Arevik could not come to her senses for a long time. The feeling of joy did not leave her even in the morning as she was getting ready for work.

  “You did well,” she said to herself flatteringly as she left the house and headed to the office.

  Another surprise was waiting for her there. It turned out that Arevik needed to go up to the director’s office to sign the certificate confirming the funding of her project. She climbed the stairs full of hope, slightly out of breath, only to find out that the director had already signed the document and left for China for two weeks on business negotiations with his colleagues.

  Arevik signed the papers with mild disappointment and returned to her office. The implementation of the project began surprisingly fast. Work was in full swing both in the archive and in the garden. After the project officially started, visitors began coming to Arevik regularly. At first, this surprised her, but later she decided that the director’s assistant was simply overseeing the process—and that it was only natural.

  Deep down, Arevik was glad she was so busy that she had no time for unnecessary thoughts. Because the moment she allowed herself even a few seconds of distraction, she immediately thought of Ike.

  During one of her visits, Anna decided to speak with Arevik.

  “How is the project coming along?” she asked, even though she had already admired Arevik’s diligence.

  “Very well, thank you,” Arevik replied, slightly surprised by the question.

  Anna was about to turn and leave when she suddenly stopped right in front of Arevik.

  “What caught your attention so much that day, that you stood there staring at our office for so long?” Anna asked sharply, replacing Ike with the word office.

  Arevik froze. She had not expected that question at all. Without waiting for an answer, Anna added:

  “You think Shalunts and I are together too, don’t you?”

  “Of course not,” slipped out of Arevik involuntarily. “I apologize if my behavior caused any concern.”

  “And why not?” Anna asked, ignoring the apology.

  “Well… maybe close friends, or kindred spirits—but not lovers,” Arevik replied, realizing that Anna was interested in something else entirely. Embarrassed, she continued to justify herself. “Please understand me correctly, I simply couldn’t hide my admiration for the director.”

  “Yes, I admire him too,” Anna said casually. “All right, I have to go.”

  She was about to leave when she suddenly stopped again.

  “And what is this?” Anna pointed at Arevik’s computer.

  “It’s quite an old model, but I can work with it,” Arevik explained.

  “Why didn’t you ask for a new one as part of the project?” Anna said sternly and, without giving Arevik a chance to justify herself, added, “They’re upgrading the equipment right now. I’ll tell them to bring you a new one—it’s much better than this old thing.”

  “Thank you very much,” Arevik said with a smile.

  Anna didn’t reply, but as she walked down the corridor, she thought to herself:

  “Not bad, Hayk. You’ve got a sharp eye.”

  The computer arrived very quickly, and programs that Arevik couldn’t run on the old device now became easily accessible. She saw for herself that working in the archive could be truly fascinating—especially when dealing with such an influential institution, where it felt as though the entire history, from its foundation to the present day, was passing before her eyes.

  During one of her visits to the garden, Arevik learned some good news.

  “Hi, Uncle Grish. Which section are we working on today?” she asked.

  “The main work will start late today,” Grish announced cheerfully. “After seven, they’ll be washing the windows from the outside.”

  “So late…” Arevik grew concerned. “I’ll stay with you so you won’t be alone.”

  Grish was silent for a moment, then said:

  “I arranged it deliberately for late hours so that no one would be in the building. You don’t need to stay—you won’t be able to help anyway. Come in the morning and see how everything shines.”

  He gave a crooked smile, fully aware of what this might lead to.

  “Sooner or later, he’ll find out,” Arevik said quietly, guessing his thoughts.

  “I know. But the later, the better,” Grish replied, gazing into the distance as if at a boundless horizon.

  “The garden looks amazing, Uncle Grish,” Arevik said, trying to lighten the mood.

  Grish looked at her and smiled involuntarily. That voice seemed to pull him out of the abyss, and he felt a sense of relief.

  “I need to prepare a few things so we don’t lose time when the truck arrives,” he said.

  “Of course. I’ll go and won’t bother you until tomorrow,” Arevik replied.

  She took a few steps, then turned around. Grish was still watching her.

  “I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s changes,” she said.

  Arevik waved her hand, and Grish waved back.

