Entering the apartment, Dasha froze in place. She had expected her husband to greet her after a long business trip, but there was no one in the hallway.

“Maxim? Are you home?” In the dark, Darya reached for the light switch, but suddenly someone touched her hands.

“Don’t, don’t turn on the light,” came her husband’s voice.

“Oh, you scared me!” Dasha jerked back. “Why not? It’s dark. I can’t see anything.”

“I’ll help you,” the man replied playfully and took the bags from his wife. “No need to ruin the romance.”

“Romance?” Dasha asked, intrigued. “Are you cooking a candlelight dinner?”

“And if I am, so what? Don’t I have the right to please my beloved wife?”

“You do, but I don’t smell any food from the kitchen,” Dasha answered, sniffing.

“That’s because the dish isn’t ready yet. You go to the bathroom for now, and I’ll finish dinner.”

“Okay,” the wife smiled. In the dim light, she went to wash her hands in the bathroom, but when she opened the door, she was even more surprised. On the sink and shelves stood lit candles, and on the washing machine lay Maxim’s phone, quietly playing jazz music.

“Wow, what’s this?”

“This is the start of a romantic evening so you can relax before dinner,” Maxim said, kissing his wife. “Enjoy for now, I’ll finish up in the kitchen.”

“All right,” Dasha agreed and winked at her husband. She happily sank into the hot water and thought that her husband had come up with a wonderful surprise.

Darya and Maxim had been married five years. Until that day, the man had never arranged romantic evenings for his wife. Usually, when she returned from a trip, she cooked dinner herself and then cleaned the house until late at night. But today was different.

Enjoying the relaxed atmosphere in the bathroom, Dasha closed her eyes and started wondering what made Maxim arrange such a surprise for her. Maybe he was preparing her for the arrival of his mother-in-law. That was the first thing that came to Darya’s mind. She hadn’t communicated with Tamara Vladimirovna for several years.

The husband’s mother lived in a village thirty kilometers from the city. She was a very rude and intrusive woman. In the past, the mother-in-law constantly interfered in her son’s family with her advice. At first, the daughter-in-law still tolerated her antics, but after one incident, she forbade her from visiting.

Once, Tamara Vladimirovna dropped by the newlyweds’ house without warning. Maxim and Darya were on vacation at the time. When they returned, they immediately noticed that someone had been busy in their apartment. It turned out the mother-in-law had made a duplicate key and gave it to her daughter, who was studying at university and living in a dormitory.

“What gave you the right to let Marina into my apartment?!” Dasha exclaimed loudly upon learning the truth.

“So what? You weren’t home anyway. She only lived there for a week. What’s the big deal?”

“What right did you have to make a duplicate key to someone else’s property?”

“Whose property? My son lives there, actually!”

“So what? This apartment is mine! My parents gave it to me. Only I have the right to decide who lives or visits here!”

The mother-in-law’s action greatly upset the daughter-in-law. That day, Maxim’s wife had a serious quarrel with his mother. Dasha also quarreled with her sister-in-law. They almost fought because of it. Darya demanded the return of the apartment key, but Marina refused. In the end, the owner had to change the lock.

Maxim was shocked by the situation too, but unlike his wife, he did not cut off contact with his mother and sister. On the contrary, he dreamed that Dasha would reconcile with his relatives. However, his wife refused to forgive the mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She believed that if she did, Tamara Vladimirovna and Marina would try to take advantage of her again.

Lying in the bath after the business trip, Darya somehow decided that Maxim arranged the surprise because he wanted to try again to reconcile his wife with the sister-in-law and mother-in-law. To find out, she asked her husband directly:

“I hope Tamara Vladimirovna and Marina aren’t planning to visit us?”

“Where did you get that idea?” the man was surprised, sitting on the edge of the tub. “I know how you feel about them. You can’t force affection. If you don’t want to communicate with them, then don’t. I’m not going to force you anymore.”

“That’s good!” Dasha replied, glancing sideways at Max.

“Rest for now,” the man nodded. “The fish will be baked soon, and we’ll have dinner.”

“Great! I wish you’d always greet me like this after trips,” Dasha said dreamily.

“Maybe I will,” her husband smiled and left the bathroom.

Dasha still did not understand what made Maxim so attentive and sensitive. Maybe the man had just changed and decided that his wife deserved more attention. But the next moment, those joyful thoughts vanished from her mind. When Darya raised her head, her gaze fell on the shelf with shampoos. At that moment her heart pounded heavily.

“What’s this?” she murmured, taking out a box of cosmetics. “How did it get here?”

Before leaving for business trips, Dasha always took some cosmetics with her and left some in her bedside table. This box contained only lipstick, eyeshadow, mascara, and foundation with powder. Maxim had no reason to take the makeup bag and leave it in the bathroom. That meant another woman had taken it out of the drawer…

“Max! Maxim!” Darya hurried out of the bath, put on her robe, and went to her husband. He was in the kitchen setting the table for dinner.

“Oh, you’re done already? The fish is almost ready,” her husband said happily.

“What’s this?! Why has my makeup bag moved from the drawer to the bathroom?”

“What?” the man didn’t understand. He looked at the box and shrugged. “I didn’t touch anything. Maybe you forgot it yourself.”

“I clearly remember leaving the box in the room! Don’t lie to me! Who was here while I was away?”

“Uh… honey…” the man began stammering. “A friend came over once with his girlfriend. Maybe she needed something from the makeup. That’s why she took the box.”

“From the bedside drawer?!” Dasha exclaimed, not believing a single word from Max. “And how long were they here?”

“Only one day. They came in the evening and left the next morning,” the man tried to explain.

“Do you really think I’ll believe that story?! Admit it, you brought some mistress home? Is that how you spend your time while I’m away on business?”

“What?! What nonsense!” Maxim was shocked. “I told you, a friend came with his girlfriend. Maybe she rummaged through the drawer while we were sitting in the kitchen.”

“And they left the next morning?” Dasha asked suspiciously.

“Yes,” Maxim nodded uncertainly. “They were going to their parents in another city and decided to stop by. Sasha and I studied together before…”

“You’re lying! You’re lying all the time!” Dasha shouted and began taking the makeup out of the box. “Just look at this! Do you want to say your friend’s girlfriend used up all my concealer in one night? There’s very little lip gloss left, and someone broke the eyeshadow compact! It doesn’t look like they were here only one day! It feels like they lived here for a whole week! And that girl actively used my makeup without asking!”

“Honey…” the man whimpered like a beaten puppy.

“What, honey?!” Dasha shouted again. “Better admit it nicely! You’re cheating on me! What’s her name? How long have you been together?!”

“I swear I never cheated on you!” the man kept defending himself.

This made Darya so angry that she turned around and decisively rushed to the bedroom. Shocked, Maxim ran after her.

“What are you planning?! What are you doing?!” he shouted desperately.

“I won’t tolerate betrayal! We’re getting a divorce!” Dasha replied. She took a bag out of the wardrobe and started packing her husband’s things.

“Stop, honey! I swear, there’s no one else! I swear on my mother!”

