“You must be joking,” Tatyana said, staring at Ivan Petrovich with her eyes wide.
He shook his head.
“No, I’m not. But I’ll give you time to think. Because the offer really isn’t a usual one. I can even guess what you’re thinking right now. Weigh everything, think it through properly—I’ll come back in a week.”
Tanya watched him go, bewildered. The words he had just said wouldn’t fit in her head.
She’d known Ivan Petrovich for three years. He owned a chain of gas stations and some other businesses. Tanya worked part-time as a cleaner at one of those stations. He always greeted the staff kindly and spoke to them warmly. All in all, he was a good man.
The pay at the station was decent, so there was no shortage of people wanting the job. About two months earlier, after she finished cleaning, Tanya was sitting outside—her shift was almost over and she had a little free time.
Suddenly the service door opened and Ivan Petrovich appeared.
“Mind if I sit?”
Tanya jumped up.
“Of course—why even ask?”
“Why are you springing to your feet? Sit down, I don’t bite. It’s a nice day.”
She smiled and sat again.
“Yes, in spring it feels like the weather is always good.”
“That’s because everyone’s sick of winter.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask: why are you working as a cleaner? Larisa offered to move you to operator, didn’t she? Better pay, easier work.”
“I’d love to. But the schedule doesn’t work—my daughter is little and gets sick. When she’s fine, the neighbor can sit with her. But when things flare up, I have to be there myself. So Larisa and I swap shifts when needed. She always helps.”
“I see… What’s going on with the girl?”
“Oh, don’t ask… The doctors don’t really understand. She has episodes—can’t breathe, panics, a lot of things. And the serious tests are all private. They say we should wait, maybe she’ll grow out of it. Only I can’t just wait…”
“Hang in there. It’ll be all right.”
Tanya thanked him. That evening she learned Ivan Petrovich had issued her a bonus—with no explanation, just handed it over.
She didn’t see him after that. And now, today, he’d shown up at her home.
When Tanya saw him, her heart nearly stopped. And when she heard his proposal—it got even worse.
Ivan Petrovich had a son—Stas, almost thirty. Seven of those years he’d spent in a wheelchair after an accident. The doctors did everything they could, but he never got back on his feet. Depression, withdrawal, almost complete refusal to talk—even with his father.
So Ivan Petrovich had an idea: marry off his son. For real. So he would have a goal again, a desire to live, to fight. He wasn’t sure it would work, but he decided to try. And it seemed to him that Tanya was the perfect person for the role.
“Tanya, you’ll be completely cared for. You’ll have everything. Your daughter will get every test, all the treatment she needs. I’m offering a one-year contract. After a year you’ll leave—no matter what. If Stas improves—wonderful. If not—I’ll reward you generously.”
Tanya couldn’t get a word out—outrage had seized her.
As if reading her thoughts, Ivan Petrovich said quietly:
“Tanya, please, help me. It’s mutually beneficial. I’m not even sure my son will touch you. And things will be easier for you—you’ll be respected, officially married. Imagine you married not for love but for circumstances. I only ask: not a word to anyone about our conversation.”
“Wait, Ivan Petrovich… And your Stas—does he agree?”
The man smiled sadly.
“He says he doesn’t care. I’ll tell him I have problems—with the business, with my health… The main thing is that he’s married. Properly. He’s always trusted me. So this is… a lie for the greater good.”
Ivan Petrovich left, and Tanya sat for a long time, numb. Inside, indignation boiled. But his plain, honest words took some of the edge off the proposal.
And if she thought about it… What wouldn’t she do for little Sonya?
Anything.
And him? He was a father too. He loved his son, too.
Her shift hadn’t even ended when the phone rang:
“Tanyusha, quick! Sonyechka’s having an episode! A bad one!”
“I’m coming! Call an ambulance!”
She arrived just as the ambulance pulled up to the gate.
“Where have you been, mother?” the doctor asked sternly.
“I was at work…”
The episode really was severe.
“Maybe we should go to the hospital?” Tanya asked timidly.
The doctor, who was there for the first time, waved a tired hand.
