Alina sat in the kitchen, feverishly gulping down bitter, long-cold, and tasteless coffee, quietly crying. The children slept soundly in their beds, dreaming interesting dreams and sniffling with their little noses, while she just couldn’t fall asleep. Everything that had happened had so drained her that tears simply rolled down non-stop, from despair and hopelessness. The woman thought, “Half of my life wasted, Denis left, my best friend died, and now I have her children. They completely wear me down at work, life is unbearable. There’s no money for anything! How hard it is!”
She pulled an old photo from the album: “Here’s me, here’s my Denis, here’s Olya and Zhenya, all of us so young and happy! It seemed like we had our whole life ahead of us… And now what? Nothing but ruins!”
The woman plunged into memories. Alina and Olya grew up in an orphanage, they were not just best friends, but literally sisters. They shared all childhood sorrows and joys equally, always standing up for each other. They were even teased as “The Twins.” They even looked quite similar to each other. Both were fair-haired, blue-eyed, though Olga was a bit taller and stronger. Even their beds stood side by side, and as they grew up, the girls often whispered at night, about their girlish secrets. They dreamed of real, passionate love like in the movies, and a big, happy family.
When the girls left the orphanage, they learned to adapt to reality together. Alina completed hairdressing courses, she had a natural talent for it. Even in the orphanage, she loved doing everyone’s hair. And Olya went to work in a café, as a waitress. The profession, of course, was no piece of cake, on your feet all day. It was there, in the café, that her friend met her fiancé, Zhenya. He delivered products in a van, they started talking, got to know each other. They just clicked right away, like puzzle pieces, it turned out they had a lot in common, their tastes in everything were similar.
Zhenya was a practical, serious guy, didn’t throw words around, didn’t promise mountains of gold, but he loved Olya very much and proved it with his actions. He always met his bride in the evenings after work, wouldn’t let her walk alone in the dark, saved a little from each paycheck, and bought her sweet gifts, pampered her, understanding that she was very tired after a whole day. He could easily make a simple breakfast while his beloved slept, and then give her a pleasant massage.
Soon the couple had a modest wedding. Zhenya hustled as best he could, trying to provide for the family. His wife knew that with him, she would definitely not be lost, her husband was reliable, so she was not afraid to have children. Soon their son Sasha was born, and a year later, Lesha. Even doctors were surprised, saying, “When did you even manage to get pregnant again?” But Olya just joked: “Why wait? This way they’ll be friends, it’s more fun for them together! It’s troublesome at first, of course, but then it becomes easy!”
Alina, however, had a much less cloudless personal life. They met Denis in an unusual way. On a rainy day, the guy splashed Alina with water from a puddle as he drove by. She showed him her fist, and he abruptly stopped to apologize. Alina fell in love with him instantly, right there, in the middle of the street. Tall, athletic, handsome, in a nice car. They started talking, began to communicate. Gradually, their relationship became close. But while Alina was absolutely sure of her love for Denis, she constantly doubted his feelings for her. He was gentle, sensitive, attentive, but he never said those words first: “I love you!” They were together, yet not quite. Of course, there was no talk of marriage. Although Alina tried several times to hint to Denis that she wanted a real family, children, but he only snorted: “We’ll have time yet, dear, please, don’t start! Look at your friend. A complete madhouse, infants crying nonstop, she doesn’t get any sleep. Zhenya is from work to work, and when he comes home, it’s really fun, noise and din, and you can’t properly rest at all. No, I don’t want that. Let’s live for ourselves for now? Aren’t you happy with me?”
Alina, of course, understood that it was not normal when a man, after so many years, did not want to propose to his girlfriend, but she found all sorts of excuses for Denis because she loved him very much and was ready to do anything just to have him by her side. Denis’s parents, not poor people, were not thrilled with their son’s choice, and constantly nudged him: “Son, come to your senses! Leave her before it’s too late. Why do you need an orphan? Surely there are plenty of other girls? Don’t ruin your life!”
