Sergey was always different from his peers, and his father often thought about this. At the same time, Pavel Ivanovich didn’t just love his son — he felt a deep pride for him. When his wife Natasha was nearby, he would often ask her:
— Why do we have such an unusual son? There have never been people like this in our family. Where did he come from?
Natasha would just smile in response:
— Pasha, stop it! Why do you always call Seryozha strange? He’s a completely ordinary modern boy: he plays sports, is interested in various things. He just prefers poetry and drawing over toy cars and toy guns. Does everyone have to be the same?
Pavel Ivanovich sighed heavily:
— I hoped that as he grew older, he would become more “typical” and leave these unusual hobbies behind.
Natasha, smiling, replied:
— Pash, not everyone understands that times are changing. But in reality, the essence remains the same. Now everyone chooses their own path. And Seryozha — he’s just special.
Pavel Ivanovich avoided discussing family matters outside the home. He tried to hide his worries from Natasha so she wouldn’t worry. She only knew that he worked with cars and owned a dealership that sold both new and used vehicles. That was all she knew. For Pavel, the important thing was that his family wanted for nothing.
When Seryozha turned 15, during his birthday celebration, Natasha felt unwell. The birthday boy was the first to notice. Approaching his mother, he asked anxiously:
— Mom, why are you so pale? Are you feeling bad?
— No, no, just a little tired, — she replied.
— Mom, why all the noise? Let’s just sit quietly together, eat cake, and that’s it, — Seryozha suggested.
— Seryozhenka, you’ve always been against big parties, but 15 is an important milestone. Besides, you have so many friends! Everything’s fine, go celebrate.
Seryozha went to the guests but before that turned to his father:
— Dad, please keep an eye on Mom. She’s pale and sweating on her forehead. She says she’s fine, but… I’m not sure.
Pavel Ivanovich looked at his son in surprise:
— What do you mean?
— Just watch her, okay?
Pavel looked at his wife and realized his son was right. He decided to send her to rest, explaining that they would manage on their own.
Seryozha became scared not only because his mother looked bad but also because she agreed to rest — which was completely uncharacteristic for her.
Later, when the guests left, Natasha’s condition worsened. Pavel called an ambulance. The doctors diagnosed a serious illness that progressed rapidly. In three months, the disease practically devastated her. For Seryozha, it was a real blow. He watched as his father, always strong and confident, became weak and confused.
One evening, noticing his father drinking alone in his office, Seryozha decided to talk to him:
— Dad, I know it’s hard for you.
Pavel smirked, pointing to his glass:
— You mean this? Yes, it makes it easier. It helps me forget, even if only for a short time.
Seryozha sighed deeply:
— Then pour me some.
Pavel was shocked:
— Are you crazy?!
— What else am I supposed to do, Dad? You found a way to comfort yourself, but I… I don’t even have someone to talk to.
Pavel thoughtfully looked at his glass, then poured its contents into the pot with the ficus plant. Seryozha froze, then said:
— Mom would definitely kill you for that.
Unable to hold back, he burst into tears. His father came up to him and hugged him:
— Cry if you want. Sometimes it helps.
From that moment, their bond grew even stronger. They became one, like two halves of a single heart.
After finishing school, Seryozha enrolled in the philology faculty while continuing to attend art school. Although he already had a diploma, he still took private lessons. Sometimes Pavel Ivanovich grumbled:
— Why don’t you choose something more “serious”? After all, self-respect comes with money you earn yourself. Why do you need those books and pictures?
Seryozha, not taking his eyes off the painting he had been working on passionately for a month, finally said:
— Why does a person need a lot of money at all?
Pavel Ivanovich was a little taken aback but quickly found an answer:
— With money, you can buy anything your soul desires.
— Really? Absolutely everything? — the son asked, raising an eyebrow.
This question made the father think.
— Well… maybe except for health… I get what you mean. Yes, there are things money can’t buy, but everything else is quite accessible.
Seryozha looked at his father calmly and confidently:
— Dad, if the most important things in life cannot be bought, is it worth struggling for everything else?
