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After they had woken early and caught so Alexander how to make pancake batter She didn’t knohat it ith hi to keep teaching you how to make pancakes Do you just refuse to learn?"
"I’m a man I’m physically unable to learn how to cook foron the wood floor very close to her as Tatiana ar
"But you made me ice cream"
"That was for you I said, cook foratup at her with the sweetest face
"I can’t take my eyes off you," he said cal that you cook forI want I can’t take my eyes off you," he continued, less calry for pancakes"
"Stop looking atto stay cal to do when you’re in the woods by yourself and need to eat?"
"Do I have to learn how to make batter? I’ll eat bark, berries, mushrooms"
"Do yourself a favor -- don’t eat the mushrooms," Tatiana said "Will you watch, please?"
He looked away froar? Is that it? Aain?"
With a twitch of the wooden spoon, Tatiana flicked a bit of batter into his face "Hey!" she exclai his head in disbelief, Alexander stuck his hand into the batter and threw a handful into Tatiana’s face "Who do you think you’re dealing with around here?"
"I don’t know," she slowly replied, wiping the batter fro to stir "But I don’t think you knoho you’re dealing with around here" Before he could move, Tatiana took the whole pot and poured it on hiht her in the clearing, Alexander was dripping with batter Hoisting her up, he rubbed hisher , but she wouldn’t stop, feeling desperate delight and desire Tatiana’s whole body was shaking frohter, and she could tell that it re fro, but she was still laughing Treether, they were poured like thick crea each other, stuck together and slippery, and afterward a panting and sated Alexander joyously asked, "If we don’t cook the pancakes but eat the batter raw, does that still count as breakfast?"
"I’m almost sure of it," panted back Tatiana
The sun was at full noon Alexander was cleaning the trout at the s his army knife to scale the fish and cut off their heads Tatiana stood by his side with a bag to catch the remnants and a pot of water to put the cleaned fish into She was about to make fish soup with potatoes They had only one sharp knife, and Alexander was very proficient with it "As long as you don’t have to cook the food you catch, you’ll never starve, will you, Shura?" Tatiana said, watching him with admiration
"Tania, if I had to, I would cook this fish on the fire that I build" He glanced at her "What?"
"Alexander, you fish, you build fires, youyou can’t do?" Tatiana blushed even as she was saying it
"You telluntil she moaned into hisher throat, shered"
"Please don’t And yes, there is one thing I can’t do Can’t o to Molotov to get our wedding pictures fros for those pictures, I know it"
Tatiana gazed at hiainst hih kerosene for the Primus stove?"
"Plenty, why?"
"After I put the ukha on, can we leave it for a little while?" She took a deep breath "Shura?Dusia asked me to come and help her at the church" She looked at Alexander "Please? I feel bad because I haven’t been over there
"I thought I was your shadow?"
"Except when you’re over there way too hed "What does she need this time?"
Relieved, Tatiana said, "One of the s fell out She ondering if you could fix it It’s her only stained glass "
"Oh, so she needs ive you some vodka for your trouble"
"Tell her to leave you alone, and she’s got herself a deal"
Leaving for a hter "Here," she said "Open yourhiswhat to do with the cigarette, she s, and iarette back, took three or four deep drags, and said, "I’ain I hear you breathing in the night -- your lungs are struggling"
"That’s not the TB," she said, stubbing out the cigarette "That’s you holdingat her, Alexander said nothing
At the church Tatiana helped Alexander hold the slassShe stood on a stepladder while he caulked the edge of the ith a gooey mixture of water, pulverized limestone, and clay "Shura?"
"Hmm"
"Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"
"No"
"What would we have done if Dasha were still alive? Do you ever think about that?"
"No"
Tatiana paused "Well, I do Sometimes"
"Like when do you think of that?"
"Like now"
When he made no reply, Tatiana persisted "Can you think about it? What would we have done?"
"I don’t want to think about it"
"Do"
Alexander sighed "Why do you enjoy torturing yourself? Do you feel life has been too good to you?"
Tatiana stared at hiood to me"
"Hold thesteady," he said "It’s Dusia’s only stained glassI don’t think she’ll forgive even you for breaking it Is it too heavy for you?"
"No, it’s fine Here, let er I’m al, and calass, which fell out of the frarabbed it, laid it down, and went to help Tatiana off the ground She was shaken but not hurt She had a scrape on the back of her ankle She was, however, frowning at her husband
"What?" Alexander said "Likefor my life every day" He tried to dust Tatiana off but justto ce her collarbone
Still Tatiana frowned at hi quick Good job I just want to point out," she added, "that given the choice between the glass and your wife, you chose the glass, ad, Alexander helped Tatiana back onto the ladder, standing behind her on the ground He didn’t touch her with his h her dress "I didn’t choose the glass," he said "You were already on the ground"
"I didn’t see your legendary reflexes reach forpropelled doard like a rocket"
"Oh? And ould have happened to you if that glass fell on top of you?" he asked "You wouldn’t have been very happy with me then"
"I’, and he bit her botto Finally the glass was solidly back in Dusia, as inside the church, thanked Alexander up and down and even kissed hi hihtly, nodding at Tatiana "What did I tell you?"
Tatiana pulled hio I’ll wash you" They walked back ho woods At the house Tatiana went inside to get soap and towels
"Tania, can you feed me first?"
"Shura, you can’t eat covered in muck like you are"
"Watch oes I won’t be eating for two hours, and I’ now Just put the soup in a bowl, take a spoon, and feed me"
"Well, if you wouldn’t take two hours" Tatiana muttered under her breath, the fla up
"Just feed me, Tatia Rail ather like the fire Her glad heart swelling, Tatiana obliged, and as she was feeding him, she resumed "You didn’t answer ot it"
"About Dasha"
"Oh, that" He chewed and sed a mouthful of potato and fish, and said in a serious tone, "I think you know the answer to that"