— Daughter, go play, — Svetlana asked little Lena.
The girl obediently ran out of the kitchen and immediately disappeared into the nursery.
Oleg was watching his wife carefully. If she hadn’t sent him a text yesterday saying “we’ll talk in the morning,” he would have shouted and demanded to know what happened.
— I was worried, — the man asked, barely holding himself back.
— Sorry, — Svetlana replied, taking his hand and opening her palm. Usually, she would press it to her cheek — she liked the warmth of his hand — but now she gently stroked his hand.
Oleg wanted to ask, “What happened, my sunshine?” but instead of sunshine, his wife turned into the moon. She hadn’t come home last night. Oleg called several times, but her phone was locked. He was about to call his mother-in-law when a message from his wife came.
— What’s his name? — Oleg asked, his voice trembling. He understood perfectly why his wife didn’t come home to spend the night.
— I didn’t cheat on you, — Svetlana answered. — You asked me to be honest. I didn’t cheat, — she repeated and looked into her husband’s eyes. For a while, she was silent, then she answered: — Vadim. His name is Vadim.
Oleg lowered his head. He felt tears coming to his eyes. Not wanting his wife to see them, he turned away and went to the kitchen table.
— We talked all night, — Svetlana continued. — But I didn’t cheat on you.
— Do you love him? — Oleg asked with a trembling voice.
The woman came to her husband, touched his back, then hugged him and to calm him started stroking his chest.
— Yes, — Svetlana said. — I love him.
They probably stood like that for five minutes, just silent, each thinking their own thoughts. Oleg — that he loved this woman madly, loved her and could hardly believe it was possible. And yet, even now, when she said she had another man, he still loved her.
— Let’s go today and file for divorce, — Svetlana asked, and Oleg silently nodded.
There was no use making a scene. Yes, maybe he would lose it, yell, and maybe even hit her, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t because he loved her. And when you love someone, can you really hurt them? No, you can’t, precisely because you love them.
— Then I will take Lena to my mother, — Svetlana said, stepping away from Oleg and going to dress their daughter.
The man immediately felt cold. He curled up and lowered his head, standing like that until the front door closed.
By noon, they came to court and filed the paperwork. And when Oleg returned home, packed his things, and was about to leave, Svetlana came up to him.
— Your daughter loves you, come visit, or if you want, take her on weekends, — she suggested.
— Yes, — Oleg agreed.
He did just that: on Friday, he came and noticed there were no men’s shoes in the hallway and no stranger’s clothes in the living room. Svetlana kept her word — she didn’t live with the other man until she got the divorce papers.
Every week, Oleg came for his daughter, who was already three years old. She didn’t understand why her dad was gone for a whole week; her mother didn’t tell her, and Oleg didn’t bring it up. The girl was happy to see her father; she got dressed and went with him for the whole weekend.
One day, when Oleg came to pick up his daughter, he noticed that Svetlana had a belly. He felt a strange mix of joy and sorrow. “I love,” Oleg admitted to himself. He thought the feeling would pass, but despite the pain of separation, he still loved her.
— How? — Svetlana asked her ex-husband.
— Oh, last time we went to the circus, and today we’ll go to the park to ride ponies.
Hearing this, Lena jumped for joy.
— But no ice cream! — Svetlana warned.
— Mommy… — the girl pouted.
— Okay, but only a little and with small spoons, — she asked Oleg.
— Don’t worry, we won’t eat more than a kilo, — hearing this, the daughter hugged her father.
— Well, you’re dressed, let’s go, — Svetlana said calmly, stroking her belly.
— Take care of yourself, — Oleg said as if he were still her husband. In response, the woman smiled.
Taking the daughter’s hand, the man left the apartment.
Months passed, and Svetlana gave birth to a girl named Vika. She even showed her to Oleg, and again the man felt a strange feeling, as if this child were his too.
Throughout the time Oleg came to get his daughter for weekends, he never saw Svetlana’s husband, though he knew she remarried: he saw the man’s shoes, jacket, and bag, but never the man himself.
