Advent Calendar '07: Day 15
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“Misha! Misha!”
The young girl’s voice rang out clear over the shimmering piles of white, the freshly-fallen snow glistening like crystals in the breaking morning light. Sergei smiled peacefully as he walked through the deep snowdrifts, boots crunching and breath crisping as he strolled hand-in-hand with Nikolai. Ahead of them a small explosion of white and an outburst of happy squeals signaled the finding of a certain precocious Husky pup by an equally precocious seven-year-old child.
Said child poked her head out of a pile of snow, rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed, her hat skewed atop a head of dark locks. As she emerged from the waist-high snow-on Sergei and Nikolai, at least; it was almost to her chin-they were able to see the puppy squirming happily in her grasp, long tongue effectively facewashing her.
That wide-eyed laughing smile was all Sergei needed to make this day the most perfect one he’d ever had, trumping yesterday and the day before as well.
“Papochka, tata, I found him!”
“Wonderful job, Katya!” Nikolai exclaimed, stepping forward. He took the proffered puppy and when Yekaterina raised her arms to be picked up Sergei obligingly gathered her in his arms, smiling as she pressed her chilly face against his neck.
“Alright, enough hide-and-seek for now,” he declared. “Time for hot chocolate and those cookies David sent over.”
“Cookies!”
Nikolai laughed as, having just been picked up, Katya already wanted down. She squirmed out of Sergei’s arms and set off with a happy squeal, Misha doing the same and bounding after. Sergei slipped an arm around Nikolai’s waist, nestling close to him as they started back toward the house, Yekaterina and Misha making their way ahead of them slowly enough that they could follow at a leisurely pace; puppy and girl not having the leg length to move very swiftly through the snow.
“Rusty and Gabriel should be getting here soon, anyway. Rick still has a present to buy, the slacker.”
“Says the man who sent out his Christmas gifts two days before,” Nikolai murmured, eyes twinkling. Sergei grinned in acknowledgement, not denying the jibe.
The two lovers walked side by side back to their home, their daughter running happily through the snow.
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“Misha! Misha!”
The young girl’s voice rang out clear over the shimmering piles of white, the freshly-fallen snow glistening like crystals in the breaking morning light. Sergei smiled peacefully as he walked through the deep snowdrifts, boots crunching and breath crisping as he strolled hand-in-hand with Nikolai. Ahead of them a small explosion of white and an outburst of happy squeals signaled the finding of a certain precocious Husky pup by an equally precocious seven-year-old child.
Said child poked her head out of a pile of snow, rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed, her hat skewed atop a head of dark locks. As she emerged from the waist-high snow-on Sergei and Nikolai, at least; it was almost to her chin-they were able to see the puppy squirming happily in her grasp, long tongue effectively facewashing her.
That wide-eyed laughing smile was all Sergei needed to make this day the most perfect one he’d ever had, trumping yesterday and the day before as well.
“Papochka, tata, I found him!”
“Wonderful job, Katya!” Nikolai exclaimed, stepping forward. He took the proffered puppy and when Yekaterina raised her arms to be picked up Sergei obligingly gathered her in his arms, smiling as she pressed her chilly face against his neck.
“Alright, enough hide-and-seek for now,” he declared. “Time for hot chocolate and those cookies David sent over.”
“Cookies!”
Nikolai laughed as, having just been picked up, Katya already wanted down. She squirmed out of Sergei’s arms and set off with a happy squeal, Misha doing the same and bounding after. Sergei slipped an arm around Nikolai’s waist, nestling close to him as they started back toward the house, Yekaterina and Misha making their way ahead of them slowly enough that they could follow at a leisurely pace; puppy and girl not having the leg length to move very swiftly through the snow.
“Rusty and Gabriel should be getting here soon, anyway. Rick still has a present to buy, the slacker.”
“Says the man who sent out his Christmas gifts two days before,” Nikolai murmured, eyes twinkling. Sergei grinned in acknowledgement, not denying the jibe.
The two lovers walked side by side back to their home, their daughter running happily through the snow.
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