"Dad" Maria called her dad but her dad didn't reply back. She signs again before walking to stand beside her dad.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you and chasing you out. I just didn't want it to be a big deal and I don't want anyone to be hurt. Dad looked furious at that time. I know you don't like him but please understand that he's my dad too." Maria begs Oleg, genuinely looking at his face.

"But he left you. What are you thinking? Do you think he's just come back now because he wanted to be a father again? What about that crazy experiment? how could A person who's a father can do that to his own child if he really loves you?" The formidable father speaks with a trembling voice, confused and doesn't understand Maria's thoughts.

"Dad, This is my decision to be a part of this experiment. I understand that you're worrying about me, but please Dad, I want to live the life I choose. All of the responsibility will be mine. I will take it all." His daughter comes close to holding both of Oleg's hands. Oleg's demeanour has clearly softened.

"What about dad?... my feeling?  How can you take responsibility if something happens to you?" her dad's question made Maria stunned for a moment.

"I...I understand that you don't want anything for me but I am already happy with the thing I choose. I want you to remember that I'm happy and glad that you let me do the thing I want. I will be beside you no matter what happens to me" Maria speaks in a monotone voice trying to look demure.

"..."" Fine, I'll consider thinking about what you asked me for." Oleg looks not satisfied with Maria's answer but decides to back off.

"Thank you, Dad. I love you, dad." Maria hugs her Father. The smile appears on the Father. Then he hugs her back.

"Dad loves you. I love you so much" Oleg tightly hugging his daughter.

They hug each other for a moment among the wind that passed by with white dust. The street light lights up from the dark of the night fastly crawling. Before they slowly let go of the hug.

" I think I should go back to my room to rest. What about you, Dad? Are you staying here some night?"Maria asks

" I think I'm going to stay here some night. Tomorrow I have work in the afternoon. I have to take the train at 9 O'clock" Oleg looks at Maria who looks exhausted.

"we should go to the rooms now. You know how dangerous this place can be during the night" Maria walks to the big bridge with Oleg following her.

They walk across the big bridge across the big, wide river. The lights on the bridge are brighter than the dim street lights in the city. More than 10 NKVD guards were guarding the bridge in the research institute side. Although It looks safe here, Maria looks nervous, looking around like she is scared of something. Something that makes this place isn't safe at night. Even the townspeople here wouldn't come out at a time like this. All of the city left only street lights, riverside and the edge of the forest that still have a light on.

Along the way, Maria tells Oleg about the meeting, the situation and someone who didn't trust her because she's a woman. Even the thing that she was curious about like she found a strange German soldier's corpse. But she should skip Pavel's part, who's been her rival since military school. She thinks if she tells Oleg about it. She probably got a complaint from her dad about quarrelling. And she doesn't want to use teasing words from her biological father to hurt her stepfather. She loves both of them and wants them to not have a fight when they stand near each other every time they see each other faces.

"what about you, dad? how's it going?" Maria questioned back

"Nothing special. I don't have a high rank as you. I just do as the order day by day. I shot the artillery many times a day to resist the Germans, especially the aircraft. The Germans often sent a bomber lately. I didn't get enough sleep from it because I was often woken up by the commander ordering me to go back to work. Or I have to carry the injured soldier to the nursing camp. Even now I'm a lieutenant but the work is never less. it's make tired and stress often." Olek speaks with exhaustion.

"yeah, Dad looks really hagged. But it's our duty that we can't avoid. but never mind, you're here now, spend this day off to get full rest."Maria looks at Oleg from head to toe. He looks more hag and older than before a lot. Oleg is now 45 years old. But he looks older than his age because of stress and exhaustion.

"You should rest too. you look really tired today" Oleg says with concerns

"Yes, Dad. You should care about yourself too" Maria says with care

"Dad just a bit tired. no need to be worried" Oleg does a wry smile

"And when will you come back home?" Oleg looks at the ground, mumbling out hesitantly like the words are stuck in his throat.

"hmm?" Maria knit one's brow, didn't hear what Oleg asked.

"Our house at Arzamas, When will you come back home? You didn't go there for 12 years since you were in military school. Dad just want to see you come back home, come back to me and we can do something together like we used to when you were young." The big man pleaded with a cold and low voice, filled with tenderness and expectation. A small smile appears on his face with a nostalgic memory flashing back in his head.

"I'm sorry, Dad. But I think it's not the time. For now, everyone in this country needs me and I can't just leave my duty with unnecessary reason. After this, I will push more effort into Stalingrad. We can't lose that city. That's why. So next time, Dad. But I will send you a letter every week as usual. Don't worry" Maria replies calmly, thinking of Stalingrad.

"I understand" He makes a disappointed look but decides to swallow the bittersweet feeling and force himself to say it out to put his daughter at ease.

