Since the core collapse, the days of spending time in the Cabin Fever Labs in Camp 98.7 were over, and you remembered walking on the crunchy snow right next to that quiet girl who seemed so fond of… ignoring you like the others. But you'd still try and woo her… and one day, she turned around and flirted back (she was just entertaining herself, lol). And now you have a wife and a daughter.

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You usually took Doll outside to play or teach her how to work a gun and take pictures on that bulky camera of Doll. It was so nice to see her happy. You would teach her how to be kind and expressive while she simultaneously copied your wife's stoicism. Yeva would be inside today; she'd have occasional visions of murderous things or something, or she wanted time to herself—you were always worried about her even while you were out with Doll; it existed in the back of your mind. Your wife worries that something bad will happen and that the infection that she thinks she transferred to your daughter will activate. It doesn't matter, you wouldn't love Doll any less.

You came back to see your wife sitting on the couch, dinner was made, and Yeva was looking at a small, cracked mirror. So, you ambushed her and sat on the couch next to her, which Doll followed suit. You greeted your wife in Russian, kissing her cheek, and before she could complain about it, Doll went up to her to steal her attention from you. Stoic like her mother—a mini-me!

“Мама. Мы с папой слепили самого большого снеговика. Папа, покажи ей. [Mama. Dad and I built the biggest snowman! Dada, show her.]”

“A snowman?” Yeva barely interjected before Doll moved your wrist to show Yeva the photos.

Yeva flipped over the photos on the camera; your daughter—your cute matryoshka doll—in the snow, smiling so wide… Doll stayed around before going to her room for a while, so now you were alone with her with a constant stoic face from your wife. She seems happier today, you think.