– Lyud, you understand… – Volodya began. – No, I love you, but you and she are so alike, and… I’m confused.
She suspected he might be cheating on her but couldn’t even guess with whom. It was madness. It just didn’t compute in her head.
– Don’t explain, – for some reason, she no longer cared what would happen next. She couldn’t stay in the apartment with two people who had betrayed her. – I’ll come for my things later, okay? I need to be alone.
– What’s wrong? What are we going to do? Lyudka is coming soon, and she won’t be pleased.
– How should I know what to do? Get dressed first!
They looked at each other confused, standing in the middle of the apartment, not knowing what to tackle first. Make the bed? Hide traces of a romantic evening? Pack things that shouldn’t be there?
Useless. Ten minutes. It’s impossible to cover tracks in that time. The only option left was to face the apartment’s unexpected returning owner with dignity and calmly explain what was happening. But first, they had to get dressed.
Two weeks ago, Lyudmila kissed her husband goodbye and went on vacation to Crimea to visit a friend. She was looking forward to warm sea, blazing sun, fruit, and long evening talks with her friend, which she had missed so much since moving away.
Only one thing clouded her pure joy: at the last moment, her husband was handed some sudden, wildly urgent but very profitable project. She didn’t delve into the project’s details, but it prevented Volodya from going with Lyudmila.
Volodya comforted her, saying maybe he could handle the most urgent matters in a week and join them on vacation. Lyudmila wanted to believe that, but… Every time urgent matters kept him in Moscow, he promised to wrap things up soon and catch up with her, and every time she ended up vacationing alone.
It wasn’t really a problem: Lyuda was a grown, self-sufficient woman and never got bored even alone. She always had something to do. Besides, she had company for the vacation.
She just wanted to spend more time with her husband. But what could she do? Work was work. After all, they themselves decided they needed to buy a bigger apartment before having kids. They had to save for the apartment.
Nina met Lyuda at the airport with strawberries and joyful squeals. After hugging enough, they went to the car.
– Where’s your Vovka again? You’re here without him for the second time. I almost forgot what he looks like.
– As always, work.
Nina smirked:
– He doesn’t take care of himself at all.
Lyudmila smiled sadly. What else was there to say?
– But no one will interrupt our gossiping evenings. Have you heard? Zhenka’s divorcing again, his third wife, and still nothing’s right for him…
– No way…
The conversation distracted Lyudmila, and she forgot for a while that she had to vacation alone again.
The sunset over the sea was beautiful. The sun was diving straight into the waves and melting them, flooding everything with gold. At moments like that, Lyuda regretted not becoming a painter. It would have been great to paint all this. But no paints or canvas… So, she just took some nice photos.
Lyuda took out her phone, turned on the camera, and started adjusting the landscape. The picture looked great on the screen. A finger clicked on the white mug…
The landscape was blocked by a male silhouette, hopelessly ruining the photo.
– Beautiful lady, how about I take your photo with the sunset?
Lyudmila looked irritably at the young man, about her age, maybe three years older. He was probably even handsome, but Lyuda was very upset about the spoiled photo. She grumbled, “No, thanks,” and went to set up a new shot.
– Why so? – Nina asked her. – He just likes you and doesn’t know how to get your attention.
– No way, Ninok, no way. I’m married, actually.
– Reminder: your husband didn’t come with you again, he’s working, you know. So now, will you go back to Moscow without resting?
– I’m not going to cheat on my husband! – Lyudmila said firmly.
– Oh, no one’s talking about cheating. You can just have fun, talk to a handsome man, hear lots of compliments, and then return to Moscow charged up and shining like a mysterious star.
– Nah, feels awkward.
All evening Lyudmila thought about her friend’s words. Maybe there’s really nothing wrong with such communication? Chatting, going somewhere together – that’s not cheating. Just a new acquaintance, pleasant communication.
The next day on the beach they met the same man again. Seeing them, he seemed genuinely glad. At least his smile grew much wider.
After a while, he approached the girls with three cups of cold lemonade with ice.
– Would the ladies like to refresh?
– Yes! – Nina answered for both and moved so the new acquaintance could sit only between them. – I’m Nina, and this is Lyuda from Moscow, my friend. And you?
– Oh, a Muscovite? Me too. Almost. From Korolev. Max.
Lyuda was embarrassed. She hoped he’d say he was from somewhere in Siberia or the Far East, so if things went wrong, if he got angry about a refusal for closer acquaintance, they’d be scattered across the country and wouldn’t remember each other. But now, they were practically neighbors.
But Nina was already chatting with him about something trivial, so the conversation was on.
– I’m a programmer, working in Moscow. Came here with my brother.
– Where’s your brother? – Nina exclaimed. – You’re talking with Lyudka about programming, and I’ll be bored.
– You’re a programmer too? – Max smiled sincerely. – My brother’s on a tour; he doesn’t like beach vacations. Honestly, I’d have gone with him but hoped to meet you on the beach.
Nina smiled charmingly; Lyuda blushed again. Nina looked skeptically at Lyudmila and decided to take matters into her own hands.
– What’s his name?
– Andrey.
– Come to us tonight! – she invited Max. – I have a house near the sea, a gazebo, a grill, we’ll barbecue. We’ll get to know each other better.
The guys really came to Nina’s house that evening, bringing marinated meat, sausages, fruits. Andrey immediately focused on Nina, and Max hovered around Lyuda.