Alina tried to help her friend cope with the children, in her free time she would come over, sit with the little ones while she rushed to the milk kitchen or to the stores. Spending a couple of hours with the children, her friend felt like a whole day had passed and she had unloaded a wagon of firewood. She wondered where Olya got the strength? But she was an optimist, did not despair, and felt that her life had turned out quite well. They even came up with the idea to buy a used car, there was no end to their joy. So many plans: “We’ll travel on vacation as a big family! It’s convenient to take the kids to daycare, and when they grow up, we can even go to the sea, wild style.
Alina always kindly envied Olya, the atmosphere in her home was so warm and heartfelt. She too yearned for a strong, close-knit family and children, just like everyone else.
But their bright family plans were not meant to be realized. Misfortune came unexpectedly. On that fateful day, Alina was visiting Olya, and they were both trying to calm the kids and get them ready for a winter walk. Suddenly, the phone rang. Olya answered, but within a minute she screamed loudly and collapsed to the floor. Alina couldn’t understand: Olya was unconscious, the kids were screaming, she was torn apart and panicked, trying to help everyone at once. In fright, she called an ambulance. It turned out that Olya had been informed that Zhenya had died in a terrible accident, never regaining consciousness. From that moment, calamities began to pile up one after the other, as if cursed.
Funerals, tears, wakes—poor Olga turned gray with grief, becoming like a shadow. The only thing that kept her going was the need to stay strong for the kids. They hadn’t even buried Zhenya when Olga was diagnosed with a severe illness, apparently a tumor that had begun to grow due to stress. Alina supported her friend to the end, and for two years they fought this terrible disease. Olya completely lost spirit; she already didn’t want to live after her husband’s death, and then this illness clung to her. Endless doctor visits, IVs, and injections took her last strength. Now, she devoted all her time entirely to Olya and the kids. Denis was nervous, fuming: “What, you decided to move in with Olga? Remember, you have a fiancé? We’ve drifted apart! We don’t go anywhere together. You don’t spend any time with me! What is this? Only talks about illnesses and kids! Maybe enough?”
The woman was puzzled: “Denis, dear, don’t be angry! I love you so much! It’s just such a difficult period, we need to endure. But you see how hard it is for Olya, everything fell on her at once, Zhenya died and she herself fell ill! How can I leave her now, in such a difficult moment?”
And then, two months ago, her beloved friend was gone… For Alina, it was a terrible loss, for Olga was more than a friend, closer than a sister, truly the dearest person on earth to her.
Olga was very worried about the kids and kept repeating before she died:
“Alina, dear, I beg you, don’t send Lesha and Sasha to the orphanage! Take them in! You know what awaits them there! God forbid they’re separated and given to different families? Then they’ll completely lose each other! After all, a brother is support and a pillar for life! I don’t want them to have no childhood either! Promise?”
The woman cried and nodded her head:
“I promise, I swear on our friendship, I won’t abandon them! I’ll raise them as my own.”
Therefore, when Olya died, Alina didn’t delay but immediately applied for guardianship. The poor kids often cried, slept poorly at night, and kept calling for mom. The elder, Sasha, stood guard at the door and refused to leave, afraid to miss the moment when mom would come! The younger, Lesha, still didn’t fully understand what had happened… Alina’s heart was breaking into pieces, she didn’t know how to comfort the boys, what words to find? How to explain to them that mom would never come? So, she just hugged them tightly, kissed their tear-stained cheeks, and whispered softly:
“Quiet, quiet, my good boys, I’ll always be with you, and mommy sees and loves you, only now she’s far away, in the heavens…”
When Denis found out that Alina had applied for guardianship, he completely lost it, packed his things, slammed the door, and left. As he left, he bitterly said:
“Well then, dear, you’ve made your choice! I’m not about to waste my youth on this foreign nursery!”
Alina cried, tried to explain her actions:
“Understand, I couldn’t do otherwise! Olya asked me before she died not to abandon them! We were orphans too, you know how hard it is in an orphanage, without relatives and close ones? Don’t you feel sorry at all for Lesha and Sasha? That’s heartless! They are just children and are innocent!”
