Later, same night
And so there does my heart belong
A part of her was listening to the sounds of quiet apartment, ready to capture the sound of a sneeze, muffled cough or little steps, as Lidka often would wake up at night to move to mother’s bed or ask for a cup of water.
But there was also Luka, whose silent presence in the corner of the kitchen made her feel strangely exited. She stood at the sink, washing up, with her back to him, suddenly aware of a weird, long forgotten sensation wakening - under the weight of Luka’s unmoving stare - in depths of her own body. She put the last plate on the rack, washed her hands and reached for a paper towel. She heard him move and felt as hе came closer. His arms wrapped round her waist and he buried his face in her hair. Her heart made a last minute attempt to panic, but Luka didn’t give it a chance. He gently turned her to face him, leaned closer and pressed his lips to her mouth. She thought to resist, but it felt so right - so unreasonably, unexplainably right to be held tight against his body, feeling him grow hard against her…
He reached for the buttons of her shirt.
- No, Luka, no. Not here, - she whispered.
He stepped back and she turned and walked from the kitchen, him following, holding to her arm.
In the room she stopped awkwardly at the bed and looked back. Luka stepped in, closed the door, searched with his hand for the lock, in vain.
- It doesn’t… lock.
- It’s ok, - he said in a low, hoarse voice. He looked around, and then reached for the chair; her sweater fell on the floor. Luka put the chair against the door. She thought it would not really work, what ridicules a barrier… but said nothing. Far away in the silence of the night barked an ambulance heading to the County…
He was there, unbuttoning her shirt, kissing her hair. She stood rigid and clumsy at first, but then her body gave in, and she gasped overwhelmed by the emotions…
She was with him. Not like with Bill – there she was cheating. All what she wanted from the dentist was home and money for the kids. With Bill she had to pretend. Now – for the first time in so many years - she was - with every cell of her body and every thought – with the man who was – here and now – making love to her.
He knew she cared – there were no shadows between them – she wanted him, Luka Kovac, the man who held her body in his arms, no memories, no past. And he brushed away his own pain – falling deeper and deeper in her bluish eyes, caressing her neck, and little breasts and thin waistline, until they were one…
Epilogue
And they wee fine in the end. Thought, can there be any end in a family which grows? They had two more kids together: twin sisters Ksenya and Jasna. And Ivan had gone for his dream and did it – he played for NHL. And he bought a Cherokee for his Mom. So that she could give the old one to Lidka, to drive to youngsters to school. In summers they visited Croatia, and went to Russia a couple of times… But they were fine in Chicago, the windy city, where they met.