First, however, marriage. The 17-year-old Danylo Khudia informed Alyona Zavadska’s mother that he intended to surprise her 16-year-old daughter on her birthday this summer by popping the question. When she turned 18, they intended to get married.
Their parents were perplexed by the strength of their bond, but they eventually warmed up.
“We could see they could handle themselves, even though we knew they were only children,” Oksana, Zavadska’s mother, said.
Khudia informed Zavadska that he felt at ease and contented in her company despite the turmoil surrounding Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. He referred to her as “my baby girl.” She referred to him as “my boy.”
Danylo Bondarchuck, a close friend of Khudia’s, remembered how his eyes gleamed the first time he brought up Alyona. “I have the most beautiful girlfriend,” he said.
