Hey,

Another chapter of Chess. More Svetlana and a friendship is coming your way. I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

TempeGeller

Love after Chess

Chapter 4: The national champion of The United Kingdom

As Florence looked at the face of her children, she understood the time that had passed by. 3 years of love and understanding. In the first year she became the champion of Scotland, it had been more simple that she assumed at first, winning a row of 50 games brought her respect from the chess world. Her blog became more popular, as bigger newspapers asked her for the same job. Yet she refused to quit her original job, which made the small paper of Scotland bigger than it ever been. Bringing her to a national champion of the entire country proved to be as difficult she imagined. As the partners became stronger, she needed more energy to beat them. All though she was able to keep her winning going. She became known as the 'Hungarian that never lost' and the person that people feared to play. In the second year of her career, she was able to call her a national champion. But it wasn't until her third year that she belonged to the people to watch. And here she was, in Prague, the capitol of a small country. She stared at the other players as they passed her by.
On both sides her daughters walked, already speaking to much. Anna Marie played a game where she tried to insult people in Hungarian and get them to believe she was infect complementing them. It did lead to weird situation as some people could understand Hungarian and threw back another insult, in which Anna just stepped their feet really hard. Which did end up bringing Florence in some trouble, but as they couldn't blame a three year old, the trouble moved away. Florence smiled.

"Good game." Freddie moved towards her. They hadn't grown towards each other in the last 3 years, He had hoped that they would grow to the relationship they used the have. The truth was that she was not able to forget Anatoly and she couldn't give her heart to anyone else. She believed it wasn't fear, giving someone half heart wasn't right. In this case she wouldn't even be able to give him that. Nothing of her heart was left and the only people she was still able to love were her 2 daughters, her father and her son that looked more like Anatoly every day. She was careful as she walked through the streets of Prague, since the fear of meeting that very Anatoly existed. Eastern countries kept their finals here too, here they find out who would be the champion of East/West, and the one that was untimely going to the great final and made a chance to become the ultimate chess champion. Yet that wouldn't be her, she had to compete another four years to belong to the level where she could win the right to represent the west.
"Thanks." Florence replied as Freddie picked up Ilona. A smile appeared on his face.
"They keep getting prettier." He smiled "They get that from their mother."

"Or it could be…" Florence didn't dare to speak his name. "you know."
"They surely get that from you, Florence." Freddie smiled "You have beautiful DNA to overpower his red DNA."
"Freddie…" She said as she shared her anger towards the nickname he used for the Sovjets. She walked on as she pulled her other daughter in her arms. 3 years old and she didn't even find the courage to search for his number. And even if she found it, she wouldn't be able to call. What would she say. 'Hey, I forgot to tell you I was pregnant. Congrats, you're a father.'. No, that were hardly words that she could speak to him. So she decided not to try anymore. She was loved her children, yet the knowledge of having children would make Anatoly's life even more difficult. She didn't want to do that. Yet when she heard about the matches he won, he thought about telling him. She knew where to find him, she knew that she could find out what his hotel room was. Yet he could do the very same thing, yet he didn't. Why wouldn't he come to ask her how she had been? Was that too much? Didn't he want to know how she was doing?

Anatoly stepped on a busy elevator ride. He didn't like it when there were to many people, but now even with 6 people he got nervous. Not because of the presence of 5 people, but the presence of one person burned in his mind. Frederick Trumper. The man he talked to on a month basis. The man that swore to tell him the truth about Florence at all times. The only way that he still could know how Florence was doing. Every time Anatoly saw him, questions burned on his tong. Yet somehow, some questions never saw the light of day. He stepped closer as he place himself right next to Freddie.
"How is she?" Anatoly whispered.
"Who are you talking about?" Freddie replied, being well aware to whom the question referred. "Florence?"