“Yeah, right, I believe you!” Dasha, turning away, continued packing. “How could you, Maxim? I always trusted you! I never thought you’d treat me so cruelly!”

“That’s enough!” seeing tears in his wife’s eyes, the man exclaimed. “Okay, I’ll tell the truth! Just stop packing. I don’t want a divorce! I love you, do you understand?”

Seeing her husband’s desperate eyes, Dasha calmed down a little. She sat on the bed and listened carefully.

“While you were away, it wasn’t a friend but Marina who came…” the man admitted, lowering his eyes. “I was afraid you’d get angry, so I didn’t say anything.”

“And what was she doing here?!” still angry, Dasha asked.

“She lived here. Almost a week. She has exams at university, so she decided to stay here instead of the dormitory. Mom literally begged me. If I had known that my sister would rummage through your things and use your cosmetics, I would never have let her in.”

“And how am I supposed to believe that? What if you’re lying to me again? Like with Sasha and his girlfriend?”

“I’m not lying. Want me to call Marina now and ask if she used your makeup?”

“I do! Call her!”

This call dispelled all of Dasha’s doubts. The sister immediately confessed to her brother that she took the concealer, lip gloss, and eyeshadows without permission and used the bride’s cosmetics all week. Dasha couldn’t stand it and yelled at her sister-in-law again. This time even Maxim got angry at his sister. He scolded her and said he would never do her favors again.

Dasha was upset with her husband for a long time but then they made up. She was hurt that Maxim let in a relative she couldn’t stand. But even more she was hurt that he lied to her. However, it was better than having a complete stranger in the apartment.

©Stella Kiarri

“I hope you won’t let strangers into the house while I’m on business trips and lie to me anymore?” Dasha asked before her next trip.

“Never! Now I’ll arrange romantic dinners just because I want to, not out of guilt,” the man answered repentantly.

After that incident, Maxim really started to surprise his wife more often. At some point, Dasha even caught herself thinking she was grateful to Marina. If it weren’t for the sister-in-law’s brazen behavior, their relationship would have remained the same. Now their feelings seemed renewed. They became closer and happier than before.

“Cora’s story began in September of 2018 when we first discovered we were pregnant. On November 5th I had a blood test and we found out it was going to be a GIRL! We were so excited to be having our second daughter! On January 31^st, 2019, our heart journey began when the radiologist at our anatomy scan said, ‘The heart appears to be abnormal.’ Those words changed our lives forever.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

A few days later, we got the diagnosis at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. HLHS (half a heart) and a Diaphragmatic Hernia (a hole in the diaphragm). We were told she wouldn’t survive with these two severe defects. We were absolutely devastated. That day, after we received Cora’s diagnosis, but before we got the prognosis, we went to lunch. Over sandwiches at the Cheesecake factory, my husband Derek chose the name ‘Cora’ because it’s close to the word ‘corazon,’ which means heart in Spanish. When he suggested this, I cried and said, ‘It’s perfect.’

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

We decided to transfer our care to University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. The transfer took over 3 weeks to be approved by my health insurance, so at the end of February when we were finally able to be seen, they ruled out the diagnosis of the hernia. We were so happy! She had a chance! We felt so blessed and knew that this was an answered prayer! Over the remainder of my pregnancy, I had countless ultrasounds, fetal echo’s, and non-stress tests. We set my induction date for May 22nd when I would be 39 weeks.

The plan was to deliver Cora at the UW, then she would be transferred to Seattle Children’s Hospital within just a few hours. She would then have her first open heart surgery within a week of being born. But on the day of my induction, I got a phone call from my doctor letting me know they needed to delay my induction until the following week due to fungal contamination in the operating rooms at Seattle Children’s. We were pretty disappointed, especially me. I was so ready to meet my little girl. So we waited.

Moselle Campbell Photography

But two days later on May 24th, we got another phone call from my doctor. She told us that Seattle Children’s Hospital had closed all of it’s operating rooms and that we needed to transfer to OHSU in Portland, Oregon, the next day! We were so shocked, this was not what we had planned and we became very anxious. The next morning, I was transferred to OHSU in an ambulance while Derek drove down separately. We spent that weekend inpatient, meeting cardiologists and Cora’s surgical team. Late at night on Monday, May 27th, my labor was induced. I started Pitocin at 12:45 a.m., then my water was broken a couple of hours later. At 5:30.a.m., the contractions were more than I could bare and I was sure I still had several hours left to go. So I asked for the epidural.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

The anesthesiologist began his work and the epidural was finally placed, but he wasn’t able to place a spinal. So I had to wait for the meds to kick in. As soon as the meds started flowing, I started throwing up. My doctor decided to check my progress and I was still just 7cm. At that point it was 7 a.m. and time for a shift change. She decided since I still had some more progressing to do, she left. As soon as she left I got sick again, while at the same time having a long and excruciating contraction. My nurse asked me, ‘Are…you feeling like you’re ready to push…?’ I answered, ‘Ummm…I think so?’ So just six minutes after my doctor checked and I was at 7cm, my nurse decided to check me again just to see if I wasn’t fully dilated. Then she said, ‘Yep! You’re fully dilated!’ and ran to the door to yell for my doctor.

I threw up one more time and I could feel Cora trying to be born. My nurse was on the phone frantically yelling for a doctor to get to my room. I looked at Derek and I remember being so scared. I whispered to him, ‘…She’s going to have to deliver Cora herself!…’ I knew Cora would need immediate medical attention as soon as she was born, and I was so scared she wouldn’t get that because she was coming NOW and we had no doctor.

Our room instantly filled with people running around getting everything ready, my body was starting to push and I couldn’t control it. Just then, a doctor ran into the room, a nurse helped her gown so fast, she sat down at the foot of my bed and told me I could push now.

After just one push, Cora Orianna Lee Welton was born on May 28^th, 2019, at 7:09 a.m. measuring 6 lbs 15oz and 19 inches long. She came out pink and crying and was laid on my tummy. She had so much hair, a sweet dimple on her chin, and the most beautiful blue eyes.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Over the next 2 days, Cora had many echocardiograms, a CT scan, and had to have a medication called prostaglandin to keep a vessel called the Ductus open in order for her blood to be able to return to her heart from her lungs. This medication caused Cora to forget to breathe at times. The day she had her CT scan, we witnessed her during a bad apnea spell. This was the first time we had seen something so terrifying happen to our child.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Her surgeons decided they would perform her first surgery on May 30th when she was just 2 days old. That morning, Cora was wheeled down the hall to the operating room for her first open heart surgery, the Norwood Procedure. At the time, that was the hardest thing we had ever had to do as parents. We prayed so hard for the surgeons to have steady hands and that Cora’s surgery would be successful.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Seeing Cora after the surgery was incredibly heartbreaking. We had to wear masks in her room because her chest was still open. Her oxygen saturation and blood pressures were low, so she was very pale. She was swollen and seemed lifeless. Over the next few days, they gave Cora a lot of medications to try to increase blood flow to her lungs. The amount of medications she was getting began to make her very swollen.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

The day after Cora’s surgery, our 21-month-old daughter Chanel finally got to meet her baby sister! My mom drove the two of them down to Portland on May 31st so that we wouldn’t have to be separated anymore. It was so exciting to see Chanel meet her new sister! She Loved visiting ‘Baby Cora’ every day.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Each morning was always filled with anxiety. Things were pretty rocky for Cora after the surgery. Her SATS and blood pressure were still not improving and they didn’t know why. They first decided to slow down when changing the dose of her medications. When that didn’t work, she had an echo which showed some narrowing in her pulmonary arteries. They decided they would take the patch off of her chest to take a look inside and rinse her chest out to hopefully remove any obstructions. But the next day Cora’s team decided to cancel this procedure because she seemed to be doing really well. We were so excited! We had so many prayers being said for our little girl to start improving, and our prayers were being answered!

