With no sound coming from Sasha's end, Vasily nodded to the woman sitting next to him to begin.

"Hello Miss Morozova, my name is Violetova, Ekaterina Gregorievna. The Vasya in your story was my first husband and I have been trying to figure out how to get in touch with you for a long time. Thankfully, through many friends who offered to help out and by sheer luck, someone actually knew Vasily, he and I were able to connect."

The silence continued though the shock was palpable even through the airwaves; finally, Vasily said:

"Sasha, are you still there?"
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry. I-"
"Don't apologize, Miss Morozova, I especially understand how much of a surprise this must be for you."

         By the crackling on the line, Sasha deduced that they were on speaker together. As she blinked rapidly, a thousand thoughts ran through her mind. She had to get out of her stupor and talk to the widow who had suffered such a loss yet still wanted to connect with the woman or little girl of long ago. They were the women in Vasya's life, connected by a sheer thread of over 30 years. Finally, clearing her throat, Sasha entered the conversation as a participant not just a bystander.

"Mrs. Violetova, thank you so much for reaching out to me. It is a real honor to meet you. You mentioned earlier, that it was by sheer luck that you were able to connect with Vasily; I don't believe that. One thing this entire journey has taught me is that we are being guided to our rightful destinations. In our case, Vasya is our guide."

       She smiled as did the people she was speaking with. Mrs. Violetova nodded at Vasily who had told her earlier how easy going and down to earth Sasha was as well as incredibly enlightened and intelligent, which went without saying.

"Yes, I think so, too." Mrs. Violetova replied as Sasha decided to wade into deeper waters, knowing this was something this woman needed to hear and it wasn't elaborated in 'Witness'.

"He spoke about you a lot, how much he missed you, loved you, and wanted very badly to return home. He wanted so much to have children, especially a little girl that I'm honored to say he wanted to name Alexandra."

       There was a brief silence on the other end followed by sniffling and quiet crying. Sasha wiped her own tears. She waited for the other woman to regain her composure and speak.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for telling me all of this. Words cannot explain how much that means. I wish, I could show you his photos as I know you don't have anything but memories. But I'm not very computer savvy. It would be a blessing to also show you where they buried him."

A beat of shock.

"Wait, they showed you his grave location?"
"Yes, they buried all four liquidators just outside of the city limits, in the middle of nowhere. Not even in any cemetery as if they were ashamed of them." That last portion came out with a burst of anger which Sasha shared by clenching her jaw.
"They just dumped them? I can't believe this; that's not right! We've got to fix this!" Sasha was adamant but the woman on the other end just shook her head sadly.
"That's impossible. There's nothing the government will do about it. I don't have those kinds of resources anyways."
"No, but I do! Perhaps we can't have them moved, but we can let the world know their resting place so people could honor them properly like the fallen heroes they were, not some criminals in unmarked graves!" Sasha said fiercely as the other two exchanged looks in utter disbelief and yet this was not completely a shock to Vasily, who had learned that Sasha would move heaven and earth for those she cared about.

      As they were talking, Sasha was already making notes in one of her notebooks. She had just won a Pulitzer, she knew she had some pull somewhere. She was going to give Vasya and the other 3 liquidators a proper honorable funeral and grave stones that heroes deserved. She would return to Belarus for the completion of 'Witness' and would bring both Ben and Rahel with her. As she explained the rough draft of what she wanted to do to Mrs. Violetova and Vasily, both were amazed by the bravery and foresight of this young woman and wiped their own tears.

      Afterwards, she exchanged numbers with Mrs. Violetova as she already had Vasily's and told them she would keep them informed of her movements from then on out. Sasha had a new mission or rather an extended version of an old one. After they hung up, she quickly opened her group chat with Ben and Rahel asking if they were free to do a call and that it was urgent. They both got back to her within ten minutes and within the hour they were on a video conference.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Ben said angrily when Sasha told them what happened ultimately to Vasya and the 3 others.
"So they just threw them away like garbage? What in the actual fuck?" Rahel was incensed.
"Yes, that's basically what they did. Forget everything and everyone; like they never existed. And none of the families can do anything. Isn't that just sick?" Sasha's eyes flashed fire.
"There must be something we can do." Ben said vehemently.
"And that's why I've called you, I need your help." Sasha said and than proceeded to lay out her idea for them.

      Ben and Rahel liked the idea and added some of their own. They were willing to return to Belarus and help Sasha with this entire thing. They also agreed to pool their money; Sasha using some of her Pulitzer winnings for the gravestones and other proper cemetery decorations so that the families didn't have to pay a dime. Vasily was also in on the plan and had visited the location with Mrs. Violetova, saying that if he wasn't told someone was buried there, one would think there were just mounds in the earth with some random stone formations. He took photos and sent them to the trio who were aghast. The city's dirty little secret was about to be exposed to the world.

