Max sat in his chair with a small plate of nuggets, his hands busy dipping into the sauce as he hummed happily."So, Bell," Aurora began in a soft voice. "You said there was nothing between you and Pascha. I remember you once saying you wanted him to stay away. And now, you're letting him be Max's father. How do you explain that?"I let out a sigh. "It's not something that's easy to explain. I did it for Max. He needs his father. I can't keep avoiding Pascha, especially if it means depriving Max of a father figure."Kyara cut in immediately. "Isn't that too dramatic?""It's about Max, Ky."Aurora smiled a little. She grabbed a small note her pocket and started jotting something down seriously.I looked at her in confusion. "What are you doing?""Observation notes," Aurora replied without turning around. "It's part of my job as a psychologist. I'm trying to understand your thought patterns. You say it's for Max, but there's another emotional tone whenever you heard Pascha's name."A sa
I stood before my bedroom mirror, staring at my reflection uneasily. Trembling hands fixed my simple pale blue dress while my mind spun endlessly. My hair, which I usually let down, was tied up in a neat bun this time, but somehow, I felt it still wasn't enough.Since the incident five years ago, this wasn't the first time I had met Pascha's parents. I can still vividly remember my meeting with his mother in that fancy restaurant, and she was so kind and accepting of all my decisions five years ago.But this time was different. I met them as the mother of their grandson. Max. One fact that makes my throat dry up every time I think about it.What if they didn't accept Max? Or worse, what if they accepted him too well and tried to take him away from me?I clenched my fists, feeling my chest grow heavy with anxiety.A slight knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Before I could say, come in, Pascha had already stepped in, wearing a black sweater that clung perfectly to his body, pair
The luxurious restaurant, with its glittering crystal chandelier, was filled with a warm atmosphere from the conversations of the guests. I stepped inside, following Pascha, who was still carrying Max in his arms, and Max hugging his Superman doll.My heart was beating faster than usual, but I tried to stay calm, even though this wasn't the first meeting with Romanov family.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natalia Romanova, Pascha's mother, standing up from her chair at the large table in the corner. She wore an elegant dark green dress, her neat blonde hair tied back."Belva," she greeted me in a warm voice. Before I could say anything, she grabbed me into a gentle hug. "It's so good to see you again."I froze for a moment before awkwardly returning her hug.She slipped away from our embrace but she didn't let go of her embrace in both my hands. She looked at me softly. "Why didn't you tell me about my grandson when we were at the restaurant that time... Belva?"I swallowed, my th
Fancy food was served: foie-gras, grilled lobster, and other dishes whose names I couldn't even pronounce. But everyone's attention at the table was not on the food but on Max, who was sitting comfortably on Pascha's lap."So, Max," Igor broke the silence with a big smile, "what do you like most about San Francisco and living on the beach?"Max turned to Igor, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "I love the beach! Mommy, I and Aunt Clara always play at the beach, and I love looking for shells."I tried to smile, although it felt strange to hear him speak so confidently in front of the Romanovs.Igor chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. "The beach, huh? You should try coming to Moscow in winter. There's snow, ice, and you can skiing."Max frowned, then shrugged dramatically. "I know about snow from movies. But skiing seems hard. I prefer surfing!"I almost choked on my breath. Where did he learn to talk like that? Before I could say anything, Trisha chuckled from the right side of the t
Dinner finally ended, with the conversation slowing down and the atmosphere getting quieter. The candle in the center of the table was almost gone, leaving a soft glow illuminating the room. Max, whose energy seemed endless throughout the night, now looked sleepy. He yawned widely while hugging his Superman doll tightly."Are you tired, Max?" asked Alexandr, looking at Max with a warm smile.Max just nodded, his eyes half closed. "I'm sleepy," he murmured.Gently, Aleksandr took Max's tiny body from Pascha's arms. Max didn't protest, resting his head comfortably on his grandfather's shoulder. Aleksandr gently patted Max's back, letting the boy drift off."He's a wonderful boy," Aleksandr said, looking at me. "You've done a great job, Belva. Thank you and I’m sorry for everything.""You don't have to apologize," I said finally, my voice softer than I wanted it to be. "What happened five years ago... that's in the past."He gave a slight nod, but his eyes remained on me. "Even so, as a
Our algorithms are being tested in a virtual environment that simulates fundamental mining operations. I scan the data, looking for anomalies or errors that could interfere with the final results.My mind is focused on this report until Ryan's voice comes. "I need confirmation on the second stage simulation. The output energy parameters don't seem to be consistent with the input data."I nodded. "Put your report here," I said, pointing at the table. "What did you find?"Ryan placed his tablet before me, pointing to a graph showing energy fluctuations. "The values drop drastically at certain intervals. I think it has something to do with the automatic control algorithm adjustments, but I'm not sure yet."I sifted through the graph, realizing that the fluctuations occurred every time the system tried to predict an increase in fuel efficiency."This is an error in the predictive module. We need to adjust the threshold to be more tolerant of real-time data variations. Give me a few hours