For some time, Oleg feared relationships with women not because Svetlana left him, but because, strangely, he still loved her. But time healed wounds, and he met Nadya completely by chance. He went to the movies — what else could he do alone? — and she sat down with her girlfriends nearby. He made a remark, but they laughed through almost the entire film. The girls thought it was an excuse to get acquainted, and after the session, the girl approached him:
— My name is Nadya, — she said, offering her hand.
Oleg had no choice but to greet and introduce himself.
— Do you even remember what the film was about? — he asked her.
— I don’t like action movies, — the girl admitted.
— Then why did you come? — Oleg was surprised.
— Popcorn, — she answered, showing him an empty cardboard box.
Oleg smiled — he had never met anyone who went to the cinema just to eat popcorn. Her girlfriends ran off, probably so as not to disturb Nadya’s chat, and Oleg didn’t mind; after sitting in a café, they exchanged phone numbers.
— Come in, little one, — Nadya said, helping little Lena undress.
She knew who she was — Oleg didn’t hide it and told her his story right away: that he was married and had a daughter named Lena.
Oleg thought it was a temporary crush. But over time, his attachment to Nadya grew strong, and she seemed to love him too. They rented an apartment and had lived together for six months. She knew that Oleg would bring his daughter on weekends, so she made plans assuming the three of them would go out together.
“He loves her,” Nadya thought, meaning his daughter. “So…” She dreamed a little because he hadn’t proposed yet, and they just lived together like common-law spouses. “So,” Nadya continued dreaming, “if we get married and have children, he will love mine too.” The thought made her happy, and after putting Lena to bed, she cuddled her beloved man and kissed him tenderly.
That morning, Oleg’s phone vibrated. He looked at the clock — it was five a.m. He cursed silently: usually calls came after nine, from ads. He reached for the phone and was about to turn it off, but saw the name “Veronika Nikolaevna” — his ex-mother-in-law.
— Sleep, sleep, — he said to Nadya, stroking her head, and answered.
— Go to the kitchen.
Oleg pressed the phone tightly to his ear. There was silence.
— Veronika Nikolaevna, what’s wrong? — he understood the call wasn’t casual.
Finally, the woman struggled to say:
— Svetochka died.
Oleg felt sick upon hearing this. He thought it was a cruel joke, but Svetlana couldn’t be dead.
— What did you say? — he asked again to be sure.
— She died last night, — repeated Veronika Nikolaevna.
Oleg was confused — he had seen her just last night, and now they told him Svetlana was gone.
— What happened? — his voice betrayed his trembling.
— She was hit at an intersection. She was crossing the road… a bus… — sobbing was heard in the line.
He didn’t know what to say. Offering condolences felt foolish, so he was silent for a while.
His fingers turned white. He hung up, lowered his head, and quietly cried. At that moment, Nadya came into the kitchen.
— What happened? — she asked, looking into his eyes.
Oleg wiped away the tears, stood up, and hugged her.
— What happened? — Nadya asked again, snuggling up.
— Veronika Nikolaevna called. She’s Lena’s grandmother.
— Is she okay?
Oleg shook his head.
— She said Svetlana died.
Svetlana was a rival. Nadya could have been glad and said, “Finally got rid of her,” but no, she couldn’t do that because she loved Oleg.
— I’m going, — he said, hugging Nadya again. — Sorry, I have to go.
— Go, go. Just don’t tell your daughter anything.
Oleg kissed the woman he loved now but couldn’t forget Svetlana. He quickly dressed and went to Veronika Nikolaevna’s house.
Only a week after the funeral, Oleg came with Lena to the home of his ex-wife. The girl already knew her mother was gone; at first, she cried, but Veronika Nikolaevna did her best to comfort her.
Oleg entered the house where he had spent so many happy years. Nothing had changed: the same sofa, cupboards, his TV, which he had watched movies with Svetlana. He was a stranger here now, but his beloved woman was gone, and he didn’t know what to do next.
— Oleg, — Veronika Nikolaevna addressed him, — what about your daughter?
— I don’t know, — he answered honestly.
— Svetlana had no one but me, and I… — she sighed heavily.
Oleg knew well that his mother-in-law was sick: one eye was blind, the other partially sighted, she walked with a cane, her back hurt, she had had two or three operations on her knees, and counting all surgeries, her fingers wouldn’t be enough.
