And once again, Anatoly emphasized the root of it being his ambition and pride. That it had been nurtured by a man who's main design in life was to use people to his own means for his own purposes without care to what it did to them or their families. Would they have had to deal with such a thing had Molokov never shown up? Svetlana truly didn't know. It was very likely. After all, while Molokov was a magnificent manipulator, he couldn't make something like that just appear. He could see it, nurture it, abuse it. But make it appear from nowhere? No. Anatoly was right. It had always been there. Molokov had just nurtured it and used it against them. But if they had lived the original life they had planned, they could have perhaps fought it earlier on. They could have dealt with this on their own, before it tore them apart as opposed to now, years after the change had taken place. Years riddled with pain and heartache and despair and self loathing and fears of doubts becoming true. Of infidelities. They could have come back from this sooner.
But.... they had once found love in a hopeless place like Moscow. A place where the odds were placed against them by their own families because of their personal beliefs and worries between the two. They had overcome that and been so strong for so long. And this place, they needed that strength. But more importantly, they needed each other. Because they knew that, together, they could face all the odds. Svetlana had always known that even as Anatoly lost sight of that. Had known that even as she tried to deny it to herself to convince herself she could overcome it all alone. Good job she had done with that.
She heard his words, what they meant for them, for their family. And a simple look at Anatoly's features told Svetlana all she needed to know. He was being truthful. He meant it. That was what he wished to put that ambition into. It was something to fight for. It had always been something to fight fore. There was so much to say, but Svetlana couldn't find the words. She was so emotionally drained now that the thought of trying to respond with anything other than a tired nod was out of the question. What else could she say? The truth was there. Anatoly had admitted the fault both to himself and to her. Had reached an understanding of where everything had changed, had seen how and could thus find a way to become who he wished to be again.
With the tired nod given, the petite blond noticed the time. They had a half hour until they had to pick up the girls. And while Svetlana really didn't have the patience to deal with English speaking at the moment, didn't have the energy to deal with questions, she knew they had to get up and get ready for the two children... who were handling the arrival of the future children rather well.
"We should start getting ready to get the girls." It was a topic change, but it was also a necessary one. Besides, Anatoly would be able to hear in her voice how drained she was, but also that the walls she would have used to shield herself forever from him because of what was said, that they weren't there. She was open, exhausted but open. At least to her husband. Oh she didn't hide the pain, but the fact remained, she was allowing Anatoly a chance to see that she still was willing to work, that she wasn't going to shut him out. Not now. Swaying from the emotional onslaught that had been the past few hours, Svetlana made her way to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face before staring at her reflection. They could do this. They had to be able to do this. They had fought so hard before to have this relationship work. They could do it again. She just had to find her footing again after everything that had been thrown at them and would undoubtedly be thrown at them now and in the future.
Feeling a semblance of composed, at least enough to confuse anyone who wasn't her husband, Svetlana moved to the main room so that they could leave to get the girls. They had survived this latest setback. Had survived the talk that they hadn't been prepared to have... it meant something and it meant everything.