So close/so far away

He was never one who enjoyed talking much about himself. It was partly a result of his upbringing in a country where you were implicitly supposed to keep a low profile, but also a realization that actions speak louder than words.

Be that as it may, he still wanted to know more about this sparkling woman, so after telling her his life story (at least that's how it felt) he wanted to listen to hers. It had to be good, he thought, what he had seen and heard so far seemed close to perfect.

As they strolled past some of New York's most distinctive landmarks, she told him about her childhood, about her family that always wanted to escape from Russia but never managed. She had left on her own as a teenager and was now all alone in a strange country, just like him. And what was more important, she had left her home for a purpose, to go to the land of her dreams where her heart and mind had always longed to live.

Before they separated that first evening he suddenly realized he hadn't asked her where she lived. Was it close, could he visit her the very next day, maybe it was just a few blocks away?

He asked her.

Los Angeles, she said.