  The next morning, when she arrived at work, the first thing Arevik did was look toward the garden. Although the sun’s rays had not yet touched the roof, it still seemed to glow. Arevik smiled involuntarily, but she was running a little late today, so she didn’t see Grish and hurried to the archive, hoping to visit the garden during her break.

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  However, even during the break she couldn’t make it there — her colleagues had too many questions about the new project, and Arevik helped them sort things out, guiding the work in the right direction.

  “I’ll go there after work and help Grish calmly,” she thought, and sent him a message so he wouldn’t worry.

  At the end of a long, exhausting day, the only thing that warmed Arevik was the thought that she would soon be back in the garden. The morning light had not conveyed the fairy-tale transformation that now revealed itself as the sun’s rays began to penetrate inside. Arevik looked around in admiration — and Grish was glad to see her reaction.

  Time passed unnoticed. They didn’t keep track of the hours, working in the garden until fatigue finally made itself felt. Only the last tasks of the day remained. Arevik was already heading toward the exit, holding gardening tools in her hands, when Hayk suddenly appeared in front of her.

  This day had been intense not only for Arevik.

  Hayk Shalunts had returned from a business trip, and negotiations with the Chinese partners continued at the company. After spending the entire day at the negotiating table, he felt deeply exhausted. When it was time to see the guests off, Hayk decided to step outside with them to get some fresh air.

  He stopped at the main entrance. The day was coming to an end; the last rays of the sun were slowly fading. Hayk was surveying the grounds of the institution when he suddenly noticed that the sunlight breaking through from beneath the garden’s dome seemed brighter than usual.

  He slowly headed toward the garden. With every step, his certainty grew: the garden had been transformed. And when Hayk saw the open door, his surprise only deepened.

  He stepped inside.

  And was even more astonished to see not Grish there — but Arevik.

  “Arevik, dear, let’s finish for today,” Grish said as he entered the garden, but immediately froze when he noticed Arevik and Ike standing motionless before each other.

  “What are you doing here, Mr. Shalunts?” he asked.

  “I was outside when the sunlight suddenly struck my eyes from this direction,” Hayk explained, without taking his eyes off Arevik.

  Then, changing his tone, he added,

  “And what are you doing here?”

  “Arevik, dear, you can go now. I’ll finish the rest,” Grish said, making it clear that it was time for her to leave.

  While Arevik was getting ready to go, Hayk shifted his gaze from her to the garden and began to examine the space carefully.

  “How did she manage to persuade you to work in the garden again?” Hayk asked after Arevik had left.

  “She has absolutely nothing to do with it,” Grish hurried to reply, trying to protect her.

  “Really?” Hayk said sternly, looking him straight in the eyes.

  “She’s a good girl. Don’t punish her,” Grish said guiltily, lowering his head. “I shouldn’t have agreed, knowing it would make you angry.”

  “So, she did convince you after all,” Hayk said with a bitter half-smile. “What did she say that made you agree to restore the garden? I begged you, but back then you refused…”

  His voice trembled on the last words.

  “She didn’t say anything special, Mr. Shalunts,” Grish began to justify himself. “My lord… I simply wasn’t ready to enter the garden then. I’m not ready even now. She only touched upon the subject…”

  “So it was her idea after all,” Hayk said quietly.

  “She said that either I would help her, or she would do everything herself,” Grish confessed. “And then I saw an opportunity to restore the garden… and to atone for my sins before you.”

  “You know I never blamed you,” Hayk said softly.

  “I know. But I blame myself,” Grish replied, breaking into tears.

  “Come here, old man,” Hayk said, embracing him. “You’ve completely lost your balance. Since when have you become such a crybaby?”

  “My lord… my little lord…” Grish repeated, unable to hold back his tears.

  “Grish, I stopped being little a long time ago,” Hayk said gently. “Calm down. Tell me everything from the very beginning.”

  Grish began to tell the story in detail, explaining how it had all begun. They walked slowly through the garden, and Hayk listened — sometimes smiling at Arevik’s persistence, sometimes genuinely admiring her determination.

  When they reached the sandbox, Hayk’s eyes filled with warmth.

  While working in this part of the garden, Arevik had found several wooden toys buried beneath the sand. She had cleaned them, treated them, and carefully arranged them inside the sandbox.

