I grimaced. After the betrayal of my beloved, I was not ready to let someone into my life.

" Hey, neighbors!"

There was a knock at the kitchen window. We shuddered and turned at the knock. A burned-out neighbor loomed in the yard. This time he looked almost decent: in sweatpants and an open turtleneck, but in the same alcoholic T-shirt. He looked about forty years old. His blond, long uncut hair fell over his eyes, and his face was framed by a beard that would only scare a barber.

" What do you want? " Ramila snorted, opening the window.

" I just came to apologize. I didn't know you'd already arrived."

The man's logic was strange. That is, if he knew that the house was inhabited again, would not have set fire to the wood?

" Well, apologize, " "allowed" Ramilya.

" Wo!"

The neighbor shook a colored shabby bag and… climbed through the window. Ramilya recoiled, and I jumped up. No one had ever come to visit us like that before. The neighbor threw the bag on the table and introduced himself:

" Mathew."

" Ramilya, Rina."

Unexpectedly, my friend responded, approvingly squinting at the bag, which in fact turned out to be full of smoked fish.

" I smoked it myself," Mathew said proudly.

" Have a seat," Ramilya almost purred.

Smoked fish was her weakness. She consumed it in immense quantities and drank it with sweet tea. To me, it was a terrible combination. The guest did not talk himself into it, and sitting down at the table, he grunted approvingly, taking a mug of mulled wine. Being in some shock from unexpectedly formed neighbor's meetings, I snatched my phone without looking and answered the call.

" Hi, " Dimitri said hello.

" Hi," I answered muffled.

My heart sank somewhere in my stomach and fluttered. I must have changed my face, because Ramila immediately looked up to see who was calling me. When she saw the contact, she hissed angrily. We had agreed on the train that I would not answer his calls.

" For some reason I can't reach you. I miss you very much," Dimitri went on the offensive.

I kept silent, because I knew who was the only one of us missing, and who was living life to the fullest and had even started a family.

" Where did you disappear to? Why are you silent? " Dimitri asked, without waiting for an answer.

" I'm here."

I couldn't pull myself together. The words were stuck in my throat. They were backed up by sobs, which I was ready to burst into tears. My head was like a balloon, it was going to blow away.

" Someone important is on the phone," Mathew said.

" Yes, it is," Ramilya snorted.

" Who's that there? " Dimitri asked suspiciously. " A man? Did you get another one? Is that why you don't answer my calls?"

" Why? " I got angry.

" I'm working for our future! And you!"

I couldn't believe my ears. He's trying to make me jealous?! I was sitting at home like a fool, daydreaming. and now he's accusing me of cheating on him!

" It's the neighbor! " I enlightened him.

" Oh, yeah?!"

" Well, yes! " I confirmed it with a challenge.

" I've got it all figured out, it looks like I'm in danger of catching a scene from a cheap joke!"

" Vaudeville," I corrected him.

" Are you laughing? Honey, if I came home, would you at least let me in?"

I didn't say anything, desperately fighting myself. To start sobbing into the phone was to bring myself down even lower. We'd meet at the office sooner or later. It's a miracle we haven't crossed paths yet.

" Tell him we're waiting for him, and we'll make pies, his favorite! With meat! " Ramila came to my rescue

" With cabbage. Dimitri likes cabbage, " I corrected him.