Exactly a year has passed since the day they were attacked in the courtyard. Kristina knew that this terrible moment would stay with her forever.
They had been married for three years. On that fateful day, Saveliy bought her a ring and a magnificent bouquet, rushing to get home. But only later, from the investigator’s stories, did she learn that the criminals had seen him at the jeweler’s with the ring and money. They followed him from the store to his home. All this happened because of the anniversary and that stupid ring.
The phone rang. It was Polina, her old friend. They had been friends for many years and only Polina did not intrude on her soul, occasionally dragging Kristina out of the house.
— Hello, friend! I’m at your entrance with a cake and champagne. I’ll just burst into tears if you, my best friend, forgot about my birthday!
Kristina jumped up sharply.
— Oh God, forgive me! I can’t even imagine how I could have forgotten!
She felt so embarrassed that she not only buzzed Polina in but also rushed downstairs to meet her friend on the staircase.
Later, sitting at the table, Polina, giggling, said:
— If you could only see your face when you saw me! But you know, you are your own worst enemy.
— Polina, forgive me, — Kristina apologized. — I’ve completely closed myself off. I thought it would get easier over time, but it’s only getting worse. I think I’m slowly going insane.
Polina, drumming her fingers on the table, said:
— Listen, Kristin, I usually don’t interfere, but maybe it’s time for a change of scenery?
Kristina waved her hand.
— Yes, I’ve thought about that. Maybe I’ll take a vacation or go somewhere else. But either way, I’ll have to come back here, look at this courtyard, and remember everything.
— What about getting rid of this apartment?
— Fine, but what then? You know how things are here, no sane person would move here. It’s impossible to sell for decent money, and even talking about an exchange is pointless.
Polina, looking intently at her, said:
— Yes, I understand. The situation is really complicated. I have an idea that might work. Just give it a chance before you reject it.
— I’m curious, what’s the proposal? — Kristina replied.
— Everyone is fleeing from the cities to the villages. Think about it, your job allows you to do that, — Polina suggested. — I could find a good exchange option. There will be internet, and it’s not too far away.
Kristina had never seriously thought about moving from the city; such thoughts simply did not occur to her.
— Imagine, you’ll plant flowers, have a garden, heat a sauna, relax in a hammock. Lovely! I’ll visit you. And you’ll get a house in exchange, and there will be plumbing, everything will be. Villages are modern now, don’t worry. It’s the twenty-first century after all.
Three months later, Kristina looked at her new home and thought that she might have finally gone mad. The house was not huge, but neat. It seemed that a woman with grandchildren had lived here before, but it was not certain. They said there were some children, but only she was registered.
— Where she went, nobody knows for sure. It seems she got sick, and her daughter took her. At least, the daughter handled the sale, — Polina explained over the phone.
— Well, let’s put the details aside, or I might regret it.
— Well, settle in there, and I’ll come over on the weekend to celebrate your housewarming. Busy with lots of stuff, see you later!
Kristina sighed with relief. Not ten minutes had passed when there was a knock at the door. The neighbors came in. They introduced themselves, chatted, and before she knew it, it was dark outside.
— Put off your tasks for today. We’ll come over in the morning and help, — one offered.
Another nodded.
— Of course, we’ll support you. I’ll involve my grandfather in the task, let him move the cabinets, otherwise, he sits idle.
At night, a strange noise woke her. The fear was not strong, but she decided to check what was happening. The clock showed around four. Kristina took a poker and went to inspect the house. She somehow felt that cats had taken over the attic, as the neighbors had advised her to get one. The source of the sound was in the attic. Kristina almost lost her balance. She saw two children. The boy looked about ten, the girl about seven.
— We’re not bothering you. We haven’t taken anything, please let us go. If they find us, they’ll send us back to the orphanage, and we don’t want to go back there, — he pleaded.
Kristina began to think feverishly. Polina had mentioned something about children, but nothing specific had been said. If these children were talking about an orphanage, it meant they had run away from there and found shelter here.
Many questions arose, but the answers remained unclear.
— Come down, — she offered. — I’ll feed you. Then we’ll discuss what to do next. Together we’ll decide what to do. You must be hungry?
Kristina turned on the light and hurriedly began to set the table. The children looked around the room with interest, as if trying to remember how everything had been arranged before her move.
— Our sofa used to be here, and there was grandma’s bed, — the boy noted. — I’m Sasha, and this is my sister Kira. What’s your name?
— Kristina, — she replied. — Have a seat, the food will be ready soon.
While the children ate, Kristina carefully tried to learn more about them. She found out that they had lost their parents several years ago and then moved in with their grandmother. The woman was kind, but her health failed, and as a result, the children’s aunt took her in, but they couldn’t take the children because there were already too many concerns at home.
— Grandma cried a lot, but couldn’t help; her legs had become very weak, — Sasha continued quietly.
Kristina’s heart ached from the pain and injustice. How could anyone abandon children? She understood that it would take time to think things over and talk to the neighbors, who clearly knew more about local affairs.
— Alright, it’s time to rest. There’s a sofa in the little room; you can make do on it. No more space for now, — Kristina said with an apologetic smile.
Sasha looked around and suddenly, silently smiling, said:
— Even the mess here is cozy.