But sadly, Cora’s upward trend only lasted for one day. On June 3rd, her surgeon, Ashok, decided they needed to wash out her chest after all. We were all so hopeful that this procedure would solve the issues she was having. But it unfortunately was inconclusive. So they scheduled her for a heart catheterization the next day, which is another type of test to try to figure out what was causing her blood pressure to be so low.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

The next morning, Cora went to the cath lab for her procedure. They placed a stent to hold open a blood vessel on her shunt. When she came out, they felt it was a success! Her SATS had improved and they were very hopeful that this was all she would need. And for the next two days, she was doing really well! They were able to wean one of her blood pressure medications, Epinephrine. She also got a drain called Peritoneal Dialysis to help pull out fluid from her tummy to allow her kidneys room to start working. She was so swollen from all the fluid and medications. By one week after she was born, her birth weight was doubled because of the fluid. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see her so big.  But the PD seemed to have started helping her! Prayers were being answered!

But once again, our little girl began struggling. Her team thought she might need to go back for surgery again, but they needed to do a CT scan first to decide what exactly they needed to fix. The CT scan didn’t show anything significant, so they thought maybe she had pulmonary hypertension, which means the capillaries in her lungs were tight. So they gave Cora a medication to help dilate them. Luckily this seemed to be helping! Over that weekend, they watched her closely hoping for continued improvement.

On Monday June 10th at 1:07 a.m., we were awoken by a phone call from the PICU. I can still hear it clearly in my memory as Derek answered my phone. ‘Hi, is this Cora’s dad?’ She told us that Cora was having a really hard night and they had maxed out her Epi, but her pressures were still too low. They were getting her set up to be put on ECMO, the heart/lung machine. An hour later, Ashok called us to tell us that she was now on ECMO, and that they would be performing another surgery first thing in the morning. We were so scared. We knew how serious ECMO is. That it’s life support. That so many who go on it, never come off.

At 8 a.m., they took Cora to the OR for her second open heart surgery within 13 days since her birth. They widened a narrowing in her pulmonary artery that they originally didn’t think was a problem. They also replaced her Sano shunt with a larger one and added a valve to it to prevent backflow from her lungs. It was heartbreaking to learn that the valve had to come from another baby who had died. We thought about and prayed for peace to come to the family who had lost their baby that this valve was coming from. We couldn’t imagine the heartbreak they were feeling.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

When Cora came out of surgery again, she was still on ECMO because her care team didn’t feel comfortable yet taking her off. Ashok sat down with us and told us that if this surgery didn’t help her to start improving, that there would be nothing left surgically they could do for her… At this point, we really had to put our faith in God to heal her, if it was His will.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

The next day was one of the happiest days! Chanel and I got to see her eyes open for the FIRST time since before her first surgery! Chanel said, ‘Baby Cora…Eyes…Open.’ It was so exciting! Chanel kept on repeating that phrase. She loved her baby sister and she loved seeing her eyes open.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Two days after her second surgery, Cora was taken off ECMO! We were so excited! She was doing so well, her swelling had gone down because the fluid was being pulled off through the ECMO circuit, we were so happy! She even got a feeding tube the next day! Derek was FINALLY able to see her with her eyes open, and she got to take a binky! Things were going so well! This was the best and longest stretch of progress we had with her. This long stretch lasted for almost 6 days!

Cora still had more fluid to lose and her kidneys weren’t working, so she had a procedure done to connect her to Hemodialysis to help her body get rid of the fluid. When we got the phone call that it was complete and it was successful, we got in the car to make the trip to go see her.

But just when we were only a couple of blocks away from the Ronald McDonald House, we got another call. The worst phone call. The nurse said that Cora was not doing okay, she was getting CPR and we needed to come to the hospital. This was the scariest night of our lives. When we walked in, Cora’s room was surrounded by doctors and nurses. They were running around, on the phones calling the lab, trying to get blood products to her room, trying to get the ECMO machine ready for her. Ashok was vigorously doing compressions on her tiny, blue body. We were so afraid that this was the end. After 90 minutes of CPR, they were finally ready to connect her to the ECMO circuit again. When we were finally able to come see her, it was 1:30 a.m. on Father’s Day. Cora was more swollen than we had ever seen her before.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

After having CPR for 90 minutes, a head ultrasound showed a few small spots on Cora’s brain that were damaged. The doctors were hopeful that the damage wasn’t significant, and it didn’t seem to be because Cora was still so awake and wiggly. But they hooked her up to an EEG to monitor her brain activity for a day. The next morning, they were able to take off the EEG because everything looked normal! Over the next couple of days, she got a new breathing tube because the one she had was beginning to leak, she got a new IV, and she had a Bronchoscopy to clear out her lungs. June 20th was a special day. Cora looked her best since the first time she went to surgery. She just looked so beautiful and comfortable.

Although Cora had seemingly made a lot of progress, her team was still concerned about her being on ECMO. Her heart was strong and ready to beat without any support, but her lungs still needed the help. So they decided they wanted to move her ECMO cannulas from her chest to her neck. They also wanted to put her on Peritoneal Dialysis again to help her kidneys. If everything went well, they would also close her chest. We were so happy! So on Friday June 21st, Cora went to the OR for her third time.

But unlike her first 2 surgeries, this one didn’t go well. On Saturday morning, we had the first of a few very difficult conversations with the Cardiologist. Cora had an unstoppable bleed on her Aorta. They gave her a liter of blood that night and they feared she wouldn’t make it through the weekend.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

At this time, we knew we would truly need a miracle. We reached out on social media, and pretty soon Cora had thousands of people praying for her on all parts of the world.

We prayed for miracles and God heard us. The bleeding stopped over the weekend and I knew God had granted this miracle. But Cora still had more work to do. Monday morning, she began having seizures. Cora’s team grew more concerned about her. That night, we had another hard conversation. They truly felt that Cora wasn’t going to live. They gave us a decision to make. We could stay at Doernbecher and continue on the course we were going on, we could start comfort care and let her pass, or we could transfer back to Seattle Children’s Hospital in the hopes that she would one day recover enough to be a candidate for a heart and lung transplant. We were so heartbroken to have to be faced with this decision.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

We knew this wasn’t a decision we could make without prayer and faith. On Tuesday morning, Derek and I prayed for an answer. When we were ready, we wrote down on separate slips of paper what we felt. We exchanged the papers with each other and when we opened them up, they both read the same word, ‘Seattle.’

