Mikhail could see it as if it were real, right in front of him. He could see the snow falling from the heavens,caressing the ground like a whisper. He could see a house in the country, near Lake Baikal, where they would raise their children. The gardens would be overflowing with greenery come spring.
And there she would be. As beautiful as she was on the day he first saw her. Wearing a red dress and headscarf, she would beckon him to the car so they could make their way to church. Christine would be dressed similarly, a miniature of the woman who had been her mother from the beginning. Anna would be holding their newest family addition on her hip, a son named Viktor.
Mikhail could see a life with her. He could see a future he had never allowed himself to yearn for in his youth. He had never allowed himself to want for a wife and children, and now he can see it. He can see her in a white, traditional Russian wedding dress. He can see her standing inside the empty house they would call home, biting her lip trying to figure out where to put things. He can see her gardening in the spring, hoeing in the summer, and harvesting in the fall. He can imagine her in his arms in the winter, the simile on her face as she tells him about the impending arrival of their first son, proposing to her back in London, asking her uncle for her hand, their first Christmas together when they bought 2 presents for each other (one for opening in the presence of polite company, the other for when they were alone.)
Mikhail's eyes open. The moon shines down through the lace curtains of his room. He turns his head to the side an sees Anna. He hears her breathing, sees the rise and fall of her chest, and realizes in that moment... he hadn't been dreaming at all.
This is the last chapter. This was one of my first stories, and I appreciate all the encouragement and reviews I have received. I tried to leave it at a happy point. The thing that gets me every time I watch the movie, is that last scene with him and her by the Thames. You can see in his eyes everything he wants to say to her and can't. And you can see the pain on her face too. I wanted to give them something happy. I hope I achieved that. Thank you!