Denis coldly countered:
“No one argues, what happened to your friend Olya and her husband Zhenya is tragic. But they are their children, not yours! They are not your blood! I wasn’t even planning on having my own yet, it’s too early! And you want me to sacrifice my youth to raise someone else’s kids? No way! If you want to ruin your life, please, but don’t drag me into it! That’s it, goodbye, Mother Teresa!”
Alina pleaded with him not to make hasty decisions, they had been together for so long!
But it was useless! Denis left and didn’t even call, just erased her from his life as if all those years never existed! At work, too, everyone turned against Alina. Her colleagues shook their heads in disbelief:
“Are you crazy? Why did you take on such a burden? Do you even understand what it means to pull two little kids by yourself? Your life is ruined! You should be thinking about your own family, but you? And keep in mind, if you start running to the hospital often, we’re not going to cover for you! Just so you know!”
Alina was as busy as a squirrel in a wheel, saving every penny, and yet nothing worked out for her. Her salary was not very large, and the expenses for the daycare, food, and clothing for the children were substantial. Moreover, Sasha started getting sick frequently, constantly coughing and running a fever, forcing Alina to take sick leaves and shuttle him to clinics to treat his chronic bronchitis, leaving her with even less money. She was so exhausted and tired, both mentally and physically, that now, sitting in the kitchen at night, tears involuntarily flowed from her eyes, simply from despair!
Lost in a few hours of drowsy dreaming, the woman had a strange dream. Beautiful nature, a small river, birds singing, and she stood on the shore with some unknown man who tenderly embraced her waist, making her feel light and pleasant. Startling awake, the woman suddenly thought: “Really, I’ll sell my and Olya’s room and move with the kids to the village, away from all the problems! To be where no one knows me, tears me apart with questions and reproaches! Maybe Sasha will stop being sick? I’m so tired of it all!” No sooner said than done! Everyone she knew was shocked when they learned that Alina was urgently selling her property and planning to move to some remote village. Neighbors and acquaintances long gossiped and criticized her:
“Has she completely lost her mind? Normal people strive to move from the villages to the city, but this fragile woman, of her own will, plans to move to the wilderness! Why, one might ask? What’s there to do? Smell manure and wallow in the mud?”
Alina, however, simply chose a village she liked the name of, Otradnoe, and moved there.
She bought a small, old, but warm and cozy house with a garden and a decent vegetable garden, and began to settle in. To her surprise, the boys were very happy about the move and joyfully ran around outside all day! The woman befriended a neighbor, Mrs. Avdotya, started buying goat’s milk for the children from her, and even learned to make cheese. Work in Otradnoe was scarce, and the local council offered Alina two options: either work as a shop assistant or at the farm. Not wanting the responsibility of handling money, she chose to work as a farm laborer. She also earned a little extra by cutting hair at home, not charging much, just what people would give. She was amazed at how easy and good life was here! People were kind, with open hearts. Nobody knew that Sasha and Lesha were adopted; they called her mom, so the villagers thought they were her own children. At first, of course, working on the farm was very tough, she was exhausted, but gradually she got used to it. Moreover, the pay was quite good.
The chairman and the farmer were delighted with the new worker. She was attractive, friendly, and hardworking. It was a miracle! When people were surprised and asked why she moved to the village, Alina answered: “My younger son was very sick in the city! I didn’t know what to do! I was tired of running to doctors. But look at him now. He’s revived. Running around, he doesn’t even remember his cough!” This was absolutely true; Sasha’s bronchitis seemed to have evaporated in the village as if it had never been.
On the outskirts of the village stood an abandoned house, isolated and looking gloomy and a bit frightening. Alina always tried to avoid it when returning home from the farm. But that day, she glanced at it and couldn’t believe her eyes, it seemed that a dim light was shining in the window. The woman checked herself: “No way! It can’t be, must have been my imagination!” and hurried away. However, the next day, it happened again! The same dim, flickering light in the window! Alina grew anxious: “What is this devilry? Alright, once could be my imagination, but not every day?” Arriving home, she rushed to Mrs. Avdotya, who was just herding her goat Glasha in for milking. The worried woman asked: “Do you know whose house that is, the abandoned one on the edge? There seems to be a light in the window?”