As the day progressed, Derek and I both began to feel more and more like Cora’s life here on Earth was coming to a close. We realized that instead of Seattle being the answer, it was just another lesson. That Cora taught us that we needed to pray and have strong enough faith to know that we would both write down the same word, but the word itself wasn’t really the answer.

We decided to spend all day Wednesday with our sweet Cora. It was an emotional day. I got to change her diaper for the first time, nurse Holly dressed her in a cute romper that I had brought, and we both got to hold her for a few hours. We had family photos taken by a selfless photographer from the Portland area. We sang songs to Cora, read books to her, and told her how truly grateful we are to her for teaching us so much. Although we knew we would miss her so dearly, we were excited for her to begin her Heavenly mission.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

On the morning of June 27^th, 2019, we got dressed to go see Cora for the last time. We dressed in the nicest clothes we had with us. I washed Cora’s hair and I gently cleaned her body with a washcloth. I dressed her in clean clothes and our favorite headband and swaddled her tightly. We picked up Chanel and she gave Cora a kiss on her forehead. We told her to say goodbye. She said, ‘Bye bye, Baby Cora.’ My mom said her goodbyes and took Chanel away so that Cora could pass with Derek and I alone.

Jen Berryman, Doula and Photographer

Jen Berryman, Doula and Photographer

We were so blessed to be able to spend Cora’s last moments holding her. Derek held her first. He kissed her and sang to her and just enjoyed having her in his arms. When it was my turn to hold her, the nurse Logan removed her breathing tube so that we could see and kiss her face. It was so nice to finally be able to see her whole face! She was so beautiful. She was awake and looking at us with such deep love in her eyes.

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

When we felt it was time, they increased her pain meds and turned off ECMO. Cora loves us so much. Derek and I cried, begging her to let go. She kept fighting to stay with us. ‘We will be together soon. You need to go home,’ we told her. Finally, she passed peacefully from my arms into the arms of our loving Savior. She was finally at peace from the pains of this world.

Jen Berryman, Doula and Photographer

We love our dear Cora. I look forward to the day we can finally embrace her. I am forever so very grateful to her for teaching me so much.”

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Courtesy of Shannon Welton

Three months.

That’s how long I searched. Flyers on every streetlight. Facebook posts. Craigslist ads. Sleepless nights listening for a bark that never came.

He got spooked during a thunderstorm and slipped out the gate. By the time I realized he was gone, he was gone. Just… gone.

I’d started telling people I’d made peace with it. That maybe someone kind took him in. That he was warm, fed, safe.

But that wasn’t true.

Every morning I’d still call his name before work, just in case. Every night I left the porch light on, like that would help him find home.

Then yesterday, my phone rang.

Blocked number. Almost didn’t answer.

But I did.

And a calm voice said:

“Is this Mr. Braxton? We think we have your dog.”

I couldn’t breathe. My legs went numb. I must’ve asked “Are you sure?” a dozen times.

They said he’d been found miles away, curled up behind a diner dumpster. Skinny. Shaky. But alive.

When I walked into that shelter, I swear the world slowed down.

And when he saw me—really saw me—he let out that goofy, half-chuff noise he always made when I came home late.

He ran straight into my arms and just collapsed there. Shaking. Heavy. Real.

I thought I was hugging him just to comfort him.

But then I felt something under his collar… something tied into the leather…

It was a note.

In shaky handwriting, it said:

“Found him crying in the alley. Fed him chicken. He followed me for a week. I wanted to keep him, but I’m heading to rehab. He deserves better.”

There was no name. No number. Just that.

I stood there, stunned. The shelter staff waited, silent. And for the first time in months, I felt a strange mix of grief and gratitude.

Someone, somewhere, had loved my dog when I couldn’t.

On the drive home, he curled up in the backseat like he never left. Every few minutes he’d lift his head and look at me, as if to say, “You’re really here.”

I stopped by the grocery store and bought two rotisserie chickens—his favorite.

We had dinner together on the floor, like old times.

But that note… it kept pulling at me.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the person who wrote it.

So the next day, I went back to the diner where he’d been found. It was a greasy little place with neon signs and sticky booths.

I showed the waitress a photo of my dog and asked if anyone had been seen with him.

She blinked in recognition. “Oh yeah. That guy. Came in every morning last week. Looked rough. Hoodie, old backpack. Always ordered black coffee and gave the dog his toast.”

“Did he say where he was going?”

She shrugged. “Just said he had a bus to catch. Talked about getting clean. We wished him luck.”

I left her my number in case he ever came back.

For the next few weeks, life returned to something like normal. My dog—Rusty—gained back the weight. He followed me around the house like a shadow.

But I still checked my phone more than usual. Still wondered.

Then one Friday, the diner waitress texted me.

“He’s back.”

I dropped everything and drove over.

He was sitting at the corner booth, head down, coffee in front of him. Rusty spotted him through the glass and started whining immediately.

When I walked in, the man looked up. Mid-thirties, wiry build, sunken cheeks. His hands trembled slightly, but his eyes were clear.

He looked at Rusty, then at me.

“You’re the guy,” he said softly. “You’re his real owner.”

I nodded, suddenly unsure what to say.

“Thank you,” I said. “I saw your note.”

He smiled a little, rubbing his eyes. “Didn’t think I’d ever see him again. Didn’t think I should.”

We sat down. I offered to buy him breakfast. He hesitated but accepted.

Over eggs and toast, he told me his name was Mateo. He’d been homeless on and off for years. Addiction, bad breaks, no family left.

But Rusty found him at his lowest.

“He just… stayed,” he said. “I didn’t have much, but he didn’t care. I started saving scraps for him. Talking to him. He gave me something to take care of besides my own mess.”

That hit me hard.

He wasn’t some random drifter. He was the reason my dog was still alive.

“I didn’t want to let him go,” he added, voice breaking. “But when the rehab spot opened up, I couldn’t bring him. I figured someone would find him. Maybe even you.”

We sat in silence for a moment.

Then I said, “Come visit him anytime. Seriously.”

His eyes widened. “You’d be okay with that?”

“Of course. He clearly meant something to you. And he meant a lot to me too.”

From then on, Mateo started coming by once a week. We’d go to the park together—me, Rusty, and him.

He was clean. Enrolled in a community job program. Slowly getting back on his feet.

And Rusty? He was happier than ever.

One afternoon, a few months later, I asked Mateo if he’d thought about getting his own dog.

He laughed. “I want to. But first, I want to earn that again. I’m not rushing anything.”

I respected that.

A few weeks later, I surprised him.

I’d heard about a rescue dog—small, scrappy mutt—nervous but sweet.

I brought him to meet Mateo.

They clicked instantly.

“I’ll call him Chance,” he said, tears in his eyes. “Because that’s what this feels like.”

And that’s when I knew: sometimes losing something leads to finding something even deeper.

