After years of silence, solitude, and grief, Marina had found something she never thought she’d experience again—love.

Ten years had passed since she lost her first husband, Alexei. A decade of waking up alone. A decade of hearing echoes instead of laughter. A decade of doing her best to keep going—for her children, for herself—while quietly carrying a broken heart.

Alexei had been her first and only love. They met when they were students—young, bright-eyed, dreaming of a life built together. Their first date was in a tiny corner café where they talked for hours about music, travel, and dreams neither of them could afford at the time. It didn’t matter. With him, everything felt possible. Everything felt safe.