Roman whispered tenderly to Masha as they were filing their marriage application at the registry office: “We will be together forever.”
“And through joy and sorrow?” she smiled, looking into his radiant eyes.
“Of course! In joy and in sorrow!” he nodded confidently, pulling her close.
“Wouldn’t you get tired of me over such a long time?” Masha squinted playfully.
“My dear, how can you bore me when I love you more than anything in the world?” Roman replied. “If anything, I’m afraid you’ll get tired of my constant presence.”
“I want you to always be near,” she kissed him. “I want to fall asleep and wake up with you, to cook for you, and wait for your return home.”
After teacher training, Maria became a primary school teacher. She planned to come home from work before her husband to manage all the household chores before his return. Roman promised to provide them with a decent life.
He dreamt aloud about his plans: “I’ll work a bit, then open my own construction company. We’ll build houses, and I’ll build the best one for us!”
“And how many children will we have?” Maria asked mysteriously.
“Many! Like my grandmother had. My father had six children, and they were all very close.”
When Roman told his parents about his bride, the whole family gathered for a grand celebration. They welcomed Masha so warmly that she immediately felt part of their family.
After the wedding, the newlyweds went on a trip, and upon returning, Roman’s aunt offered them to stay in her apartment while she was away for several years for work. During this time, Roman fulfilled his dream—he opened a construction firm and started building a house when Maria announced her pregnancy.
“I’ll try to finish at least temporary housing by the time the baby is born,” Roman said. “We’ll settle in, and then move to a bigger house.”
“How do you know it will be a son?” Maria was surprised.
“I just feel it!” he proudly declared. “But it doesn’t matter to me whether it’s a son or a daughter.”
“The main thing is that they are healthy,” she agreed. “We wanted a large family.”
They dreamed of a nursery, imagining how they would need even more rooms later.
But Maria’s pregnancy was difficult. She had to be hospitalized almost until the birth, being discharged only for a few days.
“You’re better off without such a child,” advised her friend Marina. “My grandmother said that a saved child often turns out to be deficient.”
“Marin, how can you say such a thing?!” Maria was outraged. “I will love any child. The ultrasound is fine.”
“Think for yourself. Husbands usually run from problems. Is your Romashka really so faithful that he hasn’t cheated after months without a woman? I doubt it. And if the child is born with abnormalities, he’ll just run away.”
“Marina, sorry, but I don’t want to talk to you anymore until I give birth. You weren’t like this before. Roman works day and night, supervises the workers. I’m absolutely sure of his fidelity, otherwise, I would have felt it.”
“Fine,” her friend sulked, turning on her heels and loudly walking away down the corridor.
Masha was left pondering. Why was Marina so aggressive? Maybe out of envy? She herself has no relationships, although she boasted about a line of suitors who somehow quickly disappeared. Maybe, out of spite, she was spreading lies about Roman. He’s not like that. It’s evident how worn out he is from caring—when would he even have time to cheat? But sometimes, a worm of doubt still arose. However, Masha diligently chased away these thoughts.
When it was time for the birth, Maria felt very ill. The labor was extremely difficult, the baby was born weakened and immediately taken to the ICU with pneumonia.
Maria was in a panic. Roman dropped his work, paid for a private room for his wife, and spent days by her side. Without words, they even found solace in each other’s silent presence. But after twelve long days, the doctors delivered dreadful news: the baby’s body couldn’t fight off the illness.
Stricken with grief, Maria turned to stone. After everything they had endured, such a tragic outcome seemed unbearable. Then the doctor brought another sorrowful piece of news:
“The reason, it turns out, is in you,” she addressed Maria. “It’s better not to risk pregnancy again – the consequences will be the same.”
“And now what?” Maria asked her husband, unable to hold back her tears. “Will you leave me? Why would you need such an unhappy woman? You’ll find someone else…”
“Stop talking nonsense!” Roman said with hurt in his voice. “I love you and I’m not going anywhere!”
“But can you be happy without children? How do we live on?” Maria sobbed. “Better you leave now, before you say it yourself…”
“I will never do that,” Roman said confidently, but Maria no longer wanted to hear him.
“I’m going to my parents,” she asked after the baby’s funeral.
“We’re going home!” Roman stated firmly, taking her by the arm.
Since then, their relationship changed. Maria withdrew into herself, and Roman insisted that she quit her job. They continued living in the temporary house while he finished building the main one. Family members tried to help in turn—Roman’s mother, aunties, Maria’s mother—but she refused to communicate with everyone.
Marina became a frequent visitor. Whenever there was an opportunity, when no one else was around, she repeated:
“You should have listened to me earlier. Now it’s too late to change anything. Leave Roma—why spoil a young man’s life? He’s definitely cheating, and it will hurt even more when he admits it. Let him find someone else who can bear his children. Think of your own family—we love you and will never betray you, but you can’t trust men.”
“Leave,” Maria said slowly. “Don’t come to me anymore.”
When Marina left, such a loud scream came from Masha that Roman dropped everything at the construction site and rushed over. He held her tightly, kissing the top of her head, while she pushed him away, screaming that she didn’t need him and to find someone right away who could give him a healthy child.
“For me, no one but you exists,” he whispered. “I love only you. You will definitely get better. Even if we can’t have children, I’ll find a way to make us happy. You’re just too upset about losing the baby right now, but time heals…”
But Maria’s condition only worsened. Roman took her to doctors, involved specialists from different clinics, but they all shrugged—his wife was completely healthy. The only option was a consultation with a psychiatrist. However, Roman refused to send her to the hospital.