If Rusty had never run off… if Mateo hadn’t taken him in… we’d have never crossed paths.

Sometimes the most painful detours bring the most meaningful connections.

Now every Sunday, we meet at the park. Two guys, two dogs.

We talk about everything. Jobs. Recovery. Life.

It’s not just about the dogs anymore.

It’s about second chances.

About showing up when it counts.

And about the people—and animals—who walk into your life at the exact moment you need them most.

So yeah. I thought I lost him for good.

But what I got back was so much more than just my dog.

I got a friend. A reminder. A story I’ll tell for the rest of my life.

If you’ve ever lost something that mattered to you… keep the porch light on.

You never know what might find its way back.

After the death of her mother-in-law, Valentina arrived at the notary’s office where the reading of the will was to take place. The building was familiar to her — old, with a cracked sign and massive doors behind which there was always the smell of dust, wood, and paper.

Valya was the first to arrive. Dressed in a black coat, she maintained an outward calm — as usual. Her mother-in-law had been a strict woman, but Valya had respected her. The last years of illness had brought them closer: Valya was the one who cared for the old woman, took her to doctors, cooked meals, and endured her irritability and forgetfulness. Andrey, her husband, had grown distant. He left more often, stayed late at work, becoming almost a stranger to her.

Ten minutes later, he entered the room — Andrey. But not alone.

Next to him walked a young woman of about thirty — neat hairstyle, stylish handbag. She was holding a child, a boy about five years old. The boy clung tightly to his mother. Valya froze.

“What is this performance?” she asked calmly, looking directly into her ex-husband’s eyes.

Andrey remained silent. The woman only slightly nodded and took a seat nearby. The child looked at Valya curiously.

The notary entered the room. He greeted them, sat at the table, and opened a folder:

“We have gathered here to read the will of Maria Petrovna Ivanova…”

While he read, Valya still could not grasp what was happening. Before her was the very woman about whom rumors had circulated, but Valya preferred not to believe. Or simply didn’t want to.

“According to the deceased’s will, the apartment and bank accounts pass into the ownership of Valentina Sergeevna Ivanova,” the notary continued.

A pause. All eyes turned to Valya. She was silent.

“However, there is one more condition,” added the notary. “Maria Petrovna requested that the dacha in the village of Glinino and the family jewelry, kept in the safe, be passed to her grandson — Petr Andreevich — on one condition: he must be officially recognized as the son of Andrey Ivanov.”

The room went silent. Only the child cautiously asked:

“Mom, who is this auntie?”

Valya slowly stood up.

“I am the one who held this family together for many years. And now, apparently, I am free.”

She left without looking back. Rain began outside the window. Raising the collar of her coat, Valya inhaled the cold air and felt not pain, but a strange lightness. It was over. Or only just beginning.

Valya spent the way home in silence. Raindrops ran down the window; the notary’s words spun in her mind. The apartment, the money — it all felt foreign. The mother-in-law knew everything: about the child, about the betrayal. But kept silent until the very end. And now she left a message — the dacha and jewelry to the illegitimate grandson. It was not just a gift — it was a statement.

Valya returned to the empty apartment. It used to smell of coffee, pies, cologne… Now — only dust and silence. She took off her coat, brewed tea, and sat by the window. What now? Sell everything? Leave? Stay alone?

The phone vibrated. A message from an unknown number:

“Hello. This is Marina. I would like to talk. No scandals. For Petya’s sake.”

Marina. The mistress. The mother of his child. Valya stared at the screen for a long time. She replied:

“Tomorrow. 12:00. Cafe ‘Old Town.’ Without Andrey.”

The next day they met. Marina looked tense but held herself confidently. In her hands — a photo album with pictures of Petya: first steps, school morning performances, children’s drawings. Valya studied the boy — he had Andrey’s features, but most of all resembled Maria Petrovna. The same eyes, the same cheekbones.

“Has he seen her?” Valya asked.

“Once. At her request. I didn’t understand why then… Now I do.”

Silence fell.

“I don’t want money,” Marina finally said. “Nor the apartment. I want Petya to have a story. So he’s not ‘the second child.’ So he is accepted.”

Valya finished her coffee. There was no anger in her chest — only a new feeling she hadn’t felt for a long time: strength. The very strength her mother-in-law had always seen in her.

“He will get his name. And his inheritance. Because he is part of this family,” Valya said. “But from this day, I am no longer part of yours.”

Already leaving the cafe, Valya felt not bitterness, but relief. Years of deceit, loneliness, and fear were behind her. Now she had not just freedom. She had a choice.

A week passed.

Valentina’s apartment came to life. She sorted things, packed boxes, threw away old items, gave away extras. What once seemed important — marriage, home comfort, stability — disappeared. But something else came in its place — a trembling, almost frightening — feeling of freedom.

Valya sat on a train heading south. The final destination was the very village by the sea where she had spent student holidays, where her youth remained, her first watercolors, and the smell of the steppe wind.

“Are you alone?” asked a fellow passenger, an elderly woman with knitting in her hands.

“Yes,” Valya replied with a smile. “Completely alone. And I don’t feel the slightest sadness about it.”

She rented a small house just five minutes from the sea. Every morning she went barefoot to the shore, walking on warm sand, holding a notebook and a set of pencils. Valya started painting again — not out of sadness or memories, but because there was so much light and space inside her. She painted landscapes, faces of passersby, old boats, and elderly people on benches. Her hand remembered every stroke.

Once, at an art gallery where Valya exhibited some of her works, an unfamiliar man appeared. Tall, with graying hair, wearing a worn jacket stained with paint. A former architect who recently moved to the sea — to restore health and find inner peace.

“Did you paint the portrait of the boatman?” he asked.

“Yes. Were you the boatman?”

“Almost. Only without the dog,” he smiled.

Thus began a slow, cautious friendship between them. No obligations, no promises. Just two people tired of their former lives who found support and meaning in each other for a new day.

One day Valya received a letter. On the envelope, in childish handwriting, was written:

“To Aunt Valya. Thank you for the little house and Grandma’s ring. I won’t give it to anyone. Now I have my own secret place under the floor! Mom says you are very brave. I want to be like you. Petya.”

Valya smiled. She put the letter in the folder with her watercolors.

Life never returned to what it was before. It became different. And for the first time in many years, it was truly her own.

Petr Andreevich Ivanov turned twenty-two.

He stood on the porch of the old house in Glinino — the very one that had passed to him by inheritance. The dacha had changed a lot: a new roof, solar panels, a renovated shed turned into a workshop. But some things remained the same — grandmother’s chest in the corner of the storeroom and a secret under the floorboard where his childhood “treasures” were still kept: a broken toy car, a subway token, and one special thing — a letter.

A letter from Valya.

He found it by chance when he was about ten. It was hidden among old albums. Written in neat handwriting, with warmth and care.

Petya.

You will probably grow up and become an adult before you understand how much there was in this world before you were born.

You had a chance to destroy everything — but you became the beginning of something new. You gave me the strength to leave and start over.

This house is yours. But you don’t have to feel bound by its walls. The main thing is not to forget that even in pain there can be light.