The old woman made the sign of the cross:
“God forbid! That cannot be. Our former forester, Fedor Vasilyevich, used to live there, but he died a long time ago, about five years now. Since then, the house has been deserted, no one lives there. It’s a spooky place, right on the edge. True, he had a son, Vasya, a nice boy, I remember him running around as a lad, always shooting his slingshot, kind, always smiling. But as he grew up, he went to Moscow to work and vanished. No one has seen him since! Poor Fedor Vasilyevich always hoped and waited for him until his last day, but died, poor soul, without seeing him again.”
The next day, Alina deliberately peered through the dirty, unwashed window, and suddenly saw someone desperately waving their arms, trying to get her attention! Fear literally struck the woman, her thoughts were confused: “What to do? Go there or not? What if there’s a villain inside? Might even kill me for all I know? On the other hand, maybe someone is in despair and needs help… What if it’s really the forester’s son returned?”
Alina cautiously approached the leaning door, arming herself with a large stick just in case, and gently pushed it open. On the bare floor lay an emaciated, skinny, and unshaven vagrant. He was breathing heavily and was unconscious! It seemed he had used his last strength to stand and wave to her. She cautiously touched the man’s forehead; it was burning up, his temperature was through the roof!
On the man’s arms and chest were tattoos, clearly, he had been in prison. Alina panicked seriously: “Just what I needed! A criminal has fallen on my head! Scary to bring him home, with little kids around! You never know what to expect from him! But it’s also not right to leave someone alone! He’s not a dog! He’ll die in the cold!”
She tried to revive the man— to no avail. He only muttered deliriously. Then Alina threw some blankets on the old couch, and with great difficulty, dragged the man onto it! Then she rushed to the pharmacy, bought medicine for the cold, and hurried to Mrs. Avdotya. Out of breath, she began to ask the old woman:
“Help! There’s a matter! Can you watch my little ones for a couple of hours, as I need to urgently leave? Please don’t refuse!”
The old woman smiled:
“Why not sit with them? Bring them over, it’s only a pleasure for me! They are not too naughty, I can manage! We’ll just start making pies together. It’s more cheerful than moping alone.”
Taking a warm blanket, matches, medicine, water, and some food from home, she ran back to the abandoned forester’s house. After giving the man a fever reducer, she began to feed him warm milk slowly. Then she kindled the stove. To her surprise, it lit up quickly, and within half an hour, the house noticeably warmed up. She wrapped the poor man in the warm blanket, left some milk and bread on the table, crossed the stranger, and rushed back to her boys. For five whole days, she visited the vagrant in the morning, on her way to the farm, and back. She changed his compresses, administered injections, and fed him milk. She stoked the stove briefly, so the man wouldn’t freeze. All these days he was very weak, said nothing, just looked at her so devotedly!! It sent shivers down her spine. Finally, after a week, seeing Alina arrive, the stranger hoarsely said:
“Hello, my savior! Thank you so much! If it weren’t for you, I’d surely be dead! My name is Vasily.”
The woman replied:
“I guessed already; I asked the neighbor, Mrs. Avdotya, who used to live in this house, and she told me about you. I’m Alina, recently moved here with my kids. So, you just disappeared without a trace? Where have you been all this time? I’m curious.”