I glanced at Max's bed in the corner of his room. His little body was wrapped in a blanket, a Superman doll was lying beside him, and his breathing sounded soft. He was utterly exhausted after playing around all day yesterday with his grandparents. I decided not to wake him up and let him enjoy his rest.Walking into the kitchen with lazy steps, I tied my hair up. I opened the fridge, looking for simple ingredients for breakfast. There was no rush today.I make pancakes with maple syrup, Max's favourite, and some fresh fruit on the side.As I'm pouring the pancake batter onto the griddle, footsteps come from behind me. Clara appears in a loose T-shirt and shorts, her hair tied up carelessly. Her face is a little wrinkled, but she still gives me a smile."I'm cleaning out Max's toy shed," she said as she grabbed a glass of water. "You know, Bel, that boy has more toys than he can play with in a whole month."I snorted, flipping the pancakes in the skillet. "Blame Ben for that. He alway
The supermarket wasn't too crowded this early in the afternoon, just a few customers leisurely strolling the aisles with their trolleys. I pushed my trolley towards the fresh meat section, still remembering Max's dramatic request this morning—the chickens in his dream that ran away and left him hungry.What I hadn't counted on was who was walking beside me now.In a casual suit that still looks too expensive for a regular supermarket, Pascha walks casually beside me with an annoyingly casual expression. His hands were stuffed into his pants pockets while his eyes scanned the shelves as if this was his first time setting foot in a place like this.Well, I didn't know that it still stuck with him. Five years ago, he was a prince who had everything in his luxury penthouse—a personal chef and maids—and I'm guessing that he's still a stranger to supermarkets until now.I took a whole chicken from the cooling rack and put it in the trolley.“Is this chicken enough to fulfill Max's dream?” P
I frowned. “What?”Pascha shrugged. “Party at the Carlton Hotel. I'm invited.”I sat up slowly, looking at him more seriously. “And you're telling me this. why?”He gave me a slight grin, then leaned closer to me. “Because I want you to come with me.”I blinked, then gave a short laugh. “Sorry, what?”Pascha didn't change his expression. “Come with me. We can go together.”I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out whether he was joking or not. But there was no sign of humor on his face, only a seriousness that made me even more confused.I lay back down. “I already have a partner, Pascha.”He raised one eyebrow. “Jullian?”I nodded.Pascha sighed, then shook his head. “Of course. The perfect man.”I gave him a sharp look. “And you should have come with your fiancé.”There was a pause. I didn't miss how his casual expression was slightly stiffer, though he quickly hid it.“I'm not necessarily going with her,” he said finally.I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”Pascha smiled wryly. “Yo
The sound of the waves crashing outside the window blended with the sound of the television that had been left on, showing an animated movie that was now almost over. The hot afternoon air made me reluctant to move further from the house, and Max, who was sobbing over his dinosaur toy, finally lay down on the cozy fur rug and was already asleep beside me, his hands gripping the hem of my shirt tightly.I stroked his hair slowly, enjoying the warmth of his little body next to me. I sighed softly, letting my body relax under the cool air conditioning.The summer sun was too hot to go to the beach, and the only thing more tempting than a nap was a bucket full of chocolate ice cream, which was unfortunately not available in the fridge.“I'm going out for a while,” Pascha said after the man came out of the main bathroom near the kitchen. “But then Max will definitely be happy with what I brought.”I opened one eye, looking at him lazily. “Hmm?”He just smiled a little, giving no further an
The kitchen was filled with the aroma of roast chicken starting to cook in the oven. I stood in front of the stove, stirring the sauce.I’m pouring the sauce into the pot but my phone vibrated on the kitchen counter. The name on the screen makes me pause for a moment before I swipe the green icon to answer.“Ben?” My voice trembles slightly.“Hey, Bell.” Ben's voice sounded softer than the last time he spoke.I bit my lip, waiting for what he would say next.“I...” Ben breathed across the phone. “I want to apologize.”I closed my eyes for a moment. “Ben, you don't have to—”“I do,” he cut in quickly. “I know I was so rude that time. I panicked, I was angry... but that's no reason to blame you for something that wasn't entirely your fault.”I stirred the sauce again, trying to calm myself down. “You were just worried. I understand.”“And so do you,” he added, his voice softer. “I just don't want you to get hurt again, Bell.”I swallowed, feeling something stir in my chest. Ben was alwa