“What’s the point? They won’t help there. They’ll only rattle the child’s nerves. You really ought to go to the capital—to a good clinic, real specialists.”
Forty minutes later the doctors left.
Tanya picked up the phone and dialed Ivan Petrovich.
“I agree. Sonya had another episode.”
The next day they were leaving.
Ivan Petrovich himself came for them—accompanied by a young, clean-shaven man.
“Tanya, take only the essentials. We’ll buy everything else.”
She nodded.
Sonya looked the car over with curiosity—big and shiny.
Ivan Petrovich crouched in front of her.
“Do you like it?”
“A lot!”
“Want to sit in front? Then you’ll see everything.”
“Can I? I really want to!”
The girl looked at her mother.
“If the police see, they’ll write us a ticket,” Tanya said strictly.
Ivan Petrovich laughed and swung the door open.
“Hop in, Sonya! And if someone wants to write a ticket—we’ll fine them instead!”
The closer they got to the house, the more nervous Tanya became.
“God, why did I agree? What if he’s strange, aggressive…?”
Ivan Petrovich noticed her anxiety.
“Tanya, relax. There’s a whole week before the wedding. You can change your mind at any time. And… Stas is a good guy, smart, but something broke inside him. You’ll see for yourself.”
Tanya got out of the car, helped her daughter down, and suddenly froze, staring at the house. It wasn’t just a house—it was a real mansion. And Sonya, unable to hold back, squealed with joy:
“Mom, are we going to live like in a fairy tale now?!”
Ivan Petrovich laughed, scooped the girl into his arms.
“Do you like it?”
“A lot!”
Right up until the wedding, Tanya and Stas met only a few times—at dinner. The young man barely ate and barely spoke. He just sat at the table, present in body but with his mind far away. Tanya watched him carefully. He was good-looking, though pale, as if he hadn’t seen the sun in a long time. She sensed that he, like her, lived with pain. And she was grateful to him for not bringing up the coming marriage.
On the wedding day, it felt like a hundred people were buzzing around Tanya. The dress was delivered literally the day before. When she saw it, she just dropped into a chair.
“How much did this cost?”
Ivan Petrovich smiled.
“Tanya, you’re too impressionable. Better not to know. Here, look what else I’ve got.”
He took out a miniature copy of the wedding dress.
“Sonya, shall we try it on?”
Her daughter squealed so loudly they had to cover their ears. Then came the fitting—the little princess paced the room with great dignity, beaming.
At one point Tanya turned and saw Stas. He stood in the doorway of his room, watching Sonya. In his eyes—a shadow of a smile.
Sonya now lived in the room next to their bedroom. Their bedroom. Not long ago, Tanya couldn’t have imagined she’d end up here.
Ivan Petrovich suggested going to the country house, but Stas shook his head.
“Thanks, Dad. We’ll stay home.”
The bed in the bedroom was enormous. Stas kept his distance, made no moves. And Tanya, who had planned to stay on guard all night, unexpectedly fell asleep quickly.
A week passed. They started talking in the evenings. Stas turned out to be incredibly intelligent, witty, interested in books and science. He made no attempt to get closer to her. Gradually Tanya began to relax.
One night she woke with a start—her heart pounding.
“Something’s wrong…”
She rushed to her daughter’s room. It was just as she had feared—Sonya was in the grip of an episode.
“Stas, help! Call an ambulance!”
He was at the door in a second and grabbed the phone. A minute later a sleepy Ivan Petrovich ran in.
“I’ll call Alexei myself.”
The ambulance arrived quickly. The doctors were unfamiliar—smart suits, modern equipment. Then the family doctor arrived. They talked for a long time after the episode passed. Tanya sat with her daughter. Stas was nearby, holding the girl’s hand.
“Tatyana,” he asked quietly, “has she had this since birth?”
“Yes… We’ve been to hospitals so many times, done all sorts of tests, but nothing helped. That’s why my ex told me not to get in the way of his life.”
“Did you love him?”
“Probably. But that was so long ago…”
“So you agreed to my father’s offer…”
Tanya raised her brows in surprise.
Stas smiled.