Vasily sighed and began to tell his story:
“There’s nothing to tell! I’m a lost soul, a nobody! I ruined my life with my own hands! My mother died in childbirth, and my father raised me alone. He tried his best, loved me, never denied me anything. After finishing school and serving in the army, he enrolled me in a driving school, and I got my license. My father dreamed of me becoming a combine driver or a tractorist in the village; they pay well. But I, of course, dreamed of something else! I was desperate to break free from this backwater, to move to the capital. It seemed that there lay incredible opportunities, a prosperous and secure life! That’s how they show it on TV! Against my father’s wishes, I left. There was a terrible scandal! My father, in anger, yelled: ‘You’ll regret it, fool! Who needs you there, in that Moscow? You belong where you were born! Remember, if you face hardship, and beg to come back, I won’t take you in!’ I was no better, I said terrible things in return, swore I’d rather die than return to that hole! And that’s how we parted. Well, I arrived in the capital, thinking I’d be taken on a decent job right away, find housing, and live as well as others. But reality was completely different! Without an education, no one would hire me, I barely got a job as a laborer on a construction site, and they housed me right there, in a trailer. I worked like a dog for three months until I realized we were being scammed, and they weren’t going to pay us! That’s when I got involved with bad company. They promised quick earnings, easy work, just to keep a lookout. Once the easy money flowed, I went all out: bars, girls for the night, I partied as hard as I could! A few months later, we were busted, and I got my first prison sentence. I served it, came out, decided I was done with crime. Tried to find a job, but to no avail! Even with a criminal record, not even a janitor would take me! And it all started again, I drank, wandered, stole! Ended up back in prison, this time for a long stretch. When I got out half a year ago, I ended up homeless, hit rock bottom. I collected bottles from trash bins, slept on heating ducts. When I was completely broke, I kept having the same dream. It was as if my father was waving from the window, calling and shouting: ‘Son, come home, I’m waiting for you!’ So I decided to return home, to repent, ask for forgiveness for everything! But it was too late, the house was deserted, my father had died. Honestly, I’m ashamed to show my face to people! What kind of son am I? So I’ve been squatting here for a week, like a trapped wolf! Probably got too cold, starved, and fell ill. Probably someone like me isn’t worth living! Just trash, unnecessary ballast! No one would cry, bury me like a dog, and that’s that…”
Alina felt uneasy hearing such words, she tried to encourage the man:
“Don’t talk like that, Vasily! My life hasn’t been sweet either! I’m an orphan too, grew up in an orphanage, my best friend died, I adopted her children, my boyfriend left me because of this, didn’t want such a burden! I had no money, so I sold everything and moved with the boys here, to the backwoods, away from people’s gossip and judgments. And you know, little by little, everything worked out! I work on a farm, I don’t slack, they pay well, the kids like it here, people are kind, responsive. So don’t despair and bury yourself before your time! Try starting a new life! Go see the chairman, he’s an understanding man, might help with a job. I’ll help you for the first while, bring food, milk. I’ll try to get some warm clothes for you, you look like you have nothing… And winter’s coming! Bit by bit, you’ll see, life will get better. Oh, I’ve been chatting too much, I must run! My kids are waiting at home, probably drove Mrs. Avdotya crazy! Get well! I’ll come by tomorrow!”
Vasya couldn’t get the woman out of his mind, remembering her soft, gentle, warm hands that cared for him, her blue eyes and sincere smile… Alina became a pillar of support for him, and for her, he wanted to live differently! As she promised, she came to him every day, fed him, encouraged him. The man grew stronger, no longer looked like a living corpse, shaved, tidied up the house a bit, and finally decided to go see the chairman, he couldn’t expect his woman to feed him forever.
The man timidly knocked on the office door, and asked:
“May I come in?”
Ivan Ivanovich looked at him intently and replied:
“Come in, Vasily, since you’re here. Although I can’t say I’m happy to see you!”
Vasya was taken aback:
“You recognized me just like that? So many years have passed!”
The chairman frowned:
“How could I not recognize you, the spitting image of the late forester! Where have you been, scoundrel, your father wore himself out waiting for you until his last breath! How could you treat your parents like that? What brings you here?”
Vasily blushed and lowered his head:
“I know there’s no forgiveness for me, I squandered my life like a fool! Here, I’ve come to repent, want to start a fresh life! But it’s too late, dad died… So, I wanted to ask, is there any work in the village? I have a driver’s license. I’m up for any job!”
Ivan Ivanovich studied the documents for a long time, then said:
“Good that you have a license, bad that you’re a convict. Here’s what we’ll do, I’ll put you on the farm as a laborer, on a probationary period, for three months. If you don’t laze around or steal, then we’ll think about a tractorist vacancy. Deal?”
An overjoyed Vasily nodded his head:
“Thank you, Ivan Ivanovich! I won’t let you down! I promise! I’m done with the past, for good!”