That day, Oleg saw Vadim, the man Svetlana divorced him for, for the first time. He greeted him coldly. The homeowner wandered like a ghost from corner to corner, confused and unsure what to do.
Vadim approached Veronika Nikolaevna:
— Take them, — he said imperiously, looking at the girls, — I don’t want them.
Hearing this, Oleg got angry, clenched his fists, but didn’t fight.
— She loved you, — he told the man who now looked coldly at his daughter.
— If you don’t take them, I’ll refuse them, — Vadim answered, ignoring Oleg.
— She’s your daughter! — Veronika Nikolaevna protested.
She tried to explain to Vadim that this wasn’t right, but he stood firm. Oleg understood that Svetlana’s ex-husband only wanted her. For a while, Oleg thought, then without asking the homeowner’s permission, he went into the bedroom and started packing Vadim’s things.
— Man, what are you doing here?! — Vadim shouted.
— Packing your stuff, — Oleg replied coldly.
— Get out of my house! — he grabbed Oleg’s hand and pulled.
— Shut up, — Oleg said coldly. — And this house is mine.
— What? — Vadim was clearly surprised; he always thought the three-room apartment belonged to his wife, so after her death, he had full rights.
— Yes, — Oleg replied, — this apartment is mine, and my daughter lived here… — he wanted to say “my Svetlana,” but added only: — my daughter, and now you will leave. Do you understand?! — and threw a bag of Vadim’s things to the side. — Get lost, bastard!
Vadim protested for a while, even tried to push Oleg out the door, but when Oleg showed his passport with the registration stamp, he immediately gave up. Cursing him and the mother-in-law, he left.
All this time, Veronika Nikolaevna was silent. Oleg didn’t know what kind of relationship she had with Vadim.
Little Lena ran to her father, hugged his leg, and didn’t want to let go.
— Maybe she can stay with you at least for now, — his mother-in-law asked. — And Vika with me.
Oleg didn’t know what to do, but the daughter clung so tightly to his leg that he couldn’t refuse Veronika Nikolaevna.
— Yes, of course, — but then asked, — What’s next?
— I don’t know, — the woman answered. — I’m old and barely manage to go to the store, — she went to little Vika, who was already walking and curiously looking at books on the shelves.
A couple of hours later, Oleg came with his daughter to the house where Nadya met them. Seeing the bags, she understood immediately.
— And Vika?
— She will live with her grandmother for now, — Oleg answered.
Lena let go of her father, climbed onto the woman’s lap, hugged her, and started looking at the buttons on her blouse.
— Sorry it turned out this way, she will live with us for now, — Nadya nodded, agreeing with her beloved.
“He still loves her,” Nadya thought, meaning his daughter, “and will love my children,” she continued to dream.
That evening, Lena cried.
— Where is my sister? — she asked her dad.
— Vika is with grandma.
— Will she come?
— I don’t know, sweetie, — her father replied.
And the girl cried again. Nadya tried to calm her, but Lena wouldn’t stop: she clung to her father, then to Nadya, then hugging a teddy bear, remembered her sister Vika.
A week passed. Nadya devised a whole plan to distract Lena from thoughts that her sister now lived apart. For a while, she was distracted, but as soon as she was alone, she started crying again.
“That won’t do,” — that evening, after putting the girl to bed, Nadya approached Oleg.
— You can’t separate sisters.
— But Lena is with us temporarily, — he answered quietly.
— What? — Nadya was surprised. — What do you mean temporarily? Do you want to take her back?
Oleg was confused. He thought she would be glad, but Nadya now looked at him reproachfully.
— She’s your daughter, — the woman approached him, laying her head on his shoulder. — She loves you.
— I understand, — Oleg agreed. — But what about you?
— Don’t you see?
— You want her to stay with us? — and she nodded.
Honestly, Oleg was surprised by this decision. From friends, he knew women usually hated their husbands’ children from previous marriages. The same happened with men too.
— Think about it, — Nadya advised.
She didn’t rush him, kissed him, went to check on Lena sleeping in the nursery, then left to the bedroom.
