The snow is falling thickly and the block by the market smells of gingerbread. Lena finishes hanging the lights as borscht bubbles up from the kitchen. - Another bauble with an angel, please," she calls out to her dad. Maks helps, although he stubbornly pretends to be a serious adult today. Outside the window, the market is quiet, only the lantern twinkles over the bench. Christmas Eve will begin when the first star appears. Today the sky is milky, as if hiding something important. Grandma used to say that the angel's bell rings only once a year, really quietly. Then you have to listen well and do what it asks you to do. Suddenly, the silver bell next to the angel bauble rings slightly on its own. Lena freezes and the lights above the window pulsate in an even rhythm. - Did you see? - whispers Maks, very slowly pushing back the curtain with his finger. Fresh footprints appear on the balcony, as if from tiny hooves. After all, they had just cleared the snow, no one could have gone in there. They put on their jackets without a word and slip out onto the cage. The cold air pinches their cheeks and the silence is real. A small wooden box with a gold star lies on the tiles of the balcony. Lena touches the lid; the box is warm and hums softly. - Can you hear it? Like there's a watch inside,' she says quietly. Underneath the box is a piece of paper with an inscription: For Lena and Maks. There is a clatter from the whisks in the kitchen, then everything suddenly falls silent. The buzzing speeds up, the footsteps in the snow begin to glow pale. And then, just behind them, someone very quietly says their names.