It's one thing for them to have a secret affair away from home, but having the same affair while in their hometown takes a lot of effort. Deciding to visit Anna in S-, Gurov committed to growing their relationship. When Anna responded by going to see her, she too demonstrated that she was committed to the growth of their relationship, although not so much because she would not have wanted Gurov to visit her in S- but only that she would have gone to see him. Gurov noticed how much their relationship had grown when they met once and Anna was starting to realize what was happening. "It was evident to him that this love of theirs would not end soon... Anna became more and more fond of him." This marked the transition from simply being two strangers meeting to being two lovers willing to do anything for each