Oleg thought a long time. Yes, he loved Svetlana, who was no longer in this world, and he loved his daughter, but he wanted to build his life. But he couldn’t give up the past, so in the morning, after talking with Nadya again, he agreed to keep Lena with them.
— Okay, — the woman agreed. — What about Vika then?
— Maybe it’s not worth… — He still doubted taking responsibility for a child who was a stranger to him, although she had a part of the woman he loved.
— You can’t separate sisters, — Nadya reminded him.
Oleg didn’t know what to do. Adopting Lena was one thing, but taking responsibility for raising a stranger’s child was quite different. “What if Nadya leaves?” — he thought — “Then I’ll have to raise both.” Thoughts were many, but gradually he came to the opinion that Lena should live with her sister.
— So you agree? — he asked Nadya, and she immediately nodded.
— Then I’ll go to Veronika Nikolaevna and talk.
— Maybe we should go together? — Nadya offered, and he agreed.
As soon as they stepped inside, Lena ran to hug her little sister.
— Veronika Nikolaevna, meet Nadya, — then he told about their decision.
The woman listened, then looked at Nadya for a long time and, like Oleg, couldn’t understand her: why did she want this burden? Yet, Veronika Nikolaevna agreed — it was the best decision, even if temporary. For now, Lena was still Oleg’s daughter, and Vika was Lena’s sister. She herself was old and sick, and sooner or later she would have to put Vika in an orphanage.
That same day, Oleg went to the guardianship authorities, but they said he couldn’t get the second child because he had an incomplete family. With this sad news, Oleg returned home. Hearing him, Nadya sat down, took Oleg’s hand, and said:
— I want to be with you all my life. Let’s make a real family and get married?
She said this sincerely: she had long loved Oleg and wanted to legalize their relationship.
The man stood up, and so did Nadya. He put her in place, sat her on the sofa, then knelt on one knee, took her hand, kissed it, and said:
— This isn’t quite right; I should be asking for your hand, not you.
The woman giggled in response:
— What difference does it make? I love you.
— No, no, be quiet for a few seconds, — Oleg thought, then blurted: — Marry me!
Nadya smiled, leaned forward, and sweetly kissed the man she truly loved:
— You fool, of course, I will marry you! — and continuing to kiss him, she added: — Then we can adopt the girls.
Sunlight streamed through the wide windows of the spacious apartment, filling the room with warmth and comfort. That day, inspired by their decision, Oleg and Nadya hurried to the registry office. The old building with columns greeted them with coolness and a businesslike atmosphere.
— We need to get married, preferably right now, — Oleg said hurriedly.
The registrar, strict and neat, said everything was booked for a month. Only after Oleg, nervously explaining the situation about guardianship and children, did she soften and smile:
— There’s a slot in a couple of days; I can take you with witnesses.
And a week later, in a cozy wedding hall, Oleg and Nadya married, and a month later they adopted Lena and Vika. Now they lived in the same three-room apartment where Svetlana once lived.
One evening, when the old poplars rustled outside the window, Veronika Nikolaevna came to visit. Sitting on the sofa and adjusting her gray hair, she proposed a good idea: she would sell her apartment, Oleg his, and they could buy a nice five-room apartment.
— Wow! — Oleg was surprised by the proposal.
— I’m old, — the elderly woman reminded him — but I can still look after the granddaughters. — Veronika Nikolaevna smiled and looked at Nadya, who was already showing a round belly. — And soon you’ll have kids too.
They did exactly that. A couple of months later, the family moved into a large five-room apartment, with enough space for everyone. In the bright spacious rooms, toys and cribs were placed. And a month later, Nadya gave birth. Lena, now grown, took care of little Marina as the eldest daughter.
— A women’s kingdom, — Oleg said smiling, watching his daughters. Now Vika was just as much a daughter to him as Lena and Marina.
The girls ran and played happily in the cozy home, and Nadya, watching them, already hinted:
— Maybe in a couple of years we should try again and take a chance? What if this time we have a boy?
— Let’s wait a little, — Oleg calmed her, helping Vika build a pyramid of colorful blocks.