ber 23

ngrad

rothers had told her time and again to always stay out of the fray as much as possible. But the further on she walked, the gunfire seemed to grow louder rather than fainter. How strange that t

king two blocks before running into an intense firefight. A stray shell lobbed from the German side of this s

s sat a small group of Red Army officers with a Maxim machine gun, loaded and waiting. For what? She could not tell. It was at that moment when she heard the blowing of a whistle, and a large column of soldiers rushed by the officers at full speed like an express t

wards the apartment building like an unruly disorganized mob,

ermans clearly having the advantage in this fight. Those who were unluckier were not graced with death's embrace but received atrocious wounds in myriad of places, leaving them unable to walk or to fire their rifles.

rs older than her, call out to all o

ades! We're getting

nally started, crying for an appeal to sanity and calling for a withdrawal in light of the

urly goateed officer, wielding a semia

killed out th

rrying a lofty crimson banner that was the flag of their na

carrying the rifles; one side was out for domination and the other a tool of a murd

er wielding a submachine gun, pointed towards the

d the burly officer. "N

cy for

IR

ing and hope not to die. Sadly, for many of them that hope would not be fulfilled. Tanya watched in horror as she saw Russian kill Russian in cold blood, and leaving the Germans in possession of the g

ttle seemed to be of a more favorable outcome than previous. But even with the light of that retrospective victory, the horrifying spectacle was now bu

untry were capable of or willing to perform such brutality. They at least took comfort in the fact tha

e and comfort in her safety, but she was growing increasingly tired of Peter's overprotection to the point of not letting

f potential unwanted visitors. She found Peter asleep on the sofa wrapped in his blanket. He looked so peaceful and childlike when he was asleep that just the sight of him made her giggle in amusement. He stirred, and quietly groaned as he adjusted his pos

closest to her heart as she slipped o

ell…my d

the sky, snow's less dangerous cousin. She always thought his home town would be a sunny and cheerful place, but it seemed to g

spect that was omnipresent in her mind. That did not sway her, however, as she contently and happily walked along the sidewalks, almost skipping like a merry schoolgirl in love for the first time. The thing that immediately struck

with a phonog

den train strung toge

new cloth armchair comple

charm and to tease on display in a window. In her lifetime spent in Stalingrad, she never thought that such a place existed. Peter mus

e?" said someone

steppes of Russia, picking flowers and blowing dandelions, but the strange eyes betrayed a hot-blooded spirit dwelling within her. She wore a long white dress with two thic

d it was enough to get her by, but it had not been until now when she h

…is

ughing, pointing to the shop that see

rgetting the correct Engli

n confusion, never hearing

ou Rus

er,

led, appeari

ants around here, but I never me

ling

d at the mention of th

n…THE St

of any other

stantly corrected herself

you know of Peter

on that he wasn't much of a standout in his town and a rather ordinary cit

ka? You

in this town who hasn't heard of that boy, especially

my fr

wed her eyes a

e his lover, huh? I didn't thi

rrassment and tried t

-we're not

ind when Peter's name was mentioned, and she longed for him for those four years, s

east n

shop and a light bulb seemed to turn on in her he

erfect way to

closer to Peter than she already was. If this girl had a

t is

with

hop, despite her protests. The girl however was strong i

his is not

l, this is wha

ion, the thing that struck her was that she still wore her old clothes from Russia: a long baby blue dress with frilled sleeves, a patched bodice and torn hemline, remnants from the siege that her former home was still in. Over her fra

lazuli eyes bright with anticipation. She seemed like this was something normal that she did w

Tanya spluttered, her face turning red.

earing a wide grin. "My name's

Koslova. Everyon

," said Peggy, her eyes shining deviously, "

as now a vibra

re you sur

do it for my boyf

ooked at herself again in the mirror, and felt the questions she kept asking repeating in her head. How long? How long before

lt lowered by them. Perhaps what Peggy was saying had some validity to it; if she wanted to finally be honest with Peter and tell him what she felt, perha

t. Finally she slowly pulled her old dress over her head and let it hit the floor, leaving her in only her underclothes which were archaic compared to wh

outdated. You need

er could get anything new when the Germans attacked

Please tell me th

y wish

at right now, okay? By the time we're do

ile that definitely showed Ta

t I can

you,

squé was being generous. Her throat dried from the feeling of embarrassment again,

embroidered lace and a frilly waistband. On the

rassed Tanya, "Is saying, 'I may be cute and innoc

mething ever happened that he got a chance viewing. Peter was very s

obably faint if

"It'll be good for him to live and learn a

the time when she dared him to kiss her back in the tree house that late s

Like he was afraid of the city he was in. The last he came,

to the changing rooms. "Each day is different and new when it comes to learning how he i