The chairman added:
“We’ll see, everyone promises at the beginning, then tries to peek into a vodka glass. Take a lesson from our new lady, Alina. An outstanding worker, works conscientiously, raising two boys on her own, I can’t praise her enough!”
The work was hellishly hard, but Vasya didn’t despair, he tried his best, and when he received his first honestly earned money in his life, he was even more pleased. It turns out when you earn your money through hard work, you don’t even want to waste it on drink, what a phenomenon! With his first paycheck, the man bought chocolate candies, two little toy cars, markers, and decided to visit Alina, who had long invited him.
The first snow had fallen, and the boys scraped it up from everywhere, trying to make a semblance of a snowman; it wasn’t very successful, but they weren’t discouraged. Someone knocked on the gate, the boys, not waiting for their mom, raced to open it. The man said:
“Hello everyone! Can I come in? I’m Vasya, what are your names, warriors?”
The boys chattered in unison:
“I’m Sasha, I’m Lesha, did you come to visit us? We’re making a snowman, but it’s coming out dirty, there’s not enough snow…”
Vasya handed them the gifts:
“More snow will fall, don’t worry! This is for you guys, from me! Is your mom home?”
The kids, seeing their mom, ran to her and joyfully reported:
“Mom, Santa Claus Vasya came to visit!”
The woman laughed:
“Why is he Santa Claus? His nose isn’t red, no beard! What an imagination!”
Sasha confidently replied:
“Because only Santa Claus brings gifts in winter. Right? Look, he gave us racing cars, markers, and candies!”
Alina called Vasya over:
“Hello, Vasya, come on in. Good of you to come. My cabbage soup is almost ready and I’ve made apple pies. We’re just about to have lunch. You’re spoiling my kids, watch out, they’ll start asking for gifts every day!”
The man smiled:
“I don’t mind spending on the kids. I’ll buy even more!”
Within half an hour, all four of them were happily dining together, Vasya gobbling up the treats on both cheeks and praising the hostess, everything was indeed very tasty! Then they drank tea with pies and candies, chatting about everything under the sun. The little ones clung to Vasya non-stop, but he enjoyed it. He happily made paper boats and cut out snowflakes with them. The next day they all went sledding on a hill behind the village and had a great time.
Alina invited Vasya to join them for New Year’s Eve. She felt sorry for him, sitting alone in his little house like an owl, and feared that he might relapse and start drinking again! At first, he was embarrassed, but then he agreed. He didn’t want to be alone in his house during the festive season, remembering the last normal New Year’s Eve he celebrated in his childhood with his dad. Since then, it was either in prison, on the heating ducts, or in bars with party girls. He had forgotten what a bright and family-oriented holiday it was. The man brought a small, beautiful Christmas tree from the forest the day before, and they all decorated it together, which turned out to be quite a ritual! Sasha and Lesha nearly fought over who got to hang the star at the top! They had to use a counting game to decide who would get to do it. Alina roasted a goose with apples in the oven, prepared delicious salads and snacks. She didn’t forget about costumes for the boys, dressing Sasha as Petrushka, and Lesha as a bear.
At the stroke of midnight, everyone cheerfully drank juice instead of champagne, wishing each other happiness and health. Then the kids, having received their coveted gifts, finally settled down and went to sleep, while Alina and Vasya watched a New Year’s comedy on TV and laughed heartily.
Vasya suddenly said quietly:
“Alina, you are the best woman in the world! You have given me such a fairy tale! I’ve never celebrated New Year’s Eve like this, so warmly, with kids! Thank you for everything! Since you came into my life, it has changed, I’ve changed inside, do you understand? You are like a light in the window for me! I…”
The woman felt that just a little more, and she wouldn’t be able to hold back, she would melt, and already not be able to control herself! Vasya appealed to her immensely, but…
So she quickly changed the subject:
“Vasya, thank you for brightening the holiday. The kids really adore you! And I feel calm and good with you. Well, it’s late, time to go, or I won’t get to sleep before my rascals ask for breakfast!”
