PART ONE

The room had been prepared in advance. The soft, warm light from the table lamp and several small lamps made the atmosphere cozy, while leaving the far corners in partial shadow. Outside the window, evening was beginning to fall, and the scattered lights of neighboring buildings were reflected in the glass.

You were sitting in an armchair opposite the sofa, while your wife stood nearby, occasionally glancing at you. On the small table between you stood two glasses and a bottle of wine.

Everything looked completely ordinary — a cozy room, dim lighting, a quiet evening. But you understood perfectly well that tonight was going to be anything but ordinary.

The doorbell rang.

You immediately knew who it was. For a few seconds, the room became completely silent. Your wife stopped adjusting her hair and looked at you. You both knew this moment was coming, but now that it had actually arrived, everything suddenly felt much more real.

You got up from the armchair and took a few steps toward the door. Your hand was already on the handle, but you didn't open it right away.

Alex was standing on the other side.

You held your breath for a moment, looked at your wife one more time, and only then turned the handle.

You opened the door.

A man roughly your age stood on the doorstep. He was holding his phone in one hand and slipped it into his pocket when he saw the door open.

• Hi. Alex?
• Yeah. Hi. You must know who I am.
• Of course. Come in.

You shook hands. It was an ordinary, almost formal handshake, but for some reason you realized you were studying him more carefully than you normally would.

He looked younger than you had initially thought. His athletic build immediately stood out: broad shoulders, strong arms, a fit figure. He was wearing a simple dark T-shirt that emphasized his physique, along with jeans.

You couldn't help comparing him to yourself. It happened almost automatically.

You noticed the difference in your physiques and felt a brief, unpleasant sense of insecurity. Not enough to make you want to stop the evening, but enough to suddenly become more conscious of your own appearance.

You noticed how calm he was, the confidence in the way he carried himself, and the quick glance he gave around the room.

• I hope I'm not too early?
• No. It's fine.

Alex took a few steps inside. And that's when you noticed his eyes for the first time. At first, he looked at you, as if waiting to see where he should go. Then his gaze moved past your shoulder. To your wife. It lasted only a second. But you noticed.