nctive aloofness that made Peter a hard character to reach, but she knew hi

d to talk to him on some days," she said as she pulled up the garment b

ibrary or at home most of the time. He doesn't go out usually unless needed. We can get him to

on, but when none had anything in mind to do, Peter always kept to himself or, more often, turned to her for company. She fondly reminisced about those ha

er to play with all of us and journey out. Doesn't he have friends her

ing in him snapped one day and he turned into the person he is now. I know you say yo

her for what felt like an eternity before finally bidding her goodbye and promising he would return one day, but despite his promises and admissions of cherishing the time they spent, something weighed

erhaps he felt he wasn't going to see me or any of us again. He was very depressed and quiet the whole day

was because he believed he

hook he

t was something with me. He looked as if he had left a part of himself with me,

r tears, thinking to herself how silly it was that she was crying when she kn

en I should be laughing! Crying as if

day he left a part of him remained with you. You, my dear Russkie friend,

all that day. He didn't come back for four years, and that loneliness both of them felt was from los

It will be a long time before he's his old self, but he will ov

at is Tanya," Peggy said assuredly

gone through so much in the past month, but that one last enemy in the long campaign that

hat I've been hoping for him to say for so long," she said

do have to say I'm impressed. Now if you can just get

ong time ago, Peggy. All that remains

ductive intent. She giggled, wondering if Peter ever thought of her as such, not as a friend…but as a w

r sets I've chosen for you. I do believe he'll be quite impres

ng how Peter would react if she

ned the next pair, "He'll be the lat

busy okay?" she responded giggling. "And no mo

ya said with a wide smile. "Besides, I

d thing we ran into each other today. O

r her soul out and confiding her thoughts about the one boy closest to her heart. She had not s

lure Tanya's closest friend out from the seemingly impenetrable fortress he had built around keeping all the world out. In the times

ion and unstoppable ambition and drive, as well as a kindred spirit and

h other, with Peggy wishing her the best b

im dead,

who resided in the little bungalow on the hill that was her new home. She had a small sensation of fear, however, of what Peter might say

ve to set some boundaries with him as well. And if that doesn't wor

oor, pressing her ear against the wood in

silence. It was go

to make as little noise as possible. She stepped into the house, hoping to see Peter still

e disappoint

ously displeased. The signs of his irritation were evident: his sock-encased foot was tapping with displeasure on the carpet, his arms spread across the arms

d, smiling nervously, knowing she

is whole day?" he returned, his

e needed to be firm, and set down

she said n

whe

ted to see what

he asked, still

rowned

anage outside j

own easily. "And God only knows what awful people you could have ru

troshka? There are no agents here; we lost th

fast growing exhausting. "For all we know there might have been

nded, the fire in her growing stronger. "I di

" Peter inquired,

Doolittle. She tol

ing the bridge of

do. I know her a

not a distrus

relented. "She's

you shouldn't be

reason with her and make her understand. "I would h

. And I'm not a child anymore; I should be able to

e, she had to do what she could to fit into the new home, and meeting a friend from school and exploring the town was a good place to start. In that moment, he quickly found his tin

n go out, but plea

urse,

id you do

dding some emphasis to the last word, indicating to Pete

ised an

ind of

ter had never seen before. There was an opportunity

dn't you li

er said matter-of-f

r to do in the last few hours. She brought one of the shopping bags to her chest a

nya said, "because I wanted to ge

ered with a friendly smil

oo

t. Needless to say, it was not what Peter was expecting to see

uctive. It was embroidered with lace and trimmed with frills along the waistband, topped with a white bow on the

lood rushing to his face. Tanya pushed her l

ll the girls in town are wearing things like this now

what are y

I'm just showing you one of the things

think you'd buy…thos

boys like it when

any of what Peggy said would actually help her or just push Peter furt

t to say to Peggy next

ut w

r you

is, Peter? All I'm asking f

e didn't. She still was holding onto the underw

be asking a boy about…those. That's more so

rise at this new revelation.

l you a lot of things, and perhap

eter? Peggy doesn't seem lik

shed her hands down gently, so

d is that you chose clothes like these to buy wit

ing with all of his might to not gaz

ress like how Peggy says they do. Peggy

stead?" Tanya asked with just

u the way you are. You don't have to change anything a

kler for consistency. In the same way he traveled across the Pacific and back in an attempt to have things the way they were, so too did he desire to have Tan

uffing her underwear back into her bag. "You know,

in her native tongue,

n the nose with he

ked from time to time, my dear Petroshka. Sometimes, it's necessary f

ey eyes, sparking with a fire he had seen in their youths. It was a glint in the eyes that meant mischief, that called to adventure, and a

ve in mind for all of this

f away just yet. But

ent to the business of filing away her new garments, re