An interruption

Nadia's phone rings - the loud, shrill peal of bells she keeps as her ringtone disturbing the quiet of the park. She breaks away from you, her face flushed and breath heavy, as she digs around within her jacket for the device.

"Hello," she says, as she answers the call. An eye roll. "Karina, we just left the house an hour ago. What's wrong?"

Some murmurs on the other end of the line.

"Alright, we're coming back."

The phone slides back into the pocket of her jacket.

"Sorry to ruin the moment, Lev, but Karina and Mia seem to have locked themselves out of the house, without jackets. We should return and let them in before they catch a cold. My mother would tan my hide if she saw me now, worrying about this weather these Americans call cold."

"Certainly, dear," you answer, but you can only feel that your daughter's situation was no accident. Nadia is right, though; the moment is ruined, and you should go home.

You interlock arms with your wife, a beautiful smile on her face, and head home. Along the way, you think of how sudden the change in her demeanor has been towards you. From hatred to something akin to love in only a couple of days. At some point, you manage to check your phone, and the waiting notification causes your heart to soar.

Nadia: Affection: 5 (+23). Love: 6 (+16). Lust: 10 (+10).

Love! Real, positive love! And below that, something that warms your heart even further.

Affection Multiplier Achievement: The Brink and Back Again! For managing to transform someone's hatred into love, by transforming their three statistics from negative to positive, you have unlocked this achievement. The person whom triggered this achievement is has had their statistics permanently increased by 5, and they can never decrease below 5.

A permanent base statistic of five for Nadia, forever? And the jump in her affection, love, and even lust! Your wife, she is back, returned to you. Furthermore, that means you received a new perk point - something to consider later.

Lastly, a notification that makes you pause.

Karina: Affection: 48 (-4). Love: 60 (-2). Lust: 54 (+4).

Karina - her score, dropped? Why, how? Considering her behavior this morning, and the fact that you're coming home now, you can only assume that it is because you're here, with Nadia. But why would that cause her scores to drop? You ponder it for some time, but ultimately you decide her scores are still high, and you can worry about it later. The change in circumstances with Nadia is enough to keep you happy, for now.

You grow giddy with excitement as you walk home, the budding happiness you feel contagious. Before long, Nadia is giggling and teasing you, playing along with your horrid jokes and listening to uninteresting stories.

"I'm glad we talked yesterday, Lev," she says, as you near your home. "I never thought that we could reconnect so quickly. I am beginning to feel as though you never left me."

"But I did, Nadia, and I will make up for it. I am glad too, though. It makes me happy to be with you. Hopefully, we can continue our moment from earlier, soon."

"I'd like that," she murmurs back.

Ahead of you, you see Karina and Mia sitting on the steps of your brownstone, still wearing their clothes from earlier. No jackets, no shoes. They wave at you as you approach. You notice a heat to Karina's cheeks, and you're not entirely sure it is from the cold.