Anna stood by the window, holding her son who had just begun to recognize her face. The tough day was ending, and the evening light barely made it through the curtains. The house was nearly empty: an old sofa, a worn nightstand, and a baby crib bought with the last of her money. Her husband had left a few months ago, leaving her alone with an infant and a pile of debts.
Anna didn’t allow herself to cry. Each day was filled with caring for her baby and trying to find any job possible. Today, finally, luck smiled on her: she was offered a job as a cleaner in a large house on the outskirts of the city. The salary wasn’t high, but it was a lifeline for her.
The next day, after putting her son to sleep, Anna went to work. The house she arrived at was like a palace. Tall marble columns, huge windows, and a sparkling fountain at the entrance. The homeowner, Mikhail, was a young entrepreneur who had inherited the business from his father. He barely noticed his employees, completely absorbed in his work.
“Are you Anna?” Mikhail glanced at her as she entered the hall.
“Yes, that’s me.” She tried to speak confidently, though she felt awkward in her modest clothes.
“Good. Start with the living room; there was a meeting there yesterday.” He nodded and returned to his phone.
Anna silently nodded and began her work. She wasn’t intimidated by the shine of chandeliers or the expensive carpets. She saw only the stains, dust, and debris that needed cleaning. The work was engrossing, helping to distract her from thoughts of her difficult situation.
Mikhail occasionally noticed her. He didn’t know why, but his gaze often rested on how she carefully wiped the dust from fragile statuettes or smoothed out the wrinkles on the sofa covers. Her movements were quick but precise, and her face showed complete concentration. He even once stopped in the doorway of his office, watching as she tried to reach the top shelf of a bookcase using a small stool.
“Do you need help?” he asked unexpectedly, startling her.
“Oh, no, thank you!” She nearly lost her balance but managed to steady herself. “I can handle it.”
Mikhail smiled slightly and, shrugging, walked away, but a thoughtful look remained on his face.
Several days passed monotonously. Mikhail hardly noticed her, and she tried not to catch his eye. But one day, everything changed.
“Anna, wait.” Mikhail stopped her at the exit. “You’re always so quiet. How are you?”
“Fine, thank you.” She smiled tensely, feeling the conversation might become uncomfortable.
“Do you have children?” he suddenly asked, looking at her tired eyes.
Anna froze. She didn’t want to share, but she couldn’t lie.
“Yes, a son. He’s just six months old.”
Mikhail raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“And you work as a cleaner, leaving him alone?”
“I have no other choice.” Her voice quivered, but she quickly composed herself. “It’s none of your concern.”
He said nothing, but the conversation struck a chord with him. That night, he thought long about Anna and her life.
The next day, watching her, he noticed how she paused at a window in one of the rooms. There was a sadness and fatigue in her gaze that she usually hid behind an indifferent facade. She stood there for a moment, lost in thought, then returned to her work.
That evening, Mikhail sat long in his office. He replayed the moments he had observed over the last few days: her focus, her caution, but also the hidden weakness she never showed.
After work, Anna found a strange note on her door.
“What’s this?” she muttered, opening the envelope. Inside was a key and an address.
“Come to this house tomorrow.” The signature was concise: Mikhail.
She couldn’t understand what it meant. The next morning, after leaving her son with a neighbor, Anna went to the address provided. The house was small but cozy. Mikhail was waiting for her at the gate.
“This is kind of a thank you,” his voice was calm, but his eyes showed nervousness. “I learned about your hardships and decided I could help.”
“But… I can’t accept this,” Anna shook her head in confusion. “It’s too much.”
“Anna, this isn’t charity. It’s… an opportunity. For you and your son.” Mikhail stepped closer. “You deserve better.”
She looked at him, and tears welled up in her eyes. For the first time in a long while, she felt that she was not alone in this world.
“Thank you.” Her voice was barely audible, but it carried sincere gratitude. Her lips trembled as if she was barely holding back from bursting into tears. Anna hugged herself at the shoulders, as if trying to protect herself from her own sense of vulnerability. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but they were not only tears of relief—they reflected all the hardship of the past months. “You can’t even imagine what this means to me… and for my son.” She looked at Mikhail with such deep gratitude that he momentarily looked away, feeling unusually awkward.
Mikhail clasped his hands in his pockets and said quietly:
“Anna, I’ve seen how you work. I’ve seen how hard you try, even when it’s difficult for you. This isn’t just help. It’s my confidence in you that you will manage.”
She looked up, surprised by his words. For the first time, someone saw not just her vulnerability but also her strength.
“You don’t know me at all,” she whispered. “Why are you doing this for me?”
“Because I can,” he replied after a pause. “Because I believe that kindness should be returned to the world. And, perhaps, I just want you to smile more often.”
Anna chuckled softly, wiping away tears.
“Smile? It’s been a long time since I’ve managed that. But you… you’ve made it possible. Thank you, Mikhail.”
Mikhail smiled faintly, but a shadow of sadness flickered in his eyes. He looked down and quietly added:
“Anna, I understand what it’s like for you. You know, my life wasn’t always as it is now. My childhood…” he paused briefly, deciding whether to continue. “It was tough. We often ran out of money. My father left us when I was still a child. My mother worked two jobs so that we could just live. I saw her tiredness every day.”
Anna watched him intently, feeling that he was opening up to her in a way he might not have with anyone else.
“I know the feeling of fearing tomorrow because you don’t know how you’ll get through it. In my childhood, I remember sitting in the dark because the electricity was cut off for non-payment. My mother often skipped dinner, saying she wasn’t hungry, but I knew that wasn’t true. Sometimes we had to eat the same dish for several days, simply because we couldn’t afford anything else.”
Mikhail paused, as if the memories were overwhelming him.
“I know what it’s like to fear for a loved one when you can’t change anything. I remember once my mother got sick, but she couldn’t go to the doctor because we couldn’t even afford medicine. She lay on the sofa, trying to smile at me so I wouldn’t worry, but I could see how bad she felt. Those moments are etched in your memory forever. And looking at you, I remember her. My mother. You’re strong, Anna. And you deserve help.”
His words struck right at her heart. Anna felt a wave of warmth and gratitude wash over her.
“You… you don’t have to do this, Mikhail,” she whispered. “But your words… they mean so much to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
He nodded, sensing that their conversation was just beginning to build an invisible thread between them.
Since then, much had changed. Anna began a new life in the house that became her true refuge. And Mikhail, unexpectedly, became part of that life. Their stories were yet to intertwine further, but even now, they had grown closer to each other.