Mascot

– Snowflakes are the weightless kisses of winter. They gently touch your face, leaving traces of their cold lips on it,” Agatha said, exposing her face to fluffy snowflakes circling in the light of the lantern.

And Igor looked at her, and his heart sank with tenderness. He wanted to hold her close and cover her cold cheeks with hot kisses, to warm her, to protect her from something terrible, he didn’t know what. But he didn’t dare approach her. I was afraid to destroy the perfect picture, where a fragile nymph of the winter forest stands shrouded in unearthly light, and snowflakes dress her up in a weightless dress.

He was sitting in their favorite coffee shop, at their favorite table, it’s crazy twenty years have passed, but the table is still the same, and looked at the snow-covered street. Passersby were still hurrying along it, wrapped in huge scarves up to their eyes. Still, a man, either made of wood or something else, was looking at him from the window of the Shop of Amazing Things.

– Fool, it’s papier-mache, — says Agatha and laughs at him.

And he doesn’t care, even if Mamya Pasha, as long as she looks at him like this and her eyes shine with happiness. He was ready to give all the riches of the world for her ringing laughter, shimmering with a bell. For her gentle touch when, afraid of falling, she took him by the elbow. For the violet fragrance of his hair, which enveloped him in a weightless cloud when Agatha fluffed her hair, giving them the right shape. He was ready, but he had no wealth.

– Let’s go in. I really like all sorts of old things,” said Agatha and pulled him into the Shop of amazing things.

They opened the door and the bell hanging at the entrance rang. The smell of antiquity immediately covered them. Not junk, but those times when things lived in old houses. They were imbued with that spirit and did not want to part with it for anything in the world.

– Oh, how beautiful! Agatha exclaimed, looking around the shop with her eyes.

There were all sorts of things there: miniature dressers with intricate monograms, and copper dishes polished to a shine, and porcelain figurines, and Christmas tree toys hanging on deer horns nailed to the wall. Agatha went up to these horns and began to examine the balls, which swayed slightly from her breath.

Shuffling footsteps were heard from the back of the shop.

– Good afternoon, young people! — a soft voice spoke and an old man came out of the darkness. He was wearing a knitted vest and pince-nez on his nose. Yes, yes, the one that was worn before the revolution, and Igor was always interested in how it holds up.

Agatha turned to the old man and, smiling, replied:

– Hello, Grandpa!

It turned out so well for her, in a kind, cozy way, that Igor was pinched somewhere in the area of the heart.

“Grandfather,” the old man laughed and the pince—nez fell into his hand. – No one has called me that for a long time.

– why? Agatha was surprised. – Do you have no grandchildren?

The old man looked down and brushed the non-existent dust from the sparkling display case.

– There are grandchildren, but they are far away. Very far away. On the other side of the ocean. They rarely call me, write even less often. Here, a happy New year card was sent, and the one with the printed text. I’m not offended. Life is now such that you have to fuss, hurry somewhere. And I have already lived my life, let the young live now.

“How sad it is when old people are left alone,” Agatha said when they left the shop. In her hand was a New Year’s ball, inside of which an angel hovered over a snow-covered house. – This will be our mascot with you.

The coffee in the cup was cold for a long time, and Igor was still sitting and looking out the window, remembering those words of hers. Our mascot. As it was a long time ago and recently at the same time. He kissed her cold cheek, and she closed her eyes, and a snowflake fell on her eyelashes. And he thought it was forever, because an angel in a glass ball would guard their house.

But life is such a thing that likes to make surprises. And now Agatha is standing on the threshold of the registry office in a dress as white as snow. And next to her is the one who managed to melt her frozen heart. Igor wanted to go up to them and congratulate them, but…

He got up from the table, left the coffee shop and with a confident gait went to the Shop of amazing things. He opened the door. The bell still rang. The smell of antiquity still attacked, although the situation has changed a little. And from the depths of the shop, firm footsteps were heard.

-hello! a cheerful voice rang out.

Behind the counter was a middle-aged man, probably the same age as Igor.

“Grandfather was here twenty years ago,” Igor said uncertainly.

“He’s dead. I am his grandson,” the man replied, looking questioningly at Igor.

– You’ll excuse me. It’s just that memories came flooding back, so I remembered. I decided to take a look. Excuse me again,” and he quickly left the shop.

Passing by a showcase where a papier-mache man was sitting, Igor looked at him, winked, and said quietly:

– Everything flows, everything changes, and you sit here like a talisman and keep memories of a girl whose eyelashes did not melt snowflakes.