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“Sweet, tart, tangy soup. Slim strips of boiled cabbage. Carrot. Potato. Cubed and stewed. A single chunk of beef chuck, boiled so long it dissolved in the broth. Beet, cubed and blanched till its color faded to pink and dyed everything else in the pot maroon. Something zesty, below and above--- tomato paste? Pizza sauce? Oh, gross--- ketchup (?!!!) and a swirl of (blasphemy!) Miracle Whip. Borscht. With unorthodox trimmings. "Who puts ketchup in borscht?" Kostya wondered aloud. "Or Miracle Whip?" The petite brunette gasped. "Babushka Fira! But how did you---" she began, though Kostya wasn't listening. The kitchen seemed to go dim, everything muted but Viktor's face across the island, stunned surprise registered in his raised brows, a smirk. "Now we're in business," Kostya said.” — Daria Lavelle