I was overwhelmed with emotion. Inside, everything was boiling, as if the world around me had changed. I decided to walk home—it wasn’t far, just about four kilometers, which took around an hour. On the way, I bought a bottle of beer and continued on my way at a leisurely pace, reflecting on what had happened.
The next morning, I woke up with a slight hangover and a strange feeling in my soul. At first, there were neither thoughts nor special feelings in my head—just an ordinary morning. But suddenly it hit me: “Oh, I have a girlfriend now!” This realization struck me suddenly, but pleasantly. With this thought, I reached for my phone and immediately wrote to Nadya. She replied right away, and our morning began with a sweet exchange of messages.
Our communication flowed easily and naturally. We quickly agreed to meet up, and Nadya suggested spending the day on bicycles. I liked the idea, since cycling gave us a chance to enjoy each other’s company and spend time actively and cheerfully. I pulled out my mountain bike—the same one I had bought back in 2006, with 21 gears—and rode it from my house to Nadya’s place, where she met me. We picked a park where we could ride peacefully and set off to meet the new day and our new relationship.
Our story with Nadya developed rapidly, and each day brought something new. I especially remember our first dates, when, after our walks, we would end up near her building at around 10 p.m. We could just sit and look into each other’s eyes for an hour, silently feeling a special connection between us. Those moments were full of sincerity and warmth, as if time stopped and nothing else existed. This silent communication became our way of expressing everything that was hard to put into words.
Once, while walking with Nadya in Maryino, she said, “Let’s go, I’ll show you the angel.” There was something mysterious in her voice that made my heart freeze with anticipation. We slowly walked through the Park of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow, enjoying every minute of our date. When we reached the place, Nadya, with a soft and slightly playful smile, said, “Here’s the angel.” That moment seemed to stop time—it was so filled with warmth and her special energy, which seemed inseparable from this sculpture.
The sculpture “Kind Angel of Peace” on a column, with gilded wings and a dove being released into the sky, had been installed in the park and solemnly opened on June 8, 2007. The monument is dedicated to the philanthropists of the 20th century and symbolizes peace and kindness. Symbolically, it was installed one day before Nadya’s birthday. Its authors—artist Pyotr Stronsky and sculptor Oleg Oleynik—put a special message into this image, as if urging both of us to let go of our fears and find harmony. I was so grateful to fate for this moment with her.
One day, we gathered in Bratislavsky Park with her friends, where we spent half the day playing various word games. The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful, and I felt like a part of their group. When the day was coming to an end and her friends began to leave, Nadya unexpectedly invited me to her place. I gladly agreed, and it became an important step in the development of our relationship.
We went to her home, and I immediately felt comfortable. Her room reflected her personality and tastes, it was filled with little things that made it special. My attention was immediately drawn to the synthesizer standing in the corner. That unexpectedly sparked my interest—I wanted to know if Nadya had ever played. I remembered how I had learned to play the piano as a child and thought that music could become another point of connection between us.
I remember how we opened her VKontakte page on her laptop, and I noticed that she had one unread message. I asked her about it, and she replied that she didn’t know what message it was or how to get rid of it. I checked—indeed, everything was marked as read, but the notification remained. I offered to help figure it out, but she smiled and gently stopped me.
That’s when I realized that I probably forgot to mention that I was a professional programmer, and she didn’t know that. I didn’t insist.
Who knows, maybe even then her style was already apparent—not answering certain messages and leaving them unread, or maybe it really was just a VKontakte glitch.
That night, I stayed over at her place. We talked for a long time, sharing our thoughts. It was our first evening spent together, just the two of us. In the morning, I felt that our bond had become even stronger and that I was truly becoming part of her world.
After one of our dates, when we spent time together at my place, we decided to drop by a pizzeria in the “Stolitsa” shopping mall, which was across the street from my house. We ordered pizza and sat at a table. I looked at Nadya, and at that moment I was overwhelmed with feelings. Gathering my courage, I said, “I was ready to wait for you this long.” She smiled and, looking into my eyes, replied, “I was ready to wait for you, too.” These words touched me deeply, and I felt our bond grow even stronger. This moment brought us closer and gave our relationship a special depth.
