One afternoon, Ilya looked over the top of his book.
“Tashenka.”
She looked up immediately.
<Yes?>
“I haven’t seen you ask Daddy to play hockey in the driveway this week.”
She looked back down at her picture.
<He’s busy.>
“He’d make time.”
Another small shrug.
<I don’t want to bother him.>
The words settled heavily inside Ilya’s chest.
Because he remembered another little girl saying almost those exact words after Sofia was born.
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Tashenka.”
She looked up immediately.
<Yes?>
“I haven’t seen you ask Daddy to play hockey in the driveway this week.”
She looked back down at her picture.
<He’s busy.>
“He’d make time.”
Another small shrug.
<I don’t want to bother him.>
The words settled heavily inside Ilya’s chest.
Because he remembered another little girl saying almost those exact words after Sofia was born.
“I didn’t want to bother you.”