Days went by, and Masha grew weaker. Neither her husband’s pleas nor her mother’s tears helped. She lay for days on end, staring at the ceiling, and cried. The prescribed medications didn’t work.
Roman struggled to keep himself from breaking down or succumbing to alcohol, as others did in similar situations. He finished building the house, worked on the finishing, telling his wife about each stage of work. He said how he would like to choose materials for the house together.
“I thought I’d pick the wallpaper for our bedroom myself, but then I decided it would be great to do it together,” he said, stroking her hand. “And we also need to pick tiles for the bathroom. It wouldn’t be the same without you… Please, wake up! Think of me. It’s also hard for me to see your suffering. Let’s get through this together. We promised to be by each other’s side, to share joy and sorrow.”
Maria just closed her eyes, asking to be left alone. In her dreams, she saw herself sitting on a lawn with her husband, surrounded by their children. Opening her eyes and remembering reality, she began to cry again.
One evening, dozing off, Masha heard voices outside the door. Marina’s distinctive voice was unmistakable. But why was she arguing so loudly with Roman?
“Why did you come?” Roman asked sternly.
“I came to settle everything,” Marina replied boldly. “No more hiding the truth. I’m pregnant! It’s either this vegetable or me! Choose!”
Maria’s heart pounded like mad. Rising from the bed, she sat down and lowered her head into her hands. How could he? But she herself allowed this to happen, sinking into depression. If she had pulled herself together, none of this would have happened.
When Roman finally entered the room with a bowed head, Masha asked:
“What happened? Who was that?”
Roman sat next to her and honestly told her everything.
“Your friend Marina…” he paused for a moment. “Mashenka, I need to confess something to you. Just don’t rush to judge. You completely distanced yourself from me. First, you spent a long time on preservation, now you’ve been in depression for half a year. I’m not even talking about that—you just stopped communicating with me. The feeling of complete loneliness became unbearable. When Marina asked for help installing a bathtub and then invited me for dinner, she started openly flirting, and I… couldn’t resist. I realized my mistake later, but it was already too late. I continued to suffer with guilt. Now I think I can repeat the mistake if everything remains the same. I haven’t stopped loving you, believe me. Just every person wants warmth and attention. And you became like another person—cold, indifferent. Marina says she’s pregnant… I doubt it, but even if it’s true, I won’t leave you. I just don’t know how much longer I can endure this situation. I can’t imagine how I’ve held out so far.”
Maria looked at her husband with reproach and burst into tears.
“If you really loved, you would never have cheated. Leave, your child needs a father.”
“Ah, Mashenka,” Roman shook his head, rising. “It’s a pity you didn’t understand me…”
He quickly left the room.
The next morning, Roman headed to Marina. She flung open the door with a wide smile:
“Finally decided to leave your…”
Roman didn’t let her finish:
“Let’s go!”
“To the registry office?” Marina squinted.
“To the hospital! Right now, you’re going in front of me to the doctor to get a pregnancy certificate.”
“Don’t even think that I’ll go anywhere,” Marina jerked her hand away.
“You definitely will!” Roman stated firmly. “Otherwise, I’ll know it’s all a lie.”
“Let it be a lie! What’s it to you? I just wanted to get back at Masha, show that I can take you away.”
“Get back? For what?” Roman asked in surprise.
“For always getting the best. In school, she stole a boyfriend from me, knowing full well that I liked him. And when he invited her to the movies, she just forgot about me. Then she met you and got married so successfully. And I got little pleasure—when everyone leaves! I thought, if she doesn’t have children, you wouldn’t want to stay with her and would notice me. But you’re just too foolish. Why would you want her… without looks or health?”
Roman thought for a moment:
“Was it you who organized everything? Why did you start coming to us so often when Masha got pregnant? And then at the hospital, appearing when it was unnecessary?”
“Finally got it,” Marina smirked. “Yes, it was me. And I paid the doctor for the infertility diagnosis. What, is it pleasant to watch a friend’s happiness, knowing she’ll become a mother, when I can no longer? Too many abortions made, to now get pregnant again.”
Marina alternated between screaming and hysterics. And Roman forgot everything, learning that Masha’s diagnosis was fake.
He ran out of Marina’s apartment and raced home, grabbing a bouquet of his wife’s favorite tea roses along the way.
Rushing home, he froze at the threshold. Masha stood in an elegant dress, with neat hair and gently made-up eyes. A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen.
“Forgive me, Romochka,” Masha rushed to him. “I’ve been thinking all night and realized how wrong I was. There’s no excuse for my behavior. You’re right—I only thought of myself. Forgive me… And if you decide to go to Marina and her child, I’ll understand. It’s all my fault.”
Roman took out his phone and played the conversation with Marina. Maria listened, pressing her palms to her mouth. She couldn’t believe that someone she trusted could do this.
“Will you forgive me?” Roman asked uncertainly.
“I already have,” Masha nodded. “And I want to get back everything we lost. I even know which wallpaper I want in the bedroom, and for the nursery, we can choose…”
Masha enthusiastically shared her ideas, and Roman silently smiled. His Mashenka was back—the same cheerful and life-loving one. Now their future would be even better than before.