The supermarket wasn't too crowded this early in the afternoon, just a few customers leisurely strolling the aisles with their trolleys. I pushed my trolley towards the fresh meat section, still remembering Max's dramatic request this morning—the chickens in his dream that ran away and left him hungry.What I hadn't counted on was who was walking beside me now.In a casual suit that still looks too expensive for a regular supermarket, Pascha walks casually beside me with an annoyingly casual expression. His hands were stuffed into his pants pockets while his eyes scanned the shelves as if this was his first time setting foot in a place like this.Well, I didn't know that it still stuck with him. Five years ago, he was a prince who had everything in his luxury penthouse—a personal chef and maids—and I'm guessing that he's still a stranger to supermarkets until now.I took a whole chicken from the cooling rack and put it in the trolley.“Is this chicken enough to fulfill Max's dream?” P
I glanced at Max's bed in the corner of his room. His little body was wrapped in a blanket, a Superman doll was lying beside him, and his breathing sounded soft. He was utterly exhausted after playing around all day yesterday with his grandparents. I decided not to wake him up and let him enjoy his rest.Walking into the kitchen with lazy steps, I tied my hair up. I opened the fridge, looking for simple ingredients for breakfast. There was no rush today.I make pancakes with maple syrup, Max's favourite, and some fresh fruit on the side.As I'm pouring the pancake batter onto the griddle, footsteps come from behind me. Clara appears in a loose T-shirt and shorts, her hair tied up carelessly. Her face is a little wrinkled, but she still gives me a smile."I'm cleaning out Max's toy shed," she said as she grabbed a glass of water. "You know, Bel, that boy has more toys than he can play with in a whole month."I snorted, flipping the pancakes in the skillet. "Blame Ben for that. He alway
Our algorithms are being tested in a virtual environment that simulates fundamental mining operations. I scan the data, looking for anomalies or errors that could interfere with the final results.My mind is focused on this report until Ryan's voice comes. "I need confirmation on the second stage simulation. The output energy parameters don't seem to be consistent with the input data."I nodded. "Put your report here," I said, pointing at the table. "What did you find?"Ryan placed his tablet before me, pointing to a graph showing energy fluctuations. "The values drop drastically at certain intervals. I think it has something to do with the automatic control algorithm adjustments, but I'm not sure yet."I sifted through the graph, realizing that the fluctuations occurred every time the system tried to predict an increase in fuel efficiency."This is an error in the predictive module. We need to adjust the threshold to be more tolerant of real-time data variations. Give me a few hours
Dinner finally ended, with the conversation slowing down and the atmosphere getting quieter. The candle in the center of the table was almost gone, leaving a soft glow illuminating the room. Max, whose energy seemed endless throughout the night, now looked sleepy. He yawned widely while hugging his Superman doll tightly."Are you tired, Max?" asked Alexandr, looking at Max with a warm smile.Max just nodded, his eyes half closed. "I'm sleepy," he murmured.Gently, Aleksandr took Max's tiny body from Pascha's arms. Max didn't protest, resting his head comfortably on his grandfather's shoulder. Aleksandr gently patted Max's back, letting the boy drift off."He's a wonderful boy," Aleksandr said, looking at me. "You've done a great job, Belva. Thank you and I’m sorry for everything.""You don't have to apologize," I said finally, my voice softer than I wanted it to be. "What happened five years ago... that's in the past."He gave a slight nod, but his eyes remained on me. "Even so, as a
Fancy food was served: foie-gras, grilled lobster, and other dishes whose names I couldn't even pronounce. But everyone's attention at the table was not on the food but on Max, who was sitting comfortably on Pascha's lap."So, Max," Igor broke the silence with a big smile, "what do you like most about San Francisco and living on the beach?"Max turned to Igor, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "I love the beach! Mommy, I and Aunt Clara always play at the beach, and I love looking for shells."I tried to smile, although it felt strange to hear him speak so confidently in front of the Romanovs.Igor chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. "The beach, huh? You should try coming to Moscow in winter. There's snow, ice, and you can skiing."Max frowned, then shrugged dramatically. "I know about snow from movies. But skiing seems hard. I prefer surfing!"I almost choked on my breath. Where did he learn to talk like that? Before I could say anything, Trisha chuckled from the right side of the t
The luxurious restaurant, with its glittering crystal chandelier, was filled with a warm atmosphere from the conversations of the guests. I stepped inside, following Pascha, who was still carrying Max in his arms, and Max hugging his Superman doll.My heart was beating faster than usual, but I tried to stay calm, even though this wasn't the first meeting with Romanov family.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natalia Romanova, Pascha's mother, standing up from her chair at the large table in the corner. She wore an elegant dark green dress, her neat blonde hair tied back."Belva," she greeted me in a warm voice. Before I could say anything, she grabbed me into a gentle hug. "It's so good to see you again."I froze for a moment before awkwardly returning her hug.She slipped away from our embrace but she didn't let go of her embrace in both my hands. She looked at me softly. "Why didn't you tell me about my grandson when we were at the restaurant that time... Belva?"I swallowed, my th