He nodded his head as a smile appeared on Freddie's face. Was it a smile because she was happy or a smile about his control of the situation? If he didn't tell anything about Florence, he wouldn't know. That wasn't entirely true, he could simple ask her hotel number, visit her. Yet he was too much of a coward to do so.
"You know, you could ask her yourself." Freddie smiled. "She's right here, room 512."
Anatoly saw a smile, Freddie knew that he was too much of a cowards to drop by. Even if he had her room number now. He wouldn't do it, there was a fear to what she would tell him. If she would even open the door.
"Well, I wouldn't bother…" Freddie replied "She's very happy with me. It was easy you know, carrying on where we left off. I was surprised of the limited time she needed to get over you."
"Oh…" He reacted in sadness. "So you and Florence are together again, like old times?"
"We've known each other longer." Freddie smiled "It turns out that you and Florence were a fling, I'm the real deal she says. I even think about getting married, don't let the press know. Florence hates it when the press knows things before she does."
Anatoly turned away in grief, it was a lot more painful knowing the love of your life had moved on, than actually losing her. It felt like a knife to his heart. Now he didn't want to visit her anymore. He didn't want to break the happiness Florence had. She was the most important thing to him and her happiness was the most important thing to him.
"I won't go see her…" He turned to Freddie. "out of respect for Florence, if she's happy with you, I don't want to bring back the past. I'm glad she's happy."
"Well, she's extremely happy." Freddie smiled "Never asks about you. Every year you ask me if she asks after you, and every year I'll tell you 'no'. She has forgotten you, just like you wanted. That's where you go by showing your loyalty to a game."
"Good luck." He shook Freddie's hand as he stepped of the elevator. He headed to his room straight away, he didn't show the pain he felt right now. In fear that they would be able to use Florence against him. He couldn't get distracted right now. As he stepped in the room, he put his eyes on Svetlana. She was sitting by the table with a book clenched in her hands. It was a copy of Anna Karina, one of her favorite books. She took it everywhere and had read it over 50 times. It was the only books that she insisted on always carrying. It was like the bible to some people. In fact he believed that Svetlana should swear ode on that very book.

"Anatoly." She stood up as she put the book on the table. Her voice was cold, like they didn't see each other every single day. Which they usually didn't. He traveled a lot playing matches and she spent her time at home with the children. "So?"
"I won." He rolled his eyes. "If that is what you're asking."
"Is it really so strange for me to be interested in your game." Svetlana turned away.

"Oh cut the crap." Anatoly walked to the bedroom and removed his tie. As he returned to the living room, he poured himself a glass of whiskey. "You're just here to make sure that I won't pull Florence to my bedroom. You're scared that being in the same hotel as her, will bring me in the temptation to cheat. She has a boyfriend, you know. Frederick Trumper, the current champion of the west on the first level."
"That's interesting, Anatoly." Svetlana turned around the table. "But that won't stop you to end up with your one true love. And you know what Malakov will say if you only dare to jump sides again…"
"Yeah, yeah…" He poured another glass of whiskey. "Sometimes, you are so…"
"Annoying." She raised an eyebrow. "I'm supposed to annoy you, I'm your wife."
"You do know she has a hotel room too." Anatoly took a sip. "If we both were really willing to cheat, we could do it in her hotel room, in her bed."
"I didn't need to know that alternate plan." Svetlana gave him the stink eye. "I didn't even know you were smart enough to figure out that alternate plan. And have you?"
"Have I what?"
"Cheated in her room, in her bed?" She stepped right in front of him as 3rd glass of whiskey was poured in his glass. He placed his hands gently around it, drinking it in his entirety.
"Maybe…" He took another sip. "Maybe…"
"Maybe?" Svetlana slapped him. "Is that what our relationship means to you. I might have cheated on you again, honey."
"Don't be so vane…" He filled his 4th glass. "I'm aware that you do the same all the time when I'm not at home. We might be married, but that didn't stop you to cheat on me."
"You're never home…" She said in all anger. "You're always off to countries.."
"You could join me, like you're doing now." Anatoly smiled "But now you're here as a spy, to make sure me and Florence don't do the nasty."
"You're well aware that my mother can't babysit the children all the time." Svetlana smiled "That's true, we have kids. Your kids."