  “Old man, did you do this?” Hayk asked, certain that only Grish could understand the meaning of those toys.

  “No, Arevik was responsible for this area,” Grish replied. “She says the time will come when the director’s children will play here.”

  “I’m listening to you, and I still can’t imagine how you managed to do all this in secret,” Hayk said with quiet admiration.

  “I assure you, she never abused her position,” Grish hastened to add. “She only came during breaks or after work.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Hayk said. “She works hard in her own department as well.”

  “She’s very hardworking… and a little… no, not a little — very stubborn,” Grish laughed. “But she has a big heart.”

  “I’ve already noticed the stubbornness,” Hayk said, trying not to delve into the emotions that suddenly overwhelmed him.

  “My lord, Arevik—”

  “Grish, calm down,” Hayk interrupted gently. “I won’t say anything to her except ‘thank you.’”

  “Thank you, my lord,” Grish said, bowing his head.

  “I have to go,” Hayk said and left without adding another word.

  Anna was still in her office, sorting through documents. Hayk calmly walked in, sat down in the chair opposite her, and looked at her with a half-smile.

  “Anna, I asked you to find out what was going on with Grish. Did you learn anything?” Hayk asked.

  “Honestly, nothing specific,” Anna replied. “After the break, I stopped by the archive several times, but didn’t notice anything unusual.” She turned toward Ike and suddenly caught the expression on his face.

  “You said you went there after the break?” Hayk repeated, holding back laughter — but the next second he laughed out loud.

  “What is that laugh? I don’t understand,” Anna protested.

  “Arevik and Grish restored the garden,” Hayk said, finally calming down.

  “Seriously? How do you know?” Anna asked in surprise.

  “I just came from there,” Hayk replied. “You should have seen it, Anna… It’s even more beautiful than it used to be.”

  He paused, then added:

  “And by the way, they did it all during breaks.”

  “Damn… that’s why I didn’t notice anything,” Anna said disappointedly.

  “That’s exactly why I laughed,” Hayk nodded.

  Anna looked at him attentively.

  “And how did you take it?” she asked, already understanding what had really happened.

  “At first, I was shocked,” Hayk admitted. “And then… I was truly happy. To be honest, I had already lost hope that the garden would ever be restored.”

  “And how did she manage to persuade Grish?” Anna asked with genuine curiosity.

  “I was curious myself,” Hayk smiled wryly.

  “And?” Anna urged impatiently.

  “Grish said she was incredibly persistent and stubborn. At some point, he simply gave in,” Hayk said with a gentle smile.

  Anna narrowed her eyes.

  “You talk about her with admiration.”

  “I’m just curious,” Hayk tried to justify himself. “She’s a very strange girl.”

  “As you say,” Anna drawled, rolling her eyes. “She reminds me of someone,” she added pointedly.

  Hayk said nothing. Anna was not the person he wanted — or even could — hide his feelings from. And he himself was no longer sure he wanted to hide them at all.

  A pause hung in the air.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Anna asked anxiously. “Just recently, you were happy.”

  “The project with the Chinese partners won’t let me rest,” Hayk admitted.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “Supplies. I need a lot of information from Merujan’s department, and I’m not sure I’ll get it — or that it will be complete and honest.”

  “Let’s hope we won’t need the statistics after all,” she tried to reassure him.

  “This is serious, Anna. Everything has to be absolutely clear here,” Hayk replied.

  “Then don’t fixate on it,” she said with a smile. “The annual reports and the big meeting are coming up soon. I think you’ll get your answers there.”

  “So soon?” Hayk asked in surprise.

  “As early as next month,” Anna nodded, adding more quietly, “Let’s hope.”

  “I completely lost track of time because of the business trip,” Hayk sighed.

  “Then let’s call it a day,” Anna said. “These have been hard days.”

  “Yes… but very interesting ones,” Hayk replied.

  Anna smiled, understanding what he meant.

  Hayk’s thoughts returned to the garden once again. His feelings were mixed — sadness intertwined with joy. Memories of the past still caused pain. When Grish bowed before him, Hayk suddenly recalled the same scene from childhood — the old man bowing before his father.

  But Hayk smiled involuntarily.

  Something… or rather, someone had made him go through all of this — and smile again.