Once, while walking with Nadya by Chistye Prudy, we accidentally noticed a passing car that caught my eye. I immediately recognized it—it was Nikolay P.’s car, the same person who had bought a franchise in the company where I had previously worked. He had been provided with our IT systems, and from time to time I helped him with his database and billing system programming. I told Nadya, “I know that guy.” She smiled and exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, what a small world.” At the time, it seemed just a coincidence, but interestingly, Nikolay would play an important role in our relationship. A couple of years later, in the summer of 2013, he would call her at my request to help clarify a complicated situation that would arise in my relationship with Nadya.
Nadya attracted me not only with her hobbies and communication, but also with little habits that, at first glance, seemed insignificant, but made her special. One of these was her “smiling dog.” Every time there was a suitable moment, she would say this phrase with a smile, and it always made me laugh and brought me joy. Her positivity, her ability to find the right words at the right time, and to create a light atmosphere energized me. Nadya knew how to make ordinary moments meaningful, and I liked that more and more with each passing day.
But what captivated me most was her ability to find deep, almost philosophical reflections in everyday conversations. Once, while we were out walking, she told me, “You know, you have to live in harmony with yourself.” These words sounded so simple but truly struck me. I had never thought about it before, but thanks to her, I began to realize how important it is for one’s inner world and happiness. That was what made her special—she not only brought joy into everyday moments but also helped me see life from a new depth.
Once, while walking with Nadya in Lyublinsky Park, not far from Volzhskaya metro station, we heard the familiar chords of the song “My Heart Has Stopped” by Splean coming from afar. The melody seemed to freeze in the air, creating a special atmosphere. We stopped, and, immersed in the music, looked into each other’s eyes. At that moment, it felt like the whole world disappeared, leaving only the two of us and this song. It was one of those sweet moments when words were unnecessary, and we just enjoyed each other’s presence.
Another moment I remember well happened when she said, “You know, sometimes the best answer to people is just ‘So what?’” By this, she meant that if someone is constantly whining and complaining, such a response nudges the person to stop dwelling on their problems and start acting. She believed there was no point wasting time on empty complaints—you just have to get on with solving the problem. I smiled and thought, “She’s really on my wavelength!” This moment showed me how close our outlooks on life were, and how easily she could express complex ideas in simple words.
One day, while we were walking and I was rearranging things in my backpack, she noticed the book “The Master Key System” by Charles Haanel. She looked at it with interest and said, “I like that you read books like that.” This moment added depth to our connection because it was important to me that she shared my interest in self-development and philosophical ideas that helped me in life.
Nadya preferred rock music, but she was also drawn to some rap songs I liked. One day, when I played the song “Is It Easy to Be Young” by CENTR, she listened with interest and especially liked the line: “I’m on the seventh floor, it’s like the sixth, but one higher.” The lyrics made an impression on her, and she added the song to her playlist. This combination of our musical tastes surprised me, and I was happy that some of my favorite songs resonated with her.
Another moment that particularly touched me happened when we were walking to the bus stop. I was walking her home, and, to start a conversation, I asked what she was thinking about. Looking at the house ahead, Nadya replied, “I wonder, what if people could walk through walls?” This thought, unexpected and a bit naïve, brought me joy. It was in moments like that—her lightness and sincerity made our walks special and memorable.
One evening, after a walk with Nadya, I was left alone with Maxim and said a few words to him, casually asking if he wanted some weed, just to see his reaction. Maxim replied evasively, as if he was in his own world, and I immediately realized there was some misunderstanding between us. However, I decided not to try to prove to him that I wasn’t a “camel.” From his look, it became clear to me that Maxim had decided I was a druggie or something like that. That feeling didn’t leave me, but I preferred not to dig deeper, figuring it wasn’t worth my time.
Around the same time, I introduced Nadya to my friend Vasya. It was just one of those ordinary days when we decided to meet up and chat. Vasya was friendly, joked, laughed, and that made me happy. We sat, ate sushi, and it seemed everything was going well. It was important to me that Nadya met one of my close friends, who had already been mentioned several times in this story. Everything seemed normal then, and this meeting added another warm moment to our relationship.