Both of them walk into the building and take the elevator to her room. They turn to hug each other. Even though Oleg is exhausted he still has the strength to hug his daughter tightly with sad eyes from disappointment. While Maria didn't notice how worried her father was. She was just happy to see her father, who had raised her since young although he didn't share the same blood with her; she still loved him with all of her heart. In the past, they only have each other.

"Goodnight, Dad. I love you" The daughter says goodnight before unlocking the door to her room.

" Goodnight, my child. I love you too." Oleg smiles. His eye hid the sadness behind the smile.

Maria closes the door before putting her bag down. She has an odd feeling that her bag is strangely lighter. But she shook this thought out. Today is an exhausting day for her and she must make it up. She walks to change her clothes to a tank top and shorts, then throws her body on the soft bed. But Maria didn't feel comfortable with this bed much. On the front line, she used to sleep with other soldiers from her unit; the place where she sleeps is always a hard bed. But because of her exhaustion, she didn't care that much and fell asleep. 

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The next day

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"O.. Ouch!"

"Stay still. The more you move, the more you hurt"

"Dad, you're the one who's combing my hair too hard. Ouch!" Maria cried out in frustration as her hair was yanked back and forth with the comb.

"You're the one who doesn't take care of your hair. Your hair is as messy as a bird's nest. It's easier to separate the hay than to comb your hair." Oleg sighed and combed Maria's hair, which was as messy as a bird's nest.

"It's just a hair, Dad. It's not that big of a deal." Maria complains.

"It's a big deal. Do you want to lose all your hair? You're a grown-up woman. Why don't you take care of yourself?" Oleg heavily sighs.

"Ouch?! Then who told me to keep long hair? No matter how I do my hair, it's still going to be messy at the end of the day anyway." Maria gritted her teeth and mutters in her throat, hissing like a cat.

"I heard you. No matter whether your hair is short or long, you have to take care of it. If you can't even take care of yourself, how can you take care of others? And who taught you to speak so rudely? It's not nice, Maria." Oleg sternly said to Maria, with a displeased expression on his face at Maria's words. Even though Maria was upset, when her father started to get upset, she chose to back down obediently.

"I.. I'm sorry." Maria still had a sullen face and pouting cheek.

"Sigh your hair is so beautiful. You should take better care of it. If you don't take good care of it, it will be messy. Do you want birds or mice to live on your head?" Oleg put down the comb and started braiding Maria's hair.

"I don't mind that you don't know how to do your hair, but at least take care of it. you born as a woman, you must take care of yourself, be conscious of one's appearance, my daughter." Oleg taught his child in a gentle tone and soon he finished his hair. It is a neat braid.

"You look much better, my child." Oleg handed Maria a mirror. Maria was a little surprised that her hair looked much better than usual after doing it.

"Yes, it looks much better." Maria looked at herself in the mirror in shock.

"I will go pack my things for a moment." When Oleg finished speaking, he walked out of Maria's room.

Maria slowly stands up and walks to pack her necessary things in her messenger bag and do her business for a moment. Then She walks out of her room to wait for Oleg. Not that long before Oleg walks out with his bag. One of them walks out of the building to go to the train station. The townspeople start to walk out of their houses to work and walk around the city. Looks different from the night in that this city looks like a deserted City.

" What a lovely morning. I can smell some fresh." Oleg admiring looking around.

"Yeah, It's really fresh air" Maria spoke with a bit of a sarcastic tone while staring into the forest. She looks calmer than at night but is still anxious about something.

"Where is your duty  stationed in Stalingrad, Dad?" Maria turns to ask Oleg.

"Umm... Now I am stationed in the rear at the north of the Volga River but I heard the news that I would be moving south because lately Germans often sent bombers there more than in the north. The north that got bombed is a city near Moscow" Oleg answered while thinking of it.

"If you're free, you can come to visit me" Oleg calmly speaks.

"I definitely do" Maria looks happier when she sees her father smiling on his serious face.

"Aaa... I need to go now. The train has arrived" Oleg speaks with depression about leaving his daughter.

"See you next time, Dad" Maria looks at the train.

"See you next time, daughter. I love you, My Masha" Oleg turns to hug his daughter again, calling her nickname with a loving voice then gets on the train.

"I love you too, Dad" Maria waving goodbye to her father.

"Take care of yourself, my child" Oleg turns to wave goodbye before walking to his seat.

A moment passed, and The train doors closed. The train starts running from this station and this city with Maria watching it, And Oleg looks at Maria getting smaller and smaller from a distance until she's gone from his vision. Although They only just parted away. He's already missing Maria, His little daughter.

After the train is gone from Maria's vision, Maria turns back and walks away. Even if it is earlier than the appointment that her father said. Maria chose to walk to the research institute. It takes some time to walk there. Maria makes it earlier than the appointment by half an hour. Maria spotted Rurik smoking and talking with someone in the white gown next to the research institute. Maria decided to go greet her father before the appointment time, at least he would know that she was waiting. The conversation are getting louder and louder as Maria nearer them. Maria stops behind the wall and peeking them waiting for the right time to interrupt them.