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“The coffee here is shit.” Svetlana drawls as Ian stops in front of her.
“I'm sorry ma'am, can I get you a fresh cup?” he asks, recovering from the surprise at seeing her at Patsy's Pies.
“One for you too.” she instructs him. It's a quiet Thursday morning and so Sean easily agrees to a 15 minutes break.
He returns with an extra cup and the coffee pot and sits down across the table.
"This is better." she nods, satisfied when he refills her cup and she takes a small sip.
"What are you doing here?" Ian can't help but blurt out.
"That is very rude thing to say to a costumer." Svetlana chastises him with a small smile.
"It's just I've never seen you here before." Ian continues with a slight shrug. "I don't see you for months and then I see you twice in a week. Just a little strange."
"Well if you don't want to see me..."
"No, no it's great," Ian leans in reassuring her. "I'm not exactly drowning in friends these days."
"I did not come here to see you if that is what you think." Svetlana insists nonchalantly, taking another sip of her coffee. "I thought it was good time to explore neighbourhood. Expanding Yevgeny's world."
"And you decided to start with Patsy's Pies?" Ian can't help but laugh as he glances back to the counter where he catches Fiona's eye.
"A good a place as any." Svetlana shrugs. "As you can see, he is very much enjoying it."
Ian looks over at Yevgeny who is currently sprawled out in his pushchair like a starfish fast asleep. His head is thrown back, eyes closed and breathing gently. "Reminds me of someone else." Ian mutters.
Svetlana hears him. "Well, that someone was taking away from our mother and son time. That time is important."
"Yeah" Ian exhales non-committally.
Sensing a shift in mood, Svetlana continues. "But Mickey is away so he is all mine again." she cooes.
"Away where?" Ian asks hurriedly. "Is he coming back?"
"Hm" Svetlana muses over his reaction. "Relax, he is gone for few days to visit sister."
"Oh" Ian nods. He didn't tell me he thinks but quickly realizes the ridiculousness of the thought.
“Is Mandy alright?” Ian asks after a moment. There's a part of him that hates himself for that not being his first question.
“I think so, yes.” Svetlana nods “Mickey did not seem worried. I think maybe she is lonely.”
“Why didn't you go too?”
Svetlana curls her lip. “We're not that kind of family. Anyway, we needed break from each other.”
“Mandy was my best friend in school you know? We did everything together.” Ian smiles nostalgically.
“When was last time you spoke to her?” Svetlana asks innocently, leaning over to pull the blanket further around Yevgeny's shoulders.
Ian is silent for a moment. “The day she left.”
Svetlana nods slightly with a tight smile.
“I'm not a very good friend.” Ian continues when she doesn’t speak. “I'm not a very good anything.”
"What happened?” Svetlana asks bluntly.
“What?”
“After school, what happened that made you and Mandy not do everything together?”
Ian is pretty sure Svetlana already knows the answer.
“I got distracted.” He says coolly.
“By Mickey.” she finishes for him. "Milkoviches are not easy to love. So loving two or even three?" Svetlana shakes her head. "near impossible. but still you try. I only love one” she gestures to her still sleeping son “and it is exhausting."
"You don't love Mickey?" Ian asks softly, his head resting in his right hand as he uses his elbow to prop himself up on the table.
Svetlana pulls an incredulous face."I think we've been over this one before."
"I don't mean in love with him." Ian laughs. There was a time of course when he believed maybe she was but the thought of that now makes him more laugh than shudder.
Svetlana shrugs. "He is the father of my child and sometimes, he is even my friend. I love him as much as I can. He does not make it easy."
"Worth it though." Ian says his softly and she doesn't know what to say. Her maternal instinct is comfort him, to tell him it will be okay but she's not sure that's what he's looking for.
"I used to hate you.” he reminds her. “I blamed you for everything that was wrong between me and Mickey."
"I wasn't your biggest fan either.” Svetlana replies dryly. “But in truth, we didn't now each other. I am glad I know you now."
“Me too.” Ian bows his head.
“I think” Svetlana starts carefully. “We are going to be in each others lives in one way or another.”
"I don't think there's any going back, Svetlana." Ian sighs, pulling the empty cups towards his and he shifts in his seat.
"So don't go back, go forward." She tells him, with wide eyes and a slight shake of her head.
“I'm trying.” his voice rises slightly as his eyes close for a second. “I just don't want to leave him behind.”
“So don't.” Svetlana says simply.
“Nothing has changed." Ian all but whispers.
Svetlana narrows his eyes in confusion. "Everything has changed. And that is the problem."
“I've gotta get back to work.” Ian says after a beat as he collects the cups and rises from his seat.
“Of course” Svetlana agrees sliding out from the booth. “I should wake this little man or he will not sleep tonight.”
“Hold on a sec.” he instructs when they are near the counter.
He returns seconds later with a pie “Here.” he hands it to her “It's apple. On the house. You fed me enough times.”
“Such a bigshot, giving away free pie. You have made it Ian Gallagher.” she teases. “Thank you.”
Ian holds the door open as she maneuvers the pushchair out the door. She looks back with an appreciative smile.
"Hey Svetlana, when-?" Ian calls after her.
"He is back Friday."
"Friday." Ian repeats. "Great."
Svetlana smiles. "So I will see you soon?"
"I hope so."
"So do I."