They said their heartfelt goodbyes, and Alina didn’t sleep until morning, tossing and turning in bed, thinking: “I might have gotten carried away, it’s time to stop! He’s kind, good, I like him, but a former convict? If I get together with him, should I then expect some trick all my life? Well, I helped, we’re friends, that’s enough! But he looks at me so piercingly! Or should I take a risk, get closer? Sasha and Lesha would only be happy, they’re already so attached to him! Oh, I’m so confused!”
Vasya also couldn’t sleep, thinking: “How can I decide and confess my love to Alina? What if she sends me away? Who am I? What can I offer her? A former convict and a bum, quite the catch! She’s a serious, strict woman, she even turned away the farmer’s brother, even though he has a fancy house and a fancy car!”
In the spring, when it got warmer, Vasya decided to repair his house. He had saved some money over the winter, and ordered some boards and bricks at the village council. He decided to start with the kitchen and the porch, where the walls were barely holding up. He asked Alina to come and help move out the furniture. Suddenly, while they were struggling to shift a heavy sideboard, the wall started to crumble and collapse, bricks and plaster crashing down with a loud noise. Both cried out in surprise and jumped aside. When the dust settled, Alina noticed a small box among the bricks, picked it up. It turned out to be an antique box. She shouted to the man:
“Vasya, look what I found? Maybe there was a treasure hidden here and you’re about to become a millionaire?” – she laughed.
He just waved it off:
“Where would a treasure come from? My father built this house, we always lived modestly. Probably just a trinket. Throw it away, that’s all!”
But Alina’s curiosity prevailed and she managed to open the box with difficulty, prying it open with a pin. Inside was a bundle. It was neatly stacked bills and a small, yellowed note. Alina was no longer laughing:
“Vasya, this is for you, apparently your father left it, here, read it.”
The man, trembling with excitement, took the note and read aloud:
“Vasenka, my son! I didn’t live to see you! This money is for you, I saved it penny by penny all my life, hoping you would come back, it would be useful. Forgive me, old man, for cursing you back then and telling you never to show your face! You must have been very hurt, so you didn’t come home! I regretted those words a hundred times! Know that I love you! Don’t hold it against me! Goodbye. Your Papa.”
Vasily fell to his knees and sobbed, trying to drown out the wild, unbearable longing for his father. He whispered, “Forgive me, Pa! You were right, and I was a fool! I wasted my life worthlessly, never came back to you! How I miss you!” A solitary tear rolled down his cheek…
Alina was moved, at a loss, she hugged Vasya and tried to comfort him somehow:
“Don’t beat yourself up like this, Vasya! You can’t bring back the past, what’s done can’t be undone. I believe your father, up there in heaven, sees everything and is surely happy that you’ve taken hold of your senses, become a man! You know what? Use this money to order a monument for your father’s grave, that’s how you can honor the old man!”
The man hugged Alina gratefully:
“Really, what kind of son am I? I’ve been home for half a year, and I haven’t yet put my father’s grave in order! How wise you are, what would I do without you!” He was about to kiss Alina, sensing it was mutual. But she gently pushed him away, again frightened of continuing…
The money was more than enough for a decent monument for the father and for house repairs. Vasya decided to propose to Alina, so he went to the city and bought a modest but very sweet ring. He completely remodeled the house, making a children’s room. He set it up knowing what he would have dreamed of if he had been a child. Bunk beds, a separate study table for each, plenty of toys. He hung a picture of a huge ship on the wall, as Sasha was absolutely crazy about the sea. And he didn’t forget about Lesha either, buying a large globe. The boy was keenly interested in travel and loved listening to stories about far-off countries and adventures.
Vasya prepared thoroughly, dressed up, shaved cleanly, crossed himself, and went to Alina. He timidly knocked on the gate. The woman was stunned when she saw Vasya on the doorstep in full parade, with a bouquet of tender roses and a box with a ring. He, as was proper, got down on one knee, and solemnly said:
“Alina! Marry me! I’m certainly not an enviable groom, no special talents or riches to boast of, nothing much to be proud of, but I want to tell you the main thing: I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you, but was afraid to confess, thinking you would drive me away. I’m absolutely attached to the kids! You and they are already the most precious people to me, I live for you! I promise, I will never return to the past. I will never touch alcohol again! Well, do you agree?”
