Note: Written after hearing Michael had a son and wondering how Nikita
would get to know the fact.
The one I love
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"I´m playing with the ducks."
The little boy she had adressed went on watching the birds. She had noticed him about an hour ago when she entered the parc, trying to get a bit of sunlight. He´d played in the sand then, building castles and barns out of nothing with a little girl with curly hair, when an older youngster arrived and started troubling them. And although he seemed very frightened himself, he´d defended his playmate against the older one and stoof his ground. She had already lifted her feet when she noticed that they weren´t needing her help.
The little girl had left ten minutes earlier with her parents, and since then he occupied himseld at the shore of the small lake, picking up a stone or something every now and then, throwing it in the water, watching the geese and ducks that searched for food. She thought there was something special with him, in the way he behaved towards everything around him, how he seemd to be conscious of everything that was going on that reminded her of a cat. When she came nearer she saw that he had very dark, unruly hair and -most uncommon- striking green eyes. Although he was wearing wide casual clothes, she noticed that he had long legs and a broad back, moving with a certainty few children had.
Reaching his side, she was acknowledged with a short smile to answer hers, then he continued his efforts to make the ducks come back to him. Slowly she sat down by his side and rested her head on her knees to watch him.
She giggled when he walked on all fours and quacked in an imitated dark voice. Disturbed, he looked up and grimaced. "Why don´t you help me?" he asked, turning to her. Taken by surprised, she nodded and pulled a bit of dry bread out of her pocket, brought for just that purpose, that she broke into little pieces.
"You have to be quiet or they´ll be too afraid to come back", she told him in a hushed voice.
"I know, my dad told me", he answered absent-mindedly, his gaze intent on the ducks that curiously approached the shore. She saw a smile spread over his face as the first ones took the bread offerd to them.
"What´s your name?" "Adam", he said, without really paying attention, too fascinated by the colourful shining feathers of the ducks. With him obviously too occupied with watching she remained silent until all bread was gone and the ducks made their way across the lake again. Finally he turned around and faced her once more. "What´s your name?"
"Nikita."
She couldn´t help but smile at the earnestness with which he held out his little hand. "Nice to meet you."
Sitting side by side, they watched the ducks slowly disappear into the fading sunset. It was getting dark. A thought suddenly struck her.
"Are you all on your own?"
"Och, no,my dad´s sitting over there", he carelessly waved his hand to a group of trees nearby. "He said he would come to take me home when it´s time. I just shan´t jump into the lake, he said." Again he pulled a face, obviously annoyed by the thought that he could do such a thing.
"How old are you?" Interested, she draw a bit nearer to take a few leaves off his sweater.
"Four, but next week I´ll be five", he proudly exclaimed. "My dad promised to be at home to celebrate with us. That´s a special birthday, he said." Realizing her questioning gaze, he went on explaining. "He´s often away to work, and mum and I are sad to be alone, but it´s always very funny when he´s back. And he always reads bed-time stories for me." He chuckled at the thought. Those stories had to be great fun, too.
Some footsteps were heard behind them, and when Adam turned his head to look, she saw his face lighten with joy and smiled when he cried out: "Daddy!" She too turned her head, but due to the dazzling sunlight before she saw nothing for a second but heard a warm,soft voice mutter "Adam".
Her heartbeat stopped for a moment, and then she looked up in Adam´s green eyes set in a face she better than her own.
The one I love
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"I´m playing with the ducks."
The little boy she had adressed went on watching the birds. She had noticed him about an hour ago when she entered the parc, trying to get a bit of sunlight. He´d played in the sand then, building castles and barns out of nothing with a little girl with curly hair, when an older youngster arrived and started troubling them. And although he seemed very frightened himself, he´d defended his playmate against the older one and stoof his ground. She had already lifted her feet when she noticed that they weren´t needing her help.
The little girl had left ten minutes earlier with her parents, and since then he occupied himseld at the shore of the small lake, picking up a stone or something every now and then, throwing it in the water, watching the geese and ducks that searched for food. She thought there was something special with him, in the way he behaved towards everything around him, how he seemd to be conscious of everything that was going on that reminded her of a cat. When she came nearer she saw that he had very dark, unruly hair and -most uncommon- striking green eyes. Although he was wearing wide casual clothes, she noticed that he had long legs and a broad back, moving with a certainty few children had.
Reaching his side, she was acknowledged with a short smile to answer hers, then he continued his efforts to make the ducks come back to him. Slowly she sat down by his side and rested her head on her knees to watch him.
She giggled when he walked on all fours and quacked in an imitated dark voice. Disturbed, he looked up and grimaced. "Why don´t you help me?" he asked, turning to her. Taken by surprised, she nodded and pulled a bit of dry bread out of her pocket, brought for just that purpose, that she broke into little pieces.
"You have to be quiet or they´ll be too afraid to come back", she told him in a hushed voice.
"I know, my dad told me", he answered absent-mindedly, his gaze intent on the ducks that curiously approached the shore. She saw a smile spread over his face as the first ones took the bread offerd to them.
"What´s your name?" "Adam", he said, without really paying attention, too fascinated by the colourful shining feathers of the ducks. With him obviously too occupied with watching she remained silent until all bread was gone and the ducks made their way across the lake again. Finally he turned around and faced her once more. "What´s your name?"
"Nikita."
She couldn´t help but smile at the earnestness with which he held out his little hand. "Nice to meet you."
Sitting side by side, they watched the ducks slowly disappear into the fading sunset. It was getting dark. A thought suddenly struck her.
"Are you all on your own?"
"Och, no,my dad´s sitting over there", he carelessly waved his hand to a group of trees nearby. "He said he would come to take me home when it´s time. I just shan´t jump into the lake, he said." Again he pulled a face, obviously annoyed by the thought that he could do such a thing.
"How old are you?" Interested, she draw a bit nearer to take a few leaves off his sweater.
"Four, but next week I´ll be five", he proudly exclaimed. "My dad promised to be at home to celebrate with us. That´s a special birthday, he said." Realizing her questioning gaze, he went on explaining. "He´s often away to work, and mum and I are sad to be alone, but it´s always very funny when he´s back. And he always reads bed-time stories for me." He chuckled at the thought. Those stories had to be great fun, too.
Some footsteps were heard behind them, and when Adam turned his head to look, she saw his face lighten with joy and smiled when he cried out: "Daddy!" She too turned her head, but due to the dazzling sunlight before she saw nothing for a second but heard a warm,soft voice mutter "Adam".
Her heartbeat stopped for a moment, and then she looked up in Adam´s green eyes set in a face she better than her own.