Don’t be afraid to leave when you understand this is no longer your path.

With love,
Valentina.

Back then he didn’t understand it all. But now — he read every line as if for the first time.

He became an artist. His exhibitions were just beginning, but one of his paintings — depicting an old man and a boat — already hung in the local gallery. He knew where this gift came from — not from his father, not from his mother. From a woman who was neither blood relative nor guardian, but who left the most important thing — a sense of dignity and kindness.

In the evening, Petya opened the window. The wind swayed the curtain. On the easel lay a blank canvas. He took a brush and began with the sky — as soft as in her watercolors.

In his heart, there was no longer childhood confusion, family secrets, or hidden resentments. Everything had fallen into place. He knew who he was. And he knew where his path began.

With one woman. With her strength. With her silence. With her departure — and one letter.

The gallery was on the outskirts of the coastal town, bathed in the scent of jasmine and sea air. Inside — soft light, wooden floor, watercolor paintings on the walls. The poster at the entrance read:

“Petr Ivanov. Lines of Memory”

This was his first major solo exhibition. The colors — warm, the shapes — soft. The sea, old houses, lonely figures in the distance. One painting stood out especially — a boat on the shore and a woman in a coat standing with her back turned. Title: “Farewell.”

When Valentina entered the hall, the room was already filled with people. But he noticed her immediately.

She had hardly changed — her hair slightly grayed, her movements more measured. Linen dress, woven bag, and a gaze — attentive, like someone who has been through a lot.

Petya approached.

“Hello, Aunt Valya,” he said quietly.

She looked at him, smiled, her eyes sparkling.

“Hello, Petya.”

He hugged her. For a long time. Not as a son, not as a grandson, but as the very boy to whom she once gave the chance to become himself.

“I found your letter,” he said. “In the secret place.”

“I hoped you would find it. But not before its time.”

“It helped me more than you think.”

They stood among voices, music, laughter. And in their little world there was silence — real, alive.

Later they sat by the sea, on the familiar bench. Petya talked about his projects, exhibitions, studio. Valya spoke about her path — about how she learned to value solitude, how not to be afraid to be alone if you are whole inside.

“You really left then forever?” he asked.

“No, Petya. I just went to myself. And left you what is more important than my presence — the chance to understand who you are. That is worth more than any care.”

He nodded and handed her an envelope.

“Now it’s my turn. Almost nothing — just words. But maybe you will find them someday… or reread them. Not before their time.”

Valya took the letter. Looking at it, she realized: the story was not over. It had become wider. Deeper. Endless.

Many years later, Petya sat on the veranda of his new house — not in Glinino, but in a place he chose himself. Light walls, large windows filled with air and sun. On his lap sat a girl about eight years old with long braids and a serious look.

“Dad, who is Valentina? There’s an inscription in your book: ‘For V.S.I., who taught me to be myself.’ Is that her?”

“Yes,” he smiled. “That’s her. Not mother, not grandmother, but the person who showed how important it is to let go of pain. How departure can be a beginning.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s gone,” he answered softly. “But she lives in everything I do. Even in this house. She taught me to see beauty — even in cracks.”

The girl nodded as if she understood.

“Will I remember her too?”

“If you keep painting like you do now, if you listen to silence, if you aren’t afraid to leave when your heart asks — then yes. You will remember.”

He stood, took his daughter’s hand, and led her to the painting on the wall — the boat on the shore, and the woman in the coat standing with her back turned.

“That’s her,” he said. “My legacy.”

The girl looked at the canvas for a long time, as if wanting to remember every color, every stroke.

Sometimes real families are not born of blood. They arise from those who are not obligated to stay close but choose to remain — in memory, in heart, in the story of one life.

When Sofia announced that she was going to marry a man with a disability, her loved ones seemed to lose the power of speech. Her family was in shock, her friends were stunned, and distant relatives gathered for an informal family council as if deciding a matter of national importance. Everyone felt it was their duty to stop the girl. “You’re ruining your life,” “You deserve better,” “Think about how others will perceive this” — these phrases poured in from all sides

But Sofia, a 27-year-old pharmacist with honors and job offers from the best clinics in the country, remained steadfast. She, who had lived her whole life by others’ rules and tried to meet others’ expectations, chose for the first time not what was “right,” but what was real. And that choice was Daniil — a man in a wheelchair whom society was used to pitying but not respecting.

Not long ago, Daniil was someone to look up to. A coach, athlete, leader of youth projects. Everyone involved in track and field knew his name. But one accident changed his fate. He was returning home when a dr:unk driver cr@shed into his car. Daniil survived but lost the ability to walk. The doctors were firm: spinal cord injury — irreversible.

From that day, his life split into “before” and “after.” Instead of training — rehabilitation. Instead of the stands — the silence of hospital corridors. He stopped answering calls, disappeared from society, withdrew into himself. He smiled only out of habit, and at night, as center staff said, he cried as if he had gone back to the moment he heard the diagnosis.

Sofia came to that very center as a volunteer — through a university internship program. At first, she resisted, argued with the coordinator, but eventually agreed. It was there, in the garden, that she first saw Daniil — alone, with a book on his lap, seemingly cut off from the world.

“Hello,” she greeted him. He did not respond.

The next day she returned. Again, he was silent.

But something in that silence caught her. Something in his gaze, his loneliness, in the depth of pain he did not hide. One day she just sat down beside him and quietly said:

“You don’t have to speak. I’ll stay anyway.”

And she stayed. Day after day. Sometimes silently. Sometimes reading favorite poems aloud. Gradually, he began to open up — first with his eyes, then a smile, then short remarks. And then — conversations. A bond formed between them, much deeper than simple attraction.

She learned that he wrote poetry, that he had long dreamed of publishing a collection of stories, that he loved jazz and missed dancing the most. And he realized that before him was not just a bright mind and a beautiful girl — but a person with inner strength, capable of accepting not only his body but his pain.

Their relationship developed quietly, without unnecessary attention. Not because they were hiding, but because they wanted to preserve their space. But such love cannot be hidden.

When Sofia told her family, the reaction was predictable. Her mother locked herself in her room, her father accused her of seeking drama, and her friends began replying less often to her messages. Even her medical colleagues started keeping their distance.

“You’re destroying your life,” they said. “How will you live with someone who can’t stand up on his own?”

Sofia didn’t argue. She simply replied:

“I choose love. Not the kind that judges, but the kind that listens. Not the kind that demands you be someone else, but the kind that accepts me as I am.”

They decided to have the wedding anyway. A small one. Only for those who understood or at least learned not to judge.

On the morning of the ceremony, Sofia’s mother came into her room. No yelling. No reproaches. Just one question…

“Why did you choose him?” her mother asked.

Sofia answered quietly but firmly:

At the wedding, Daniil waited for the bride in a neat cream suit, a cane lying nearby. But no one expected what happened after she appeared.

Sofia entered — radiant, brave, free. And then Daniil… stood up. Slowly, with effort, but he stood. One step. Second. Third.