“Father thinks I don’t know anything. But I’ve always read him like an open book. I was afraid of who he’d find for me. And when I saw you—I was surprised. You’re nothing like the kind of person who’d do this for money. And now it’s like everything has fallen into place.”
He looked at her.
“Tanya, don’t cry. We’ll cure Sonya. She’s a fighter. She didn’t break—unlike me.”
“Why did you break? You’re smart, handsome, kind…”
He gave a wry smile. “Be honest: would you have married me if things were different?”
Tanya thought for a second and nodded.
“Yes. I think loving you would be much easier than loving many of the men who run around pretending to be heroes. But it’s not even about that. I just… can’t explain.”
Stas smiled.
“You don’t need to. For some reason I believe you.”
A few days later Tanya caught Stas at a strange activity. He had assembled some complicated device and was trying to work out on it.
“It’s a trainer,” he explained. “After the accident I was supposed to use it at least three hours a day. But I decided it didn’t matter anymore. And now… I’m ashamed. In front of Sonya. In front of you.”
There was a knock at the door. Ivan Petrovich’s head appeared in the doorway.
“May I?”
“Come in, Dad.”
The man froze when he saw what his son was doing. He swallowed and turned to Tanya.
“Tell me… were your labor pains difficult?”
“Yes, why?”
“The doctor said they probably pulled Sonya out sharply and damaged the temporal bone. On the outside everything healed, nothing shows. But inside—it’s pressing on a nerve.”
Tanya sank into a chair.
“That can’t be… What do we do now?”
Tears ran down her cheeks.
“Hush, don’t cry,” Ivan Petrovich said. “The doctor said it’s not a sentence. She needs surgery. They’ll remove what’s pressing, and Sonya will be healthy.”
“But it’s her head… It’s dangerous…”
Stas reached for her and took her hand.
“Tanya, listen to Dad. Sonya will be able to live without these episodes.”
“How much will it cost?”
Ivan Petrovich looked at her in astonishment.
“That’s no longer your concern. You’re family now.”
Tanya stayed in the hospital with Sonya. The surgery was successful. In two weeks they were due to return home.
Home.
But now Tanya couldn’t figure out where her real home was.
Stas called every day. They talked for a long time—about Sonya, about themselves, about little things. It felt as if they had known each other their whole lives.
Time passed. The one-year contract was coming to an end. Tanya tried not to think about what would happen next.
They returned in the evening. Ivan Petrovich came to get them—grim, tense.
“Did something happen?”
“I don’t know how to say it… Stas has been drinking for two days.”
“What? He doesn’t drink at all!”
“That’s what I thought. He’d been working out for a month, making progress… and then he snapped. Says nothing is working.”
Tanya walked into the room. Stas was sitting in the dark. She turned on the light and began clearing bottles from the table.
“Where are you taking those?”
“You’re not drinking anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m your wife. And I don’t like it when you drink.”
Stas was taken aback.
“Well, it won’t be for long… Sonya is healthy now. So you have no reason to stay with a disabled man.”
Tanya straightened up.
“You mean—with an idiot? Stas, I thought you were strong and smart, that you’d handle it. Was I really so wrong?”
He lowered his head.
“Sorry… I guess I didn’t handle it.”
“Well, I’m home now. Maybe we should try again?”
The year came to an end. Ivan Petrovich was nervous: Stas had only just started standing with a walker. The doctors said he’d be walking soon, and then maybe even running.
And Tanya… It was time for her to leave.
“Maybe offer her more money?” he asked his wife timidly.
At dinner Tanya appeared with Sonya and Stas in his wheelchair.
“Dad, we have news for you,” Stas said.
Ivan Petrovich tensed and looked at Tanya.
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
Tanya and Stas exchanged glances. She shook her head.
“Not exactly.”
“Don’t torture me!”
“You’re going to be a grandfather. Sonya’s going to have a little brother… or a sister.”
Ivan Petrovich fell silent. Then he suddenly leapt up, hugged all three of them, and burst into tears—hard, as if afraid it was a dream.
He cried from happiness, from relief, from the fact that his family had finally become a real one.