It embarrassed her. She felt like she was deceiving him, promising what she wouldn’t give. At one point she couldn’t stand it anymore:
– Max, I want to be honest with you: my husband is waiting for me in Moscow, I love him and I’m not going to cheat. You interest me, and I’d like to continue our communication, but purely as friends.
Max was silent for a while, then smiled mysteriously:
– You’re even better than I thought. Agreed, let’s keep it strictly friendly.
The next week flew by unnoticed. During the day, Nina organized city tours for everyone, and in the evenings the guys treated the girls to various delicacies. Nina and Andrey seemed to be getting serious.
Lyuda and Max had it a bit more complicated. Every day, admiration burned brighter in his eyes, but Lyuda was more and more embarrassed. Though Max definitely liked her. And that scared her more than his obvious affection.
At one point, in a burst of feelings, Max tried to kiss her. Lyuda pulled away and ran behind the house. Then she came back:
– I thought we agreed!
– Lyuda, forgive me, for God’s sake. I understand everything, but I can’t help myself. I think I love you: you’re bright, pure, decent, smart… I can’t list it all. I don’t know what to do. How to hold myself back. Maybe we shouldn’t talk anymore. I just want you to know you can always come to me for help.
Without waiting for an answer, Max left.
Lyudmila watched him go, then looked into the house where Nina and Andrey sat, and without looking at them, said:
– I need to take a walk!
She wandered along the sea shore half the night, trying to sort out her feelings. She only returned to her friend near dawn. Nina was worried:
– What happened? I was so worried! Did he hurt you?
– No… He confessed love to me.
– Really! That’s great.
– What’s great? I’m married. I love my husband, I’m not divorcing or cheating. It turns out I confused Max, made him fall for me, but I can’t give him anything.
– Okay, agreed, that’s not good. But not terrible either. You promised him nothing; on the contrary, you set boundaries immediately.
– That doesn’t make me feel better.
– So don’t overthink it. You were honest with everyone, and it turned out how it did.
– You know, I think I’ll go home tomorrow. I just can’t relax anymore anyway.
– Are you sure?
– I’m sure of nothing. But I don’t want to torment either him or myself. So I’ll go home, hug my husband, and forget it all.
And so she got off the plane in Moscow, got into a taxi, and was heading home. The storm inside her was so strong she didn’t immediately realize she hadn’t warned her husband about her return. Already approaching the house, she finally texted him: “Dear, I’m back in town early as a surprise! Already in the taxi, will be home in about 10 minutes.” And at that moment, Lyudmila suddenly calmed down: she was honest with everyone and guilty of nothing. Soon she would see her husband. Everything was fine.
The taxi stopped in front of the entrance. Lyuda grabbed her suitcase and practically flew into the building, frantically pressing the elevator button.
The apartment door opened almost before she rang, as if they were expecting her. Well, of course, they were. She did warn them, though not much in advance. Pushing open the entrance door, she shouted:
– Darling, I’m home!
She put the suitcase in the corner, took off her shoes, and only then looked up.
– Mom?! What are you doing here?
Lyudmila rushed into the room: the bed was hastily made, leftover salads and snacks on the coffee table, extinguished candles. She ran to the bathroom. Nothing comforting there either: in the glass was her mother’s toothbrush instead of hers, which she took with her; shelves full of cosmetics for 55+; on the hook hung a dark silk robe, not hers. Her mother’s.
Lyuda rushed back. Her husband and mother were standing in the center of the room. Guilty faces, eyes cast down. Thoughts swirled in Lyudmila’s head, facts fell into place: that’s why he didn’t go on vacation with her. It wasn’t about work. No, she had suspected he might spend time with another woman, but with her own mother? Madness. It didn’t compute in her head.
– Lyud, you understand… – Volodya began. – No, I love you, but you and she look so alike and… I’m confused.
– Don’t explain, – for some reason, she no longer cared what would happen next. She couldn’t stay in the apartment with two people who had betrayed her. – I’ll come for my things later, okay? I need to be alone.
Leaving the suitcase in the hallway, Lyudmila left the apartment. She had no idea where to go. Her closest friend was in Crimea, and she could fly there again, but why? How many times could she keep going back and forth? She didn’t want to talk to anyone.
Suddenly, Max’s last phrase surfaced in her mind: “I just want you to know you can always come to me for help.”
Her hand reached for the phone on its own. Call him? What would she say? And he was probably still in Crimea. Fine, just a message: “You said I could count on your help.”
She got a reply almost immediately, as if he was waiting for her message: “Yes, of course. Whatever I can do. What happened?”
“I came home early and saw something I wasn’t supposed to see.”
The reply was very brief:
“Cheated?”
“Yes, with my mother.”
She waited about five minutes for a response, but he finally answered:
“I’m packing, getting ready to come. Where are you now?”
Her husband and mother endured several days of silence, then began calling and texting Lyuda, begging her to talk. But she didn’t want anything from them anymore. That night, Max picked her up somewhere in a yard, guided by her confused directions, took her to his place, gave her tea, and put her to bed.
Lyudmila later wondered about herself and him. What was so hard about persuading her to do anything in such a state, and he didn’t say a word or lay a finger on her. And he took care of her so tenderly during the divorce.
Lyuda thought after what happened, she would never be able to trust anyone again, but over time Max managed to warm her heart. And when, six months after this story, he suddenly asked:
– Will you marry me? – she unexpectedly agreed. And it was the best decision of her life.