One of those evenings stands out in my memory. At some point, Vasya and I played Basta’s song “My Game.” To my surprise, Nadya immediately liked the song. She even added it to her VKontakte playlist. This especially pleased me, as it was a sign that our musical tastes overlapped, and something from my life resonated with Nadya. It created a sense of closeness and understanding.
One important moment in our relationship was the visit to my former teacher of children’s TV journalism, Viktor Ivanovich. I was interested in introducing Nadya to one of the people who had influenced my development. We went to see him and had a conversation. However, at that time I probably missed an important detail—I never told Nadya that at that moment I was already a fifth-year student at the RGSU journalism faculty. That fact somehow didn’t come up, and maybe it played a role in later events.
Nadya also invited me to her friends’ birthday parties. These events were very interesting and full of positive energy. One of these celebrations took place in the Park of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow. That day, I played the game “Mafia” for the first time. I had never heard of this game before, and the whole process was fascinating for me. We sat in a circle, the city was falling asleep, and the mafia was waking up—it was fun and exciting.
Besides “Mafia,” I was also taught to play “Pokhod” and “Kontakt.” These simple word games turned out to be not only fun but also useful for me in the future. Thanks to their lightness and interactivity, they quickly became my favorites in any group. When I found myself in new groups, whether meeting friends in other cities or even in the USA, these games always helped lighten the mood and win people’s sympathy. I became the “hero” of the party, and this brought me success, as the ability to engage everyone in a game and create a friendly atmosphere is a skill highly valued in any social circle.
I really liked the friendly atmosphere and the people who surrounded Nadya. Their positive energy, joy, laughter, and ease of communication immediately made these gatherings special for me. Summer, walks, games, and fun—all this created a sense of harmony. At that moment, nothing foreshadowed future problems, and each new day was full of happy moments.
I really liked Nadya’s friends—they seemed sincere and cheerful. In their company, I felt comfortable and free. At the same time, I realized I already had interesting life experience, especially when it came to working with people. I had tried myself as a toastmaster at various events and knew how to create an atmosphere of fun and get everyone involved. Deep down, I thought that one day I would be able to share this experience with Nadya and her friends. I wanted to show that I had something valuable that could make our gatherings even more interesting and meaningful. At those moments, it seemed to me that all this would help strengthen our communication and make it even deeper.
I especially remember the birthday of one of Nadya’s friends, which we celebrated in Lyublinsky Park. I arrived separately; Nadya guided me by phone, telling me where to go. At some point, I saw her from afar—she was waving at me and calling my name. It was incredibly nice to see her smiling and joyful, waiting for me. I truly felt the happiest at that moment. We met up and headed to the picnic spot together. The party was in full swing, and we joined the large group gathered on the green lawn. I had brought a gift for the birthday girl—I think it was a cactus, though I don’t remember for sure. The warm sun, friends’ laughter, and casual conversations made that day truly special. In such moments, I felt like part of their close-knit group, and it filled me with joy.
Once, Zhenya and I were walking around our neighborhood when Nadya called me. We agreed to meet in Bratislavsky Park in Maryino. Nadya arrived, and I decided to introduce her to Zhenya. However, he wasn’t in the mood for company—he was lost in his own thoughts. It was immediately noticeable, and the meeting didn’t go as I had hoped. Nadya sensed his aloofness, and I felt she made some conclusions about Zhenya or even about me.
I felt that this acquaintance didn’t make a good impression on Nadya. Perhaps she drew some conclusions about Zhenya or even about me based on this meeting. Although I tried to keep things light, it seemed to me that after that, Nadya might have had negative thoughts about my relationship with Zhenya. This left me with a feeling of uncertainty, as if something had gone wrong.
One day, Nadya invited me to spend the day with her friends—riding bicycles. I was in a good mood and decided to joke around, pretending to be high, although in fact I was completely sober. When I arrived and joined the group, Nadya looked at me and said with a smile, “You’re giving yourself away.” She knew that sometimes I could smoke with Vasya, and probably at that moment decided that I had done so again.
At her remark, I just grinned, continuing to play the role as if I were really stoned. At the time, it seemed like a harmless joke to me. But now, looking back, I realize that perhaps it was the wrong move. For me, it was playful pretending, but for Nadya, maybe this moment became one of the reasons for her doubts.