“I wanted to stand for you at least once,” he said, holding onto the back of a chair. “Even if today remains the only day. You gave me the strength to try.”

Later it turned out he had been quietly doing rehabilitation for many months. He didn’t want to give Sofia false hope. He just wanted to be able to meet her as an equal — as a man worthy to stand beside her.

Today Sofia and Daniil have created a charity foundation dedicated to supporting people with disabilities. They give lectures in schools, rehabilitation centers, and medical institutions. They share their story — not for pity, but for belief. For those who still think disability is the end, and love must be “comfortable.”

When people ask Sofia if she regrets it, she smiles, touches the ring on her finger, and softly answers:

“I didn’t marry a man in a wheelchair.
I married the one who taught me not to fear pain.
The one who gave me the right not to be perfect.
The one who believed in me when I stopped believing in myself.
This is not a story of victimhood. This is a story of victory. Our victory together.”

In a world where love is increasingly measured by convenience, external conformity, and social ratings, their union became an unexpected challenge. A challenge to stereotypes. A challenge to fears. A challenge to anyone who still thinks a man in a wheelchair cannot be a support, a protector, a beloved.

Can a person with a disability be a strong partner? Can love overcome society’s conventions and expectations?

Yes. It can. And Sofia and Daniil don’t just live life — they live the proof every day.

A grandmother, once deeply loved and trusted her grandson, was tricked and left to live out her days in a nursing home. But she wasn’t one to be fooled twice. After being wronged, she crafted a quiet but powerful revenge—leaving behind a letter and some money that would haunt her grandson forever once she was gone.

Gloria, 74, was enjoying her morning coffee beside the large window of her room when her caretaker, Sophie, rushed in.

“Mrs. Watson, you won’t believe it—your grandson is here to see you!”

It had been over a year since Gloria had any visitors. When she heard that Todd had arrived, she wasn’t thrilled. She already knew why he was there—money. That’s all Todd and his wife, Natasha, ever wanted from her.

“Do you need help getting to the lobby?” Sophie asked kindly.

“No, dear. I’ll manage,” Gloria replied as she moved slowly toward her wardrobe. “I should look nice, shouldn’t I? It’s been so long.”

As she searched for her best dress, tears welled in her eyes.

“Why did I trust him?” she whispered. “It’s the worst decision I ever made. If only I had known their true intentions.”

Five years earlier, Gloria had been living alone in the home her late husband had left her. Todd, already married, rarely visited. But suddenly, his visits became more frequent. Gloria was touched. She thought he truly cared.

Then came the request.

“Grandma,” he said, “Natasha needs surgery. I’ve spent everything I have. We’re struggling to even pay bills. Could you help us?”

Todd was all she had. She didn’t hesitate. She sold her house and moved in with him, thinking she was helping him save Natasha’s life.

But Natasha wasn’t sick.

There was no surgery. No hospital. Just a luxurious vacation to Hawaii that they didn’t want to pay for themselves. They came back weeks later pretending they’d been at a medical facility. Todd even put on a show, asking if there was food ready because “Natasha needs rest.” Gloria, unaware of the truth, worked tirelessly around the house to help Natasha recover.

Then, one afternoon while tending the garden, Gloria overheard Natasha speaking with a friend.

“She does nothing but read. She’s useless. I can’t wait to get rid of her. I need the guest room for my sister.”

“And what about Hawaii? Does she know?” the friend asked.

“Of course not! She thinks we were in the hospital. We lied. But she’ll be gone soon. She’s old—she’ll get over it.”

The words shattered Gloria. She had sold her home and given up her independence—all for a lie.

“I’m sorry, Thomas,” she sobbed later that night, staring at a photo of her late husband. “I trusted the wrong person.”

And then, just days later, Todd and Natasha handed her a brochure.

“It’s a wonderful place, Grandma,” Todd said, nervously glancing at Natasha. “Nat and I want a baby. We need more space. You’d be better off here—there’s company, activities, everything.”

Gloria understood. They were pushing her out.

She had no home of her own anymore, so she went along with it. Todd left her at the nursing home with empty promises to visit often. But “often” became once a year, and even that felt like an obligation.

One day, news arrived that Gloria had inherited a portion of her wealthy cousin Donovan’s estate. Though the estate would be divided among many heirs, her share was significant—enough to buy her a new home if she wanted.

Not long after, Todd suddenly appeared at the nursing home again.

“Grandma!” he greeted with a big smile and a tight hug. “I missed you so much.”

Gloria smiled softly. “How’s Natasha? Is she expecting?”

Todd hesitated. “She… she needs another surgery. Complications. We can’t afford it. But I heard about your inheritance. Grandma, I hate asking, but… could you help us again?”

Gloria’s heart ached. He was using the same trick again.

What he didn’t know was that Gloria had been diagnosed with cancer. She didn’t fear death—but Todd’s greed pierced her soul. She knew she had to make him see what he had become.

“Sweetheart,” she replied calmly, “I need surgery too. Mine’s urgent. I may not survive without it. Do you think Natasha’s needs are more important than mine?”

Todd’s answer made her blood run cold.

“It’s not about who matters more,” he said. “Natasha has a future. Please, Grandma. We need you.”

Gloria felt something inside her die. He didn’t even care about her life.

“Come back tomorrow,” she told him. “Let me think.”

That night, she barely slept. “Doesn’t my life matter to him?” she sobbed. “All those years I raised him, protected him… do they mean nothing?”

She remembered how Todd’s mother died in childbirth and how his father, Drake, was too addicted to gambling to raise a child. Gloria had taken custody of him to give him a better life. She thought she had succeeded. But maybe it had been too late. The damage was already done. And Natasha—she was just like him. All about money.

The next morning, Sophie woke her. “Your grandson is here again.”

With heavy steps, Gloria made her way to the lobby. Todd looked eager.

“Grandma, the doctor said Natasha must have surgery by next week. Please, help us!”

She took a deep breath.

“Todd, I haven’t received the inheritance yet. There are many heirs, and legal things take time. But if you need money urgently… why not mortgage your house? Once I get the money, I’ll help you pay it off.”

Todd’s face lit up. “That’s brilliant! You’re amazing, Grandma. Thank you!”

He left, unaware that he had just walked into the consequences of his own actions.

A few days later, Gloria turned to Sophie.

“Dear, would you mind following my grandson’s social media? I believe it’s time I kept an eye on what he truly does.”

Mr. Lewis, an 83-year-old man, had spent his life building a reputation for hard work, generosity, and kindness. He had dedicated himself to raising a large family, consisting of eight children—four biological and four adopted. Throughout his life, Mr. Lewis had always been a generous individual, frequently opening his home to foster children and donating to various charities. He believed that his family and the good deeds he did in the community were the essence of his life. However, as he grew older, he began to feel a deep sense of loneliness and emptiness.

As the years passed, Mr. Lewis noticed a troubling pattern. His children and grandchildren only seemed to visit him when they needed something, whether it was financial assistance or help with some personal issue. Rather than coming to him for companionship or seeking his wisdom, they treated him more like a bank or an ATM, withdrawing what they could without offering any real love or affection in return. This realization weighed heavily on Mr. Lewis’s heart as he entered his final years.