      As this was going on, Sasha contacted the CEOs in DC to tell them what she had found out, what she wanted to do, and wanted to know whether or not NatGeo would back the three of them. If not, she told them she would still do it and would create a documentary on it. Though the CEOs didn't want any trouble from the government, they understood the sheer unfairness and blatant disregard and disrespect for the honorable dead especially one of whom had captured the hearts of people all over the world because of 'Witness'. This was about doing the right thing and they gave her the green light and blessing.

       It was mid July by then, while NatGeo and Sasha were dealing with the government and red tape, Vasily was busy running around Gomel trying to find the right place to create the 4 tombstones and be willing to erect the foundations at the location. Everyone was afraid of the radiation levels even 30 plus years after the fact, so Ben volunteered to travel to the site and test the radiation in the soil. Because of his own work on the Chernobyl story, he had also gained notoriety and along with Belarusian radiation experts arrived at the site, to make sure it was safe enough to put concrete on, as well as the tombstones and an iron enclosure fence as was customary in Soviet cemeteries. Also how far away would people have to stand during the actual service, if one was to take place. All of these answers depended on them.

      The testing lasted an entire week and the conclusion was that, though everything seemed haphazardly done on the surface, the coffins themselves were lead ones and many precautions were taken with the bodies as well. The soil only started to show high levels of radiation about 4 feet from the top so as long as the workers didn't disturb the soil but put the concrete slabs on top as well as the rest of it, everyone was perfectly safe. These answers saved the government a lot of face as well as allowed them to give the service the green light as well.

      When the other 3 families of the liquidators heard about all of this, at first they didn't want to get involved as fear of retribution was still a common post Soviet thought process, but then upon hearing that the government was allowing it and that the famous award winning journalist and her two friends from the main Chernobyl story were paying for the service and all of the caretaking plus tombstones, they were absolutely floored. They called Mrs. Violetova to ask for advice. She just smiled and said that the decision to attend was up to them but that their loved ones would be getting the proper service and recognition that they deserved. She and her entire family were going; she was working with the gravestone company preparing Vasya's resting place to find the proper picture and what to write. The service was set for the beginning of October, so it would be nice and cool outside. Sasha had already told her family about what was going on and though they were a little worried, they understood she had to do this to finish Vasya's story properly and with honor.

"This is huge, Sashenka." Feodor said shaking his head when she came to dinner just before leaving for Belarus.
"I know, papa. But it's what I must do. I think this is the ending Vasya wanted and deserved. This is what he was guiding me to." They all nodded.
"We are so blessed and worried to have such a brave daughter." Ekaterina said with tears in her eyes as Sasha smiled. The boys weren't told much other then their sister was returning to Belarus to go to a proper funeral for her friend Vasya.

      Finally, the day arrived and Sasha left for Belarus. She arrived in Minsk and waited a few hours at the airport for Rahel and Ben so they could make the trip to Gomel together. Vasily had arranged all of their transportation this time while NatGeo took care of the hotel. They hugged for a long time when they saw each other and without much delay found their driver and got in for the 3 hour trek to Gomel. After arriving and settling in, they had dinner that night with Vasily and planned out their entire stay. The following morning, Sasha along with Rahel who would be playing silent videographer would go meet Mrs. Violetova and her family. Ben and Vasily would head to the site to see how the preparations were going. Sasha had brought the blue journal with her again; it really was her talisman. The next day, Mrs. Violetova walked out of her house as Sasha's car stopped and she and Rahel got out. The two women stared at each other for a long time and then hugged.

"I can't believe this day has finally come and I get to meet and hug you, Sasha!" The older woman said as Sasha felt being called Miss Morozova was way too formal and asked to be called by her usual name. Mrs. Violetova was in her early 60s now, with short black hair and warm blue green eyes.
"It is such a tremendous honor to meet you as well. It seems like a dream." Sasha replied as both women wiped tears from their eyes while Rahel filmed silently from a small camera only stopping briefly to be introduced.
"Please come in, both of you!"

     Rahel and Sasha exchanged smiles and followed the woman inside, where her entire family was waiting to be introduced especially Vasya's very elderly parents who both were so overjoyed and overcome with emotion that they both collapsed where they were standing and had to be picked up and helped onto chairs. They kept gripping Sasha's hands and thanking her over and over again as Rahel filmed silently in the corner with tears streaming down her own face. This is why they had come, this was why it was all worth it. Giving a soothing balm after decades of agony.

      After all of the introductions were finished, including that of her second husband and children, Mrs. Violetova took Sasha and Rahel to her bedroom where she had albums already laid out and the women sat down. Before she could say anything, Sasha picked up a photo and stared at it.

There he was.
Vasya.
Her Vasya; the one she hadn't seen in over 30 years. He wasn't just a memory or a specter, here was solid proof he was really, truly real once upon a time. He was standing with his hands at his sides just smiling crookedly. The photo was black and white but not of poor quality; still she couldn't put it down as tears spilled out of her eyes uncontrollably and streamed down her cheeks in rivers while both women watched wordlessly and Rahel filmed every second. This was going to be an incredibly powerful moment.

