I decided to write Lara a letter. Actually, pretty much a note, since I wasn’t sure how to sustain a Russian romantic voice in anything lengthy.
“Dear Lara,
I miss you every moment that we are apart. Events and circumstances do not favor us, as we both understand. And yet, I believe that our feelings must, in spite of everything, conquer all.
I long to be with you, and to be able to express my love freely and wholly. You are the vision who inspires me to think past the obstacles, and to believe in miracles.
I am, till I see you again, your most humble and devoted servant,
Yuri”
I wrote it up on my computer and was going to simply print it out, but I realized how out of sync that would be. Instead, I went out during my lunch hour and found a shop that sold elegant notepaper and envelopes. I bought a pack of each in a light cream color that looked somewhat old-fashioned. I figured I’d better have some backup sheets in case I screwed up my first attempt. (Which I did.)
My usual handwriting tends to be quick and sloppy — pretty much the kind of handwriting that most American males end up with, since learning cursive seems like a royal pain in the ass. So I had to practice on some regular paper first just to neaten up my handwriting and try to make it look as formal as possible. I would’ve used a fountain pen, but really, who has those anymore? So I just used a ballpoint, although I used a high-end pen I had gotten as a present from a relative when I graduated from high school.
After wasting a lot of regular paper on drafts, I set to work on a sheet of the notepaper I had bought. By the third sheet, which wasn’t bad, all things considered, I had a decent copy.
I folded it carefully and put it in a matching envelope. Then I wrote “Lara” on the front, and sealed the envelope. I didn’t want to mail it, too much modernity in a US postal stamp, and not quite the right set-up for me to have to tell her to check the mail. So I slipped it under her bedroom door for her to find privately when she got home. That way, I wouldn’t have to say anything about it, and she wouldn’t either, at least until the weekend.
I didn’t say anything when Ellie got home.
She had said “Hi” when she came in, and then went to her room to change into comfortable clothes for the evening. She was gone a lot longer than usual, but when she came back out, she had a big smile on her face. It was obvious she had read the note that I left for her. It was something I knew she wouldn’t be expecting at all.
“I hope you don’t have to work on one of your projects tonight,” she said. “It would be nice to have an evening where we can just hang out and watch TV together.”
“Absolutely. I’ve been looking forward to it. I already ordered Thai food, so we can eat dinner while watching TV.” I brought out dishes and silverware, along with a bottle of wine and some glasses. Then I brought out a platter with the various takeout boxes for a classic-style TV meal.
Ellie was even more talkative than usual, telling me about her day and asking how my day had gone. We managed to find a good movie and settled in. When we finished our meal, she even moved over next to me. It felt really good, feeling her body against me again, but I also knew not to do anything stupid this time.