“Turns out our Petya is infertile!” — blurted out the sister-in-law after a brief silence.
— “What do you mean — infertile?” — Lidka genuinely wondered, looking at the fruit of their love lying in the crib, happily smacking his lips. — “And what about Vitya?”
— “Vitya’s not his!” — Ira declared flatly.
Tell me, how can you hurt a woman like that?
In all sorts of ways! With words, actions, or, on the contrary, inaction. Also — with distrust and suspicion.
Something like that happened to Lida Semenova: Lida, a young, happy mother and wife, noticed that her husband Petr started acting strangely toward their three-month-old Vityusha.
What’s more, it happened suddenly: on Tuesday everything was still great, and on Wednesday — well, hello, problems!
Her husband began to freeze by the baby’s crib and even seem to be thinking deeply. Though he was an easy-going man who didn’t like “thinking too much” and avoided burdening himself with extra information.
— “Why are you frozen like a salt pillar, Petunya? Don’t you recognize your son?” — his wife asked one evening.
But her usually cheerful husband — life was good! — didn’t answer. He looked grimly at pretty Lidka and stepped away from the crib.
“What’s wrong with him?” — the wife wondered in surprise. — “He’s practically wiping tears secretly by the crib, like in that song.”
In short, it was obvious he was upset. For three months he had rejoiced in the birth of their firstborn — cooing and all that — but in an instant, everything changed.
“Maybe he has problems at work?” — Lida agonized. — “He doesn’t want to upset me, so the milk won’t go bad!”
Or worse yet, maybe he’s sick himself and doesn’t want to say anything for the same reason: they lived harmoniously and cared for each other.
But to all of Lida’s probing questions, Petya just silently puffed and looked away.
“He cheated!” — guessed Lidka. — “No doubt! And now he’s tormented by guilt!”
— “So, are we going to deny it or confess?” — the wife asked one fine evening.
— “Confess to what?” — Petya was puzzled.
— “What do you mean — what? To cheating!”
— “What cheating?” — the husband was surprised again but quickly recovered and said: — “I’m not the one who should confess to cheating!”
— “Then who?” — the young mother was amazed.
— “The horse in the coat!” — the man answered roughly and left, leaving his half-eaten dinner.
Lida thought: this was serious! It hinted that it was she who was suspected of cheating.
Her husband’s attitude toward her had changed recently — before that, everything was fine. So logically, she must have cheated on him recently as well.
But that was absolutely out of the question: the baby was breastfed. What kind of cheating, excuse me?
Or maybe someone recently told him about her hypothetical infidelity in the past — hypothetical because she never actually cheated.
And the girl began digging in that direction: she decided to start with Petr’s sister — the twin Irka, with whom he was very close.
Lidka also had a good relationship with Irka, so she called her first: maybe she knew something?
Unexpectedly, Irka was reluctant to talk, though she used to love chatting with her sister-in-law on the phone.
— “What’s going on with you?” — Lidka couldn’t hold it in. — “First, Petya sulked like a mouse on grain, now you!”
— “You should know better!” — Irka replied sarcastically.
— “Enlighten me, dear!” — the sister-in-law asked. — “I don’t even have guesses on this!”
— “Turns out our Petya is infertile!” — said the sister-in-law after a brief pause.
— “What do you mean — infertile?” — Lidka genuinely wondered, looking at the fruit of their love, lying in the crib and happily smacking his lips. — “And what about Vitya?”
— “Vitya’s not his!” — Ira declared flatly.
— “Then whose is he?” — the sister-in-law asked.
— “You better know that!” — her husband’s sister replied categorically.
“So that’s where the problem lies!” — the girl thought. — “I wonder where this rumor is coming from?”
— “Listen, Irisha,” — Lidka asked coaxingly — “why was this only found out just now?”
— “He himself didn’t know!”
— “How is that — having a child and not knowing you’re infertile? And who opened my husband’s eyes to this terrible fact?”
— “Well, Marinka did!” — said the sister-in-law reluctantly.
Lida grew wary: Marinka was her husband’s ex-lover, with whom he had a long relationship. But they never married.
They had been together for five years but never had children, although neither used contraception.
Petr had told her this himself before their wedding. The breakup happened because of Marinka: she found herself a richer fool.