Pavel Ivanovich abruptly stood up and began nervously pacing the room.
— Where do you get such ideas? You’re just used to living without worries, thanks to my money!
— Dad, but if we didn’t have any of this but had Mom, would we be any less happy? — Seryozha gently continued.
A pause stretched for several seconds, then Pavel admitted:
— Probably not… But that’s a completely different story.
— No, Dad, you’re wrong, — the son objected.
— How could I be?! Imagine I die and leave you not a penny. What then? How will you survive?
Seryozha smiled:
— Dad, you’re talking about this too early! But seriously, I’ll find a job that lets me combine earning with what I love. I’ll just keep living my life.
Between them seemed an invisible chasm, but Seryozha honestly expressed his opinion, knowing his father would not be offended.
— So you won’t be upset if I don’t leave you an inheritance? — Pavel asked.
The son thought for a moment:
— No. That’s your decision, and you will choose those who, in your opinion, truly deserve it. You know, Dad, when I was little, I had a dream. I always imagined us living in some cozy village, without your partners, endless negotiations, and all that business routine. Where it’s just the three of us — you, Mom, and me. Just family. Without unnecessary noise.
Pavel Ivanovich looked closely at his son’s face.
— You’re strange, Seryozha. It seems to me you don’t care about anything at all.
— Why not, Dad? I care about a lot. I like to draw, create something eternal that will always be near. Look, for example, at this, — Seryozha said, turning the painting toward his father.
On the canvas was Natasha. Pavel froze, his chin trembled betrayingly, and tears ran down his cheeks.
— See, Dad? We can see Mom every day and remember her alive. It doesn’t matter that she is no longer with us. She will always remain a part of our life.
— Maybe you’re right… But admit it, living without financial worries is nice too, — Pavel said, wiping his eyes.
Seryozha smiled:
— Of course, Dad. Who argues with that?
—
A year passed after that conversation. Pavel Ivanovich’s business began to deteriorate rapidly; the situation became increasingly dangerous. He was more and more nervous, feeling a crushing pressure.
— Pavel Ivanovich, are you planning to go home today? — Regina’s voice sounded as she peeked into the door.
— What? Oh yes… I’m busy now but will leave soon. You’re free to go, — he replied distractedly.
Regina had worked with him for five years, and their relationship had long gone beyond professional boundaries. Pavel perfectly understood she was ready to accept his offer as soon as he made a move. But now he felt inner discomfort about the situation.
Instead of leaving, Regina decisively entered and sat opposite him.
— Pash, be honest, what’s going on?
Pavel tried to smile, although inside he felt a tight knot of anxiety.
— Nothing special, Regin. It’s just that someone bigger decided I was too much of a nuisance…
She continued to look at him attentively, demanding more explanation.
— Pash… — she began, but he interrupted her.
— I want you to leave temporarily. There’s an envelope with a bonus and a travel voucher in the safe. It’s just in case something happens.
Regina slightly tilted her head, surprised by his words, and was silent for a while. Then she nodded:
— Okay, Pash. When should I leave?
— Actually, you should have left yesterday. But I managed to buy you a ticket for tomorrow’s flight.
She got up and headed for the exit.
— Got it, Pash. When this is all over, we’ll definitely talk.
Quietly closing the door behind her, Regina disappeared.
Seryozha waited for his father all night, but he never came. Recently, this had become the norm: Pavel was constantly tense and hardly ever came home. Seryozha guessed that his father had big problems, but the right moment for a conversation never came. In the morning, he noticed a pistol at his father’s place, which spoke for itself — the situation was much more serious than he imagined.
When the clock struck two in the morning, and his father still hadn’t appeared, Seryozha decided to distract himself by turning on the TV. But his attention was immediately caught by the news on the screen.
— A well-known entrepreneur died as a result of his car exploding, — the news anchor reported.
Seryozha staggered and sank to the floor. The car on the screen was his father’s. His heart clenched painfully. The next day began with endless calls to hospitals, but suddenly the front door flew open. One of his father’s partners stood on the threshold.
— What’s happening? I can’t understand… He was always so strong, and now… Dad never told me anything.