Anatoly turned around as he took the bottle of whiskey and the glass to his room. Svetlana grabbed her book and returned to the sitting position. Anatoly turned to the loneliness of his room. A picture of Florence was hid between a book on the bedside table, it was a picture fo the two of them. Their eyes were locked on each other and they didn't seem to care that a picture had been taken. Yet these times were far gone. And to the story of Freddie, they would never return. He was happy with him. Was there a reason for Freddie to lie and were they not really together. There was a chance that might be true, but even if it was. Going to Florence would brek her heart and that was the last thing she wanted.

When there was happiness in the heart of Florence, he would be happy. And if she were truly the most happy woman in the world, he would be the happiest man in the world. Happy in all his misery. His heart screamed for Florence, his mind was filled with hope for her and the satisfaction of her happiness.

She stared in the eyes of her opponent. 5 to 1, the chance she would win were big. Yet he could still attack her with the element of surprise, if she would make a mistake, victory could still be hers. She stared in front of her as she moved her last piece.
"Check mate…" The crowd applauded as she won the game and moved forward to the next round and her last match of the level. Ready to be the champion of her level, not the highest, so she would not make a chance to compete against the world champion. She did move one level closer to the hope to play that very champion. Now that was Anatoly, but she still believed that Freddie had some games on his sleeve and maybe this year victory would be on his side.
She smiled as she moved away from the crowd. There were her children, watching her win. She was sure that the 3 year olds had no idea what was going on, but they were clapping their hands together in happiness. They might not understand the chess competitions, but they did understand the happiness of winning. Ilona threw herself in Florence's arms, while Anna Maria hugged her leg. There was Sander staring back at her in all his shyness. As a 3 year old he had no grown to be sociable. Just like Ilona, but she had a need to be close to her mother in public. That need was not shared by Sander, almost like he already gotten the shame for his parents. In the privacy of their home, he was the closest to her. Preferring her bed to his. So many nights, she shared the bed with all 3 of her children. In the closeness of parenthood. The one thing that kept Anatoly close.

At the same time Svetlana stepped from the elevator. She wanted to see Florence for herself, she believed that she would be able to see the affair on her face. When Florence and Anatoly were involved in a relationship, she had a glow around her. A happy glow, one she used to have a very long time ago. And as she stepped towards Florence, she saw a glow on her face. Maybe it was the victory that had just came to her, or maybe it was true. Maybe Anatoly had brought new power to their affair.
Her face changed when a little girl threw herself in Florence's arms. She recognized the brown girls from a distance. They were unnoticeable the curls she loved about Anatoly. This was his daughter and she could see that she was Florence's daughter as well. The affair had created a product and Florence had the very thing she didn't have. Off spring by the DNA of Anatoly. From far she could see that the boy next to a man seemed like Anatoly's son. In fact they were an exact clone, you couldn't get anything closer to a little Anatoly. The girl clenching Florence's leg was an identic copy to the girl that had thrown herself in the arms of Florence. A triplet. And the glow belong to the motherhood that was upon her. They weren't having an affair, she was sure of it. If they did Anatoly would have left her for this family. No, she could sleep on both ears, she could move away with the knowledge Anatoly wasn't in contact with Florence anymore. Yet her heart couldn't do so. She felt for Florence. She was a single mom, a chess player and she seemed to combine the two perfectly. Plus, she had an extra job keeping a journal of her chess experiences. She was better in everything.