But there was never a word about infertility: it was as if it never existed and then suddenly appeared!
— “How does Marinka know all this?” — Lida asked. — “And where did she tell him?”
— “They ran into each other at the mall: she was there with her daughter.”
And when Petya bragged about Vitya, she told him! That they had no children because of Petya’s fault: Marinka even supposedly had some test done! And then she congratulated Petya on his ‘horns’ (i.e., cuckoldry)!
— “What test?” — asked Lidka, astonished and quite clever. — “A sperm test? And if they didn’t use protection, how did she collect that material, if you don’t mind me asking? Sounds like a fresh legend, but hard to believe…”
— “Why do you keep pestering me about material!” — said the sister-in-law irritably. — “How should I know! But the fact remains: they had no children together, and now she’s had one. It turns out your Vitya is not Petya’s!”
Lida knew this whole story about Marinka well. And about her leaving the hopeless “poor guy” who had no future.
— “Then why only now did this come out? About the test? Why didn’t she say earlier and waited three years?” — Lida pressed for the truth. — “Her leaving then would have looked much better and more justified: I want a child, but he’s infertile!”
— “How should I know about all your stuff!” — Irka answered.
— “Listen, can this Marinka lie? What do you think?” — the sister-in-law asked.
— “Why would she? Petya said she was there with her two-year-old daughter, she’s married, and everything’s fine with her husband! That’s how it is, Lidiya! So better confess!” — and on this cheerful note, the sister-in-law hung up.
Lida thought: it was clear the “ex” was lying. But why? There must have been a reason!
But that fool believed the stories of the one who had been deceiving him for a long time, and then just left!
And he perfectly knew that Lida had no idea and gave no reason for suspicion! But for some reason, he believed it!
And instead of talking and asking directly everything that was bothering him, he only puffed and sulked.
Lida was hurt and insulted. And many in her place would have reacted the same way. So the girl took a DNA paternity test, paying for it out of her own savings.
Then she left the result in plain sight and, taking Vitya, went to her parents who lived in the same city.
Petr called immediately after returning from work and seeing the result: 99.99%.
And then everything went as usual: “Forgive me, Lidusha, the devil made me do it! I love you — I’ll buy you a tram…”
But the wife was in no hurry to forgive: “You insulted me with suspicion and distrust! How could you even think that? You, my beloved husband and father of our child, and suddenly this!”
But really, how? Well, Marinka suggested it! He himself had no idea about the infertility!
Then he went to see his “ex,” who still lived at the same address: he needed to close the “gestalt” and clarify the situation.
And there, after an intense interrogation, he found out that Marinka lied about his infertility.
— “But why?” — Petr was amazed.
— “So that you would leave her and come back to me!” — the woman explained hotly.
— “But you’re married!”
— “He left me, that fool, right after the daughter was born and doesn’t pay alimony. So the girl’s growing up without a father!
And here you are — all confident and successful. I thought I’d try: even if he’s not the real father, at least a dad. Come back, Petenka! Remember how good we had it!” — Irka pleaded.
— “But I’m a poor guy!” — the man protested.
— “Oh, come on!” — said the “ex” peacefully. — “You’re not poor — I was wrong then!”
“Wrong?” — thought astonished Petr. — “Is that all?”
He still couldn’t come to terms for a long time. But luckily, he did. And now she appeared again, and again brought only trouble.
— “So, will you stay?” — Irka asked hopefully. — “My girl is calm — she won’t interfere!”
But Petya left: he learned all he needed. Now he just had to beg forgiveness from his wife.
And kind Lida forgave her trusting Petrusha. Well, yes: he was tormented by vague doubts. But that’s not cheating — which, by the way, is forgiven!
And the wife and son returned to their rented apartment.
But now Lida never missed a chance to tease her husband:
— “So, still looking for Gena’s genes, Pinkerton?”
— “Oh, come on!” — Petya grimaced: he didn’t like to remember that unpleasant moment.
Besides, as Vitya grows, he is becoming Petya’s exact copy.
In short, the spoons were found. But the unpleasant aftertaste will have to be dealt with for life.
And Lida understood that family life is fragile. And can easily crack from one careless word. Especially if it comes from an unhappy lonely aunt.