As the city lights dimmed, Damon held Svetlana's hand and helped her stay grounded as she opened up about a painful part of her past.
She used to live in a quiet, small town with family and friends. Her life was full of love and warmth.
Her father was a proud, kind man, and her mother was her greatest comfort. It was an idyllic childhood, until conflict shattered it all.
There were only faint whispers at first, hints that trouble was spreading through their country.
But those hints grew louder, and soon, a neighboring country's aggression turned into full-blown invasion.
Overnight, the country changed. Soldiers roamed the streets, and the sound of artillery got closer.
Fear spread through the group like a fog as people talked about lost loved ones and destroyed towns.
With men being drafted in waves, her father was called to serve.
For Svetlana, it was the beginning of her world crumbling.
She watched her father, her hero, don his uniform with a hardened resolve, his reassuring smile masking a worry he couldn't quite hide.
He hugged her tightly before leaving, telling her he'd be back soon.
She clung to those words, hopeful, yet unaware of how much life was about to change.
The absence of her father became a painful silence over the months, which her mother filled with quiet courage.
They waited together, and her mother did everything she could to keep Svetlana safe and positive, trying to keep her from seeing the worst parts of the war.
But the stress was too much. The food and water ran out, and her mother's fear grew stronger every day.
The happy, lively woman Svetlana knew started to fade away under the weight of fear and grief.
The reality they were facing slowly destroyed her once-optimistic spirit.
As her mom's health got progressively worse, it was clear that she was only hanging on for Svetlana.
"You've been through so much," he said softly, his thumb brushing her hand, "but you're here, and you're stronger than you realize."
There was a small smile on her face, and she let herself relax for a moment, letting the warmth of his presence ease her.
She leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder, finding a solace she hadn't known she needed.
With her head resting on his shoulder, they sat in the quiet embrace of the park, the hum of the city fading into the background.
Damon looked down, noticing the peaceful way she leaned against him.
Her eyes were closed, and there was a softness to her expression that he hadn't seen before.
He felt her breathing, slow and steady, matching his own.
In that moment, he felt a calmness he hadn't realized he'd been missing, a kind of peace that had seemed impossible in his life until now.
This connection, not even a parent could give.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him, as if she could feel his gaze. Her face was so close to his that he could see every feature and thought moving through her eyes.
"You know," he started, his voice low and quiet, "I'm glad I met you."
A faint blush colored her cheeks as she held his gaze, a small smile forming. "Me too." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
Damon reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, his fingers lingering just a second longer. "I never thought I'd be here," he admitted. "With someone who just... gets it."
She didn't say anything, but her hand tightened around his, and that simple gesture spoke louder than words.
They sat like that, wrapped in the silence that felt anything but empty.
Finally, after a long pause, Svetlana pulled back just enough to look at him fully. "Damon," she started, her voice a little unsteady, "thank you for tonight. For... letting me in and listening to me."
He nodded, the weight of the moment settling around them. "Thank you, too. For trusting me. And for listening."
Damon held her hand a little tighter.