— They pressured him a lot, Seryozha. Very much, — the partner said.
— So he felt something but kept silent, — Seryozha whispered.
Regina, who was nearby, could no longer hold back her tears. Only then did Seryozha realize her grief was equal to his own.
—
After the funeral, it became clear that Pavel had sold the company three days before his death. No one suspected this. The deputy of the father, an old family friend, was shocked by this decision and repeatedly asked Seryozha where the money had gone. But the son was completely helpless:
— I don’t know what happened to the company. I always stayed away from my father’s affairs. Why should I know the answers now?
A month later, it became known that Pavel sold all his property. The family friend again came to his home, cautiously hinting at a possible young lover. Seryozha only shook his head — although he suspected why Regina cried so bitterly.
At the reading of the will, the same friend was present, watching Seryozha carefully. When the notary announced that the only inheritance was an old house in a remote place, which the son didn’t know about, the friend cursed loudly, the echo spreading throughout the room, and left. Seryozha sighed heavily but inside felt a strange lightness: life in the village seemed quite acceptable to him.
—
The new owners of the city house were kind people. They didn’t rush to evict Seryozha and even allowed him to take everything necessary. Before the will was read, they did not appear at all.
The next day, Seryozha took a train. Anxiety mixed with a feeling of liberation, as if he had finally found his way. When he reached his destination, dusk had already fallen. Putting down his suitcase, he decided to leave the rest of his things in a storage locker, checking the address and a photo of the house.
The house was exactly the one he had been looking for. However, climbing over the fence, he noticed an expensive car in the yard. Such a vehicle clearly did not belong to the locals. Who could it belong to? Approaching closer, he saw a light in the window and peeked inside. The world spun around, and Seryozha lost consciousness.
He woke up from a sharp shake. Opening his eyes, he met the gaze of a man. Seryozha wanted to fall back into oblivion, but the man spoke in a voice impossible to confuse with a stranger’s — it was his father’s voice:
— Don’t be afraid, it’s okay, it’s really me, — the man said.
— You… You can’t be my father! I put your coffin in the grave with my own hands!
— Are you sure it was really me?
— What?! How is that possible? You just can’t be alive!
— Listen, stop repeating the same thing! Explain why you’re so sure it’s impossible?
— Okay… If you really are my father, what did Mom call you when she was angry?
— Karlson! Now do you believe?
— Dad… Is it really you?
Seryozha cried, but he was not ashamed at all. They sat down in the yard, drank tea, and the father began his story:
— When the situation became very dangerous, I decided not to wait until they got rid of me. I sold everything, transferred the money to another name, and disappeared from the radar.
— What if the truth came out?
— Who would look for me here, in such a remote place? After our conversation, it became clear that this house is the perfect place for a new life. Here I can take up farming, start all over. Nobody will find us.
Seryozha smiled through tears.
— Everything as I dreamed… Only Mom is missing. By the way… Did something happen with Regina? What’s her role here?
At that moment, pale Regina appeared at the gate.
— Sorry… I came for Seryozha. I was afraid he’d be bad here. I wanted to offer him to stay at my apartment. There’s enough space, and here… Sorry, I won’t disturb.
She turned to leave.
Seryozha looked at his father:
— What are you sitting there like a statue? She’s leaving now!
Pavel Ivanovich blinked in confusion:
— But… she is…
— Dad, if you want her to stay, act! Such chances don’t come every day.
Regina was already near the gate when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she met Seryozha’s gaze, who nodded to her, confirming everything was okay.
The man abruptly got up and ran after Regina. Seryozha, who by that time had begun to doze off from the long conversation, woke up at his father’s voice:
— Seryozh!
Opening his eyes, he saw Regina standing next to his father; her face showed a mixture of anger and irritation.
— You were right! We decided to get married, — Pavel announced with a broad smile.
— Not “we,” but you decided alone! — Regina snorted, crossing her arms.
— Well, okay, me. But you agreed!
— Of course, I did! How can you argue with your stubbornness? — she replied, but warmth sounded in her voice, revealing true feelings.