"That's not a good photo of him. I have so many colored ones, too. I found one that was taken just before he went to Chernobyl and I wanted you to have it. He looked so proud here."

      Mrs. Violetova said softly, handing the colored photo to Sasha who gasped as the shock of color sent her memory careening back to that October day they first met and his facial expression upon seeing her for the first time outside of his hospital window was one and the same. She said as much to Mrs. Violetova and than translated subconsciously to Rahel and the camera.

"I just realized something, the date of the service is the same as the day he and I met for the first time too." She said again first in English then in Russian as Rahel had to remind her:
"Don't worry about translating, we've got people to do it." Sasha laughed at herself shaking her head as Mrs. Violetova understood.

      Then slowly they began to look at the photo albums and Mrs. Violetova told every story of Vasya from his childhood that she knew like their meeting in grade school, falling in love, how he chased her, their wedding photos, and just how happy they were. How much they wanted to have many children. All of the funny stories and endearing ones that came along with photos. Sasha found out that Vasya had played the guitar a bit as there were photos of him with one. So much of his life was filled in by his widow as Sasha laughed at the stories on occasion. It was like reuniting with a long, lost friend and hearing about how his life was going except he was gone and only his spirit and memories from others remained to be told.

       After a while, they reached the end of the happiness and the fear, terror, and sheer horror started. Sadly on one end and thankfully on another, Sasha witnessed the horror while Mrs. Violetova only had the fear and terror of the unknown.

"When he came back from Chernobyl, he was only home for a week or less before he started to get really sick. The other 3 had the same symptoms and they were taken away in 4 separate ambulances. We never saw them again."
"By the time I met him, he was I think finishing the first stage of acute radiation poisoning and entering the latent period because there was a period of time he seemed to be getting better." Sasha said thoughtfully, relying on her research as much as her memory. She then took her blue journal out and thumbed through it to find the entry explaining this latent period which she then read out loud.
"Can I please hold it?"

      Just like Sasha did with that first photo of Vasya she picked up, Mrs. Violetova held the blue journal like it was the most priceless item on earth. She had Vasya's beginning and Sasha had his end. With the photo that was given to her, Sasha would glue it on the first page. She still wasn't sure if she was going to give the journal to the Smithsonian or any other museum that had requested it. She had forever to decide. They ended late that day and both Sasha and Rahel were invited to stay for dinner, which they graciously accepted. Two days later was the memorial service and everything at the burial site would be completed right on time according to an update from Vasily and Ben who had returned to the hotel by then.

      October 4th, dawned a cloudy but not cold day, the breeze was inviting. A crowd of people drove to the site in many different vehicles; Sasha, Ben, Rahel, and Vasily came together while Mrs. Violetova and her family came together in 4 separate cars. All 3 families of the other 3 liquidators came as well. The city's principalities arrived in suits. Because all 4 families were of the Christian faith, they invited a bishop to bless the graves and the men lying beneath them. Just as Vasily had promised, all 4 graves were immaculate with the slabs of concrete, tombstones with pictures, dates, and loving messages, and the iron fences.

      Each person wanting to say something and place flowers, lined up and walked up to whichever grave. Rahel and Ben took turns with the camera as both walked over and paid their respects to Vasya with flowers. Mrs. Violetova was holding Sasha's hands and they were the last to walk over together as everyone watched them. Then Sasha stood back a bit as Mrs. Violetova walked over with a bouquet of flowers to her first love's very honorable looking grave, laid down the bouquet on the pile of others and knelt down to talk to him.

      No other media was allowed as per the request of the families though they were parked by the side of the road trying to catch whatever they could of the service. Only Rahel's camera was ever rolling and family members could take pictures for themselves; they had somewhere to come now that was respectful and honest. Their dead got the recognition they deserved after over 30 years and it was all thanks to Sasha and her perseverance. It was her turn to walk up to Vasya's final resting place after Mrs. Violetova was done. Rahel, who had been filming the crowd in general, now trained the camera onto and took a step closer to her good friend. As Sasha placed her dozen white roses on the pile of flowers, she touched the iron fencing and stared at Vasya's face on his tombstone.

"Hi, it's me. It's all done now, everything you wanted me to do, I did. I hope it makes you smile and proud of me. You were right back then, your wife is very beautiful and a wonderful person. Don't worry, we'll keep in touch and take care of one another. We have already decided on that and I have invited your entire family to come visit me in New York City. My parents and I will return here someday too and visit them and you, though I know your soul will always guide them and me wherever on this great earth we may be. I love you, Vasya. Always have and always will. Rest in the eternal, honorable, and heavenly peace you deserve."

She stopped talking and just stared up at the sky with a peaceful smile on her face. Her mission was completed, it was time to go home.