Tears streamed down the woman’s face. She had finally received a proposal of marriage and heart, and she nodded her head and quietly said:
“I agree.”
Finally, the couple kissed passionately, not hiding their mutual feelings.
Curious Sasha and Lesha were there in an instant, quickly assessing the situation, and joyfully shouted:
“Hooray! Vasya, are you marrying mom? Yeah? Does that mean you’re now our dad? Hooray!”
The man lifted Sasha into his arms and replied:
“Of course, dad! I’m not going anywhere now! We’ll go fishing together and ride bikes!”
Lesha pouted a bit, frowning, and muttered:
“And what, am I not your son? Why only with Sasha to fish and on bikes?”
Vasya laughed, lifting Lesha into his arms too:
“Lesha, son, I love you both equally, strongly, don’t worry!”
Alina couldn’t get over the fact that she was soon to be married, she was almost happy, almost…
That evening, seizing the moment when Vasya and the kids were assembling puzzles, she ran to her neighbor, Mrs. Avdotya. She just had to consult with someone.
They sat in the kitchen, and Alina excitedly told how Vasya had proposed. The old woman, with an experienced eye, noticed something was troubling the woman, and asked bluntly:
“Dear, what are you afraid of? Or is he not your love? I see something’s eating at you..”
Alina sighed and answered:
“I don’t know how to say this… I love him, it’s true, and he loves me, I feel it, and the kids took to him right away, adore him.. But he’s been in prison! This thought has been tormenting me for a long time, I’m completely worn out, what if he slips up again?”
The neighbor shook her head:
“Remember, if you truly love someone, you accept them with all their flaws, completely. Everyone has a past that can’t be erased, but you don’t have to live in it. You must trust him completely, unconditionally. Otherwise, it won’t work! And you can’t swear off prison or insanity. Life is unpredictable. Vasya is a good man, I’ve known him since he was a child, you won’t lose with him. Now that he’s taken hold of himself, he won’t falter. So live happily!”
Alina beamed:
“Thank you so much for your kind words! I’ve spoken out, and I feel lighter already! Oh, I should run, probably head home. Goodbye!”
A month later, as is customary, the couple registered their marriage. They celebrated modestly, set up a long table in the gazebo, invited all the neighbors and friends, and had a heartfelt gathering. Vasya, as he promised, didn’t drink a drop, only compote. He wasn’t up for it, he kept admiring his wife, and seemed to relish that phrase! How beautiful she was in a soft white dress with ruffles, her long hair loose, adorned with a lily clip, simply irresistible! Finally, a light appeared in his troubled, mangled life! He was no longer alone, he had a huge responsibility now, as a husband, father of two!
The family decided to move into Vasya’s renovated house. The boys were thrilled with their room! Their old house was cramped, and they all squeezed together. In the yard, Vasya built a sandbox and homemade swings for the kids, their joy knew no bounds. In the evening, when the little ones had gone to bed, Vasya solemnly and mysteriously said:
“My love, I invite you on a date! I have a surprise!”
Alina was surprised but followed Vasya to the backyard. When he led her into the barn, she was astonished. Right on the hayloft, Vasya had crafted an improvised bridal bed and began passionately kissing his wife, then gently pushed her and they both fell together into the soft, fluffy hay! Such a wedding night surely no one else had. The moon shone, cicadas sang, it was warm and quiet, Alina felt as if she were in heaven, so good and easy it was, just like in a fairy tale. Vasya gently caressed her shoulder, kissed each finger, and she thought: “This is what real male love is! When true feelings are there, and someone else’s children are not an obstacle! Not like her ex, Denis, who only thought of himself…” She playfully turned to her husband and asked:
“Darling, would you mind if we have our own little one later on? What do you think?”
Vasya embraced his wife and whispered:
“I think we shouldn’t wait, let’s start right now!” And they merged into a passionate kiss…