As she stepped closer to the group, she hoped to see them. Just to know that Florence was happy or maybe she wanted to see what the children of Anatoly looked like. And when she came closer she saw the beauty of the young child. She looked around 3 years old, they could be younger. Yet she saw the youth of her children in them. Right now they were going through the puberty, a face of their life that was not that easy. Specially with Anatoly, they didn't give them the same rules. Anatoly didn't care about rules and let them do anything. Yet Svetlana kept great rules, for that they hated her. As she stared she saw the charm of a younger age, not that she didn't love her children. But she missed the love they had for her.
"Svetlana…" Florence replied as she noticed her presence. She slowly pushed the child behind her as she had the other one in her arms. Svetlana smiled as she answered with her name.
"How are you, Florence?" Svetlana smiled
"I'm fine." She nodded her head as Anna Marie stepped before her once more again. "This is Anna Marie, Ilona and my son Sander."
"Wow." Svetlana moved her mouth in front of her mouth. She stared at the man next to the young boy. "And that's your father."
"Yes." Florence smiled. "I figure you understand who claims the parenthood to my children. I'm not planning on telling Anatoly, I respect your relationship. I'm not planning on disturbing in once more again. Even if I'm still single, I need not more but my children."
"So you and Freddie are not together?"
"Not really." Florence laughed "We're not compatible in a relationship, we didn't know that then. We do know that now."
"Can I have a conversation later tonight?" Svetlana turned to Florence. "We need to speak about this situation, about what I want to get to Anatoly and what you want to get to Anatoly."
"Nothing." Florence replied. "It's all up to you."
"Okay." She said as she started to move away from Svetlana. "Tonight at the bar, 7."
She walked away as Svetlana kept her eyes on her. Her father was right behind her, not saying anything about the things she was doing. He didn't give her any comments, he only gave advice when she needed it. Right now he knew that she didn't need help. The walk to her hotel room was longer than the previous time, when she got there she took a bath. She needed to relax for the conversation that could reveal the children to Anatoly. She was sure, she would let Svetlana decide about it. If she wanted her children to be part of the bigger family, she would give them a chance.

As the warm water hit her skin, relaxation was brought to her body. She needed it, in the living room she could hear the laughter of her children. Her father was rather well with them. He loved them a lot and they brought a happiness to both of their lives, a happiness that nothing else would have brought them. She wouldn't give them up for the world and the same counted. As the clock hit 6, she stepped from the warm bath, now she would be heading for the bar. Only after she put on something nice, something that was neutral. She picked a black dress, long sleeves. A dress that reached over her knees. A dress that she used for funerals, but now she used it for a talk. She turned to her father and gave her kids a kiss goodnight.
On her way down it was always possible to meet Anatoly. It was almost seven and she was scared to be late on the talk. It wouldn't make a great impression to be late. As she stepped in the bar, she could see Svetlana sitting on the first table. Svetlana had a bottle of vodka standing beside her.
"That's strong." Florence said as she sat down. "I hope you're careful with that. A hangover from vodka is pretty painful, I can promise that to you."

"I just had the one…" Svetlana laughed "I am willing to drink more of it."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Florence pulled the bottle away from him. "Plus we have to talk, you can't do that when you're drunk. You wouldn't remember what you said tomorrow."
"You must think I'm an idiot." Svetlana turned away. "I have Anatoly, I have a family, you must think I have everything, why am I complaining you might ask?"
"I ask no such thing…" Florence lifted her hand in order to get a drink. "I'm well aware a relationship isn't always what it seems. Behind the perfection, there can be cracks. I see you're suffering from those cracks, I want to say that I'm not here to break your relationship farther. He doesn't need to know. I wanted to tell him, but somehow I think it's most important what you think, I harmed you once with our affair. I'm not being that woman again, neither will my children break you relationship. They are happy without a father figure."
"I want to tell you…" Svetlana smiled "I wasn't mad with you, I have to admit Anatoly was not the first one to commit adultery. You must know that our relationship is not like you and Anatoly had. It's not build of love…"
"What do you mean?" Florence looked at her drink that arrived.
"When I was about 20 I had a relationship with Eric Malokov, the son of Alexander. He was Anatoly's second, yet he didn't like his son being with a farm's daughter. So, he wanted to marry me of to someone else. It was then that Anatoly came to his team, he liked me. I didn't have problems with him, yet I wasn't in love with him." Svetlana cried. "It was either way dead or marrying him. It was then I found out I was pregnant with Eric's child. I didn't tell, we were married right away. I made Anatoly believe it was his child, he believed she came early. He never knew and I never told him. From the beginning of our marriage, I kept my relationship with Eric going. He was about to be married to a girl, yet he never loved her either. Alexander needed something from that woman's family, the marriage with his son was just to win power. That man does anything for power."
"So Eric is the one you still have an affair with?"
"God no." Svetlana replied "He died, when he stood up to his father. It seemed like an accident, but it was in fact murder. I have a relationship with Vigand, I don't love him, but he fills the emptiness Anatoly leaves. I did start to care for Anatoly, after Eric died I started to fall in love with him. Yet his very absence brought an emptiness that I needed to fill. Vigand was there."
"I understand." Florence took a sip. "There's no worst curse than loneliness."