A few minutes later, the children, hugging tightly, were already sleeping peacefully. Kristina realized that the girl hadn’t spoken a word the entire time — perhaps it was fear or something else?
She had managed to unpack a few boxes of dishes when there was a quiet knock at the door. It was the neighbors who had come to visit yesterday.
— Oh, you’re just in time! I really need your help, — Kristina exclaimed, putting a finger to her lips and opening the door a bit.
Seeing the children, the women immediately understood.
— They ran away again, poor kids…
— Why didn’t their aunt take them? And what do we do now? — Kristina asked anxiously.
— It’s a complicated and tangled story, — one of the neighbors began. — The house’s owner, Maria, divorced and stayed alone with her daughter. When Maria remarried a man with a child, the daughter never forgave her and didn’t want to get along with her stepfather and stepbrother. And she left the family very young. In Maria’s new marriage, another girl was born. She grew up, got married, and died with her husband. These are her children.
The women continued:
— The children stayed with their grandmother after their parents’ death. But Maria’s legs gave out. The eldest daughter sold the house to get money but left the children. It’s their house, Maria wanted to leave it to the children. On the outskirts, there’s another house of theirs, the parental one, only I think the daughter will reach there too.
— So what do we do now? We can’t leave the children alone, no one else will help them, — Polina said thoughtfully.
— Maybe we should try to find Alexey? He’s the son of Maria’s husband from his first marriage, her stepson. I remember, he left very young, he was only sixteen or younger.
— Yes, but how do we find him? — one of the neighbors pondered. — He only appeared here once, when his sister died.
Kristina decided to put off sorting the furniture. She opened her laptop and started looking for information. She had little data: a name, surname, and city, but maybe that was enough.
An hour later, Kristina realized that the Alexey she found on social networks was likely the one she needed.
The correspondence was not easy. At first, Alexey replied with short phrases, then showed irritation, but soon calmed down. From the photos, it was clear that he was about thirty-five years old, and Kristina concluded that he was not much older than herself. He agreed to come and discuss everything in person.
During this time, the children needed to stay safe, so for now, Sasha and Kira stayed with Kristina. She called the orphanage, and the director, in a tired tone, agreed:
— They’ve been wearing us out! No strength left to chase after them! Fine, let them stay with you, then bring them back.
The next day, a man with tired, sad eyes entered the house. He was reticent, watching the children and Kristina carefully. He assembled the cabinets, hardly saying a word, but looked at Kira with genuine pity. Kristina knew that the stress had made the girl silent when they sent her to the orphanage.
In the evening, as soon as the children fell asleep, Alexey finally began to speak:
— I am largely to blame myself. When Maria Sergeyevna came into our house, I was only five, and I hated her. Soon I began to blame her for all the troubles. But as I grew older, I learned the truth. Mother left us herself and abandoned me and my father, and my accusations were premature.
Alexey approached the window:
— I’ve spent my life looking for those to blame for my troubles. I understand now, if I hadn’t left then, everything would have turned out differently. But I lost my temper and left my father and sister.
He turned and asked:
— What should I do now? I can’t leave the children, I must take responsibility.
Lost in thought, Alexey sat in the kitchen for a long time. Kristina didn’t disturb him and went to bed.
In the morning, she found him in the same place. Alexey looked at her with brown, tired eyes and suddenly said:
— I’ve realized what needs to be done. You’re a person with a huge heart. Please help me.
Kristina was puzzled:
— What are you trying to say? We’ve only known each other for a short time.
— Sorry, that sounded wrong, — Alexey explained. — I need to arrange guardianship over the children, and for that, I need a formal marriage registration. This is the way out.
Kristina was stunned by such a request. The neighbors exchanged glances. But the beginning of the story had been laid.
The fight for the children lasted almost half a year. In one of the rooms, Sasha, Kira, Alexey, and Kristina gathered.
— I think we can be congratulated, — Alexey said.
Sasha shifted his gaze from Kristina to Alexey, and tears glistened in his eyes.
— No one will separate us anymore? — he asked hopefully.
— I give you my word, no one will take you away, — Alexey replied. — However, I will need to leave for a while. I’ll prepare something for you.
Kristina looked at Alexey thoughtfully and realized how close he had become to her over these six months. She didn’t want their union to remain only on paper. Although it scared her a bit, she dreamed of being a real family with him.
Two days passed, and they flew by almost unnoticed. The children joyfully helped Kristina in the garden, planting flowers, laughing and having fun.
When they decided to take a break in the yard, a car appeared at the gate. Alexey got out of it and smiled as he opened the door. Maria, the children’s grandmother, cautiously stepped out, leaning on crutches.
— Grandma! — Kira shouted joyfully, and her voice echoed throughout the area.
Kristina and Alexey watched in amazement as the girl suddenly began to speak again.
The elderly woman hugged her grandchildren tightly, and tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. Alexey approached Kristina and quietly asked:
— Can I ask you one question?
— Of course, ask, — she replied softly.
— Let’s try to make everything as good as possible? Next to you, I feel a strength I never knew I had, — Alexey confessed.
Kristina felt a tear slide down her cheek. She reached out to Alexey and said:
— I agree.”