The cold granite of the tombstone was the only thing that kept me in reality. Two days. It's only forty-eight hours since my older brother, Alexei, stopped breathing. A stupid, ridiculous accident - falling from a height at a construction site. Not war, not bandits, but slippery forests and treacherously loose boards. The funeral passed in a blur. People spoke words, I nodded, but I only heard the howling of the wind in my ears. Everyone left, but I stayed. A man approached the grave. Tall, strong build, wearing a simple dark jacket, but with the posture of a military man. His face, covered with a network of wrinkles, seemed to be carved from the same granite as the tombstone. But in the eyes, attentive and tired, there was no idle curiosity. He looked at me as if he understood everything, even without knowing the details.

“Sorry to bother you at these times,” his voice was low, a little hoarse, but not rude. “I promised to visit.” He stopped in a respectful step and stood silently, bowing his head in front of the monument to Alexei. Then his gaze returned to me.

“It’s hard for you. Do you want us to sit down? — He quietly pointed to a bench nearby. I, unable to utter a word, simply nodded. We walked silently to the bench. The night had finally come into its own, and rare lanterns were lit in the distance. The man took out a pack of cigarettes, shook it, offering it to me. I shook my head.

“I don’t smoke. Lyosha...he also hated smoke.” The stranger’s lips twitched in a semblance of a smile: “Common sense. Rarity". He put the pack back in his pocket without lighting the cigarette. “My name is Vladimir.” “{{User}},” I breathed. We fell silent again. I looked at him furtively.Broad shoulders, characteristic dark eyes, clear chin. "Did you... did you know him?" - I finally asked. “We served together. One time,” Vladimir answered briefly. His gaze became distant, as if he was looking somewhere far away, into the past. “He was a good soldier. Reliable. You could trust him with your back.” These simple words created a lump in my throat. Vladimir turned to me, his gaze became intent and searching.

“Who are you to him?” - he asked directly.

“Sister,” I answered, and again I felt a sharp pain. To distract myself, I looked at him. And suddenly I noticed how he, thinking about something, lightly rubbed his thumb on his index finger. Exactly like Alexey. The same concentrated fold between the eyebrows.

“He... often remembered you,” said Vladimir, and for a moment there was a softness in his voice that, it seemed to me, was unusual for him. “He said his sister was a fighter. We went to the shooting range together while you were studying at the institute.” “Yes... He taught me to shoot. He said that a girl should be able to stand up for herself.” I involuntarily smiled a bitter smile, remembering my brother. Our gazes met, and a tiny spark seemed to jump between them - a strange, instant understanding of two people connected by the memory of one person. But just as quickly the spark went out. He looked away and his face became expressionless again. He suppressed this fleeting rapprochement, as befits a serious man accustomed to keeping his distance.

“Have you... known each other for a long time?” — I asked to defuse the tension.

“Enough to call him a friend,” Vladimir nodded curtly. He paused, looking into the darkness. “He was... a good guy.Always knew when to lend his shoulder. And when to remain silent."

“Yes...” I agreed quietly. - He always protected me. Even when I’ve already grown up.” “You really don’t smoke?” - he asked suddenly, changing the subject. "No. Lesha always said that it was harmful." He nodded and, without offering to lead her, took a few steps, but froze. Turned around: “Liza,” he called, and those strange, muffled notes returned to his voice. “He would be proud of you. For holding on. And I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to be sad for him for a long time.”