"Look, I understand you can run off to Anatoly and tell him about all of this." Svetlana smiled "The truth is I would understand, I've not always been good in my life. I don't call myself a saint, I do wrong things. I want to pay for my mistakes."
"You shouldn't…" Florence turned away. "You're a victim of opportunity."
"So you won't tell?"
"No." Florence smiled "I have a good life. I have my father, I have my kids. I'm not going to take Anatoly away from you. That is the last thing I want to steal away from you, but like I already told you, the choice lies with you. If you want to tell Anatoly, I will stand by your choice."
"I'm sorry…" Svetlana stared at her. "I don't think I'm ready for that truth to get to him. I'm selfish, I think I can make my relationship with Anatoly better."
"I understand." Florence took a piece of paper and she wrote down a name and address. She put her phone number right under it. "If you need help, or if you just need to talk. You can write me, you can call me, anything."

"Thanks." Svetlana smiled "Florence, would you mind just sitting here?"
"No." Florence smiled "Off course not."
So they sat there together. There was something about the both of them that was the same. There was a level of understanding between the two of them. They both suffered because of the Sovjets. And Florence couldn't bring herself to tell Anatoly the truth. Svetlana's happiness was bound right to Anatoly and as far she was concerned, Anatoly didn't care about her anymore. That is if she could believe the words of Freddie. The silence the best for the both of them. For hours they sat there, not saying a thing. This was the moment, Florence and Svetlana became friends.

After the championship, Svetlana and Florence kept calling each other. They were friends and confided in each other about life's dangers. It was something Florence liked, she wrote them about the children and Svetlana wrote back about the dangers of puberty. She smiled each time as a letter arrived. Anatoly and everyone else was unaware of the relationship between them. This morning was one that brought a rather large package. Florence opened it as she found a letter there.

Dearest Florence,

I was cleaning up the attack and I found some stuff my girls can't use anymore. Clothes, toys, that kind of stuff. I wanted to throw them away, but I believed that maybe your children could use it. Feel free to throw it away if you can't use it.

I must say I enjoy this friendship, I actually never truly had a friend. It's very unusual that the first friend of mine is actually the very 'other' woman. I started a fund for all three of your children, I put money in it from time to time. It's for all three of them, for college or anything. I know Anatoly would want that. Plus, I feel like your children are so important to me.
How do you feel me stopping by Scotland? I feel like a talk always makes me happy. It seems that your friendship means more to me than the relationship I had going with Vigand. In a way, I think having a friend feels good.

Don't worry, Anatoly is doing well. He's still on a high from being world champion for the 5th time in line. I'm so sorry for Freddie, it was a pretty close call. 6 to 5 is quite close. I hope Freddie is okay. Are you sure that nothing can ever happen to them? I want to see you happy. I don't think you need a relationship to be happy. I'm going to give my relationship a chance.

I'm dying to see you and the munchkins.
Svetlana

Florence smiled as she opened the box. She found all kind of clothes for her girls, there were also dolls in the boxes and all kinds of things she imagines Svetlana couldn't use anymore. She liked all of them as she put them on the table. Some dresses were great for Ilona, others she saw on Anna Marie. As the box was empty, she grabbed a pen.

Dearest Svetlana

Thank you for the beautiful things, you'll make some princesses here rather happy. This toys are beautiful and some are even exactly what they've been asking for. They are going to love it, I'll tell Aunt Svetlana send them a gift. It's very nice of you to start a fund for them, I'm not asking you, that doesn't mean I'm not grateful. I am sure that the girls will be grateful and Anatoly will really like this. I'm really glad that you are not in that empty relationship anymore, the way you talked about him didn't seem your love for him was true. You can better wait for Anatoly to take time for you, but Svetlana you should demand it. That is the very thing I got thought, get interested in chess. I could always teach you some when you visit us. I'm awaiting. I'll call you for the details. Scotland is beautiful this time of year.

Love,

Florence