When Mr. Lewis was diagnosed with a terminal illness, he knew his time was limited. He gathered the courage to inform his family about the diagnosis, hoping for their support during his final days. Within hours, his children and grandchildren rushed to his side. However, their concern felt superficial, as though they were more interested in securing their inheritance than offering emotional support. They hovered around him, offering assistance, but their actions seemed to be driven by a desire for money rather than a genuine interest in his well-being.

Seeing through their charade, Mr. Lewis made a significant decision about his wealth. He understood that the love he had given to his family over the years had not been reciprocated in the way he had hoped. Instead of leaving his estate to them, he decided to take a different path—one that would reflect the true meaning of kindness and generosity.

After Mr. Lewis passed away, his family eagerly gathered for the reading of his will. They expected to receive a large portion of his fortune and were curious about how the estate would be divided. However, what they didn’t expect was a surprise that would change everything. The family lawyer began the reading by introducing a 13-year-old girl named Harper, who had been included in the will reading.

Harper was not a member of Mr. Lewis’s family. She was a neighbor who had befriended him during his final years. While his own children and grandchildren had become distant and only visited when they needed something, Harper had been different. She visited Mr. Lewis daily, offering companionship and a listening ear without any expectation of receiving anything in return. For Mr. Lewis, these visits brought much-needed comfort and companionship during a time when his family was largely absent.

The lawyer then revealed the shocking news: Mr. Lewis had left his entire fortune to Harper. He explained that Mr. Lewis had written a letter to his family, explaining his decision. In the letter, Mr. Lewis shared how Harper’s kindness had been a shining light in his life during his final years. Her selfless visits and genuine friendship had meant the world to him, especially after he had felt neglected by his own family. Mr. Lewis also revealed that Harper was battling a terminal illness, and he wanted to ensure she could live her remaining time in comfort and happiness.

The news of Mr. Lewis’s decision stunned his children and grandchildren. They were left speechless, not only by the amount of money involved but also by the fact that they had been passed over in favor of a young girl who had shown more kindness and compassion than any of them. Their initial shock turned into deep shame as they realized how little they had done for their father compared to the warmth and care Harper had shown him.

Although Harper was surprised by the inheritance, she made it clear to everyone that she never sought Mr. Lewis’s wealth. All she had wanted was his friendship. She explained that she planned to use the money to fulfill some of her dreams, particularly traveling with her parents to create cherished memories before she passed away. Additionally, any remaining funds from the inheritance would be donated to help other children like her—those battling terminal illnesses and in need of support.

In the months that followed, Harper lived her life to the fullest. She traveled with her parents, visiting beautiful places and enjoying precious moments together. Despite the sorrow of her illness, Harper’s days were filled with love and laughter, and she made the most of every moment. She experienced a joy that many people never have the chance to, surrounded by people who cared for her deeply.

As Harper’s time grew shorter, she fulfilled her promise to Mr. Lewis. She donated the remainder of her inheritance to children’s cancer charities, using her money to fund important research and to provide support for families facing similar struggles. Her generosity and kindness left a profound impact on those in need, and her legacy of giving was one that would continue even after her passing.

Harper eventually passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family. Her final days were a testament to the love and friendship she had shared with Mr. Lewis, and her story served as an example of the power of kindness. Through her actions, she showed that the value of life and love is far greater than any material wealth. Her selflessness and courage inspired everyone who knew her.

In the wake of her passing, Mr. Lewis’s family began to reflect on their own actions. They realized that they had missed the true meaning of life, focusing too much on money and material possessions instead of genuine relationships. Harper’s example had taught them a hard lesson—that true happiness comes not from wealth, but from the love and connections we share with others.

Mr. Lewis’s children and grandchildren, now filled with regret, understood the gravity of their actions. They acknowledged that they had taken their father’s love and generosity for granted, and they vowed to change the way they lived moving forward. Though they could not undo the past, they were determined to live their lives with more empathy and to value the people in their lives over money.

Harper’s legacy lived on, not just through her donations to charity, but also in the transformation she had inspired within Mr. Lewis’s family. Her kindness had rippled outward, teaching them that life’s true riches are not measured in wealth, but in the relationships we build and the kindness we extend to others.

Through Harper’s influence, Mr. Lewis’s family learned that love, compassion, and genuine connections were the real treasures in life. They had been given a second chance to understand what truly matters, and they were committed to making the most of it. Harper’s brief but powerful life had changed their hearts forever, leaving a lasting impact on their outlook on life and love.

Varya woke up to the noise coming from the street. Outside the window, the weather was hot and summery; a heavy heat hung in the air, wrapping everything around like a thick blanket. The nurse, noticing that the patient had awakened, slightly opened the window vent, letting a rare gust of fresh air into the room. Varya slowly and carefully lifted her head — her muscles were stiff after many days of lying down, and her body felt foreign and uncooperative. She looked out the window and saw that at the entrance of the women’s clinic, a mother was being discharged with two infants. A whole delegation of relatives greeted them — joyful faces, flowers, smiles. In the center of this happy bustle stood a young man holding huge blue balloons that fluttered cheerfully in the light breeze.

“So, boys…” Varya thought to herself, and her eyes involuntarily filled with tears. Not tears of joy or sadness, but a strange mixture of feelings she could not name. These were tears of memories, pain, hope, and fear.

Once again, she found herself back there, in that nightmare that had accompanied her the past few months. The events flooded her mind with such force, as if everything had happened only yesterday.

Not long ago, Varya had been happy. Radiant, full of life, she learned she was pregnant. This news was a true gift from fate. That evening at dinner, she shared it with trembling excitement with her husband, Stas. He did not hide his joy — his face literally glowed with happiness. They were newlyweds, having only recently bound themselves in marriage, but they loved each other as if they had known each other their whole lives.

Varya immediately made an appointment and began to take care of her health. Every day was special, filled with anticipation and excitement. They went together for the first ultrasound, holding hands like children going to an amusement park. But instead of the magical image of a tiny beating heart inside, they heard words that turned their world upside down.

The diagnosis was cruel and merciless. The doctor spoke for a long time, using medical terms that sounded like foreign spells. At the end of her explanation came a phrase that stayed with Varya the most:

“In your case, it’s better to have an abortion. The diagnosis is incompatible with life.”

Stas turned pale. Varya did not cry. She simply stared ahead, unable to understand how this was possible. How can something that hasn’t even fully become real be “incompatible”?

“But how did this happen?” he asked, trying to keep his composure.

The doctor just shrugged indifferently and continued explaining as if talking not about a human life, but about some technical malfunction.

Varya demanded repeat tests, a specialist panel, additional examinations. She wanted to believe it was a mistake, a coincidence, a blunder. But the answer remained unchanged. The only additional advice from the doctors was to do an amniocentesis to confirm the diagnosis.

She agreed. What else was there to do? Only pain and fear. A few days later, the results confirmed the worst fears. Again, she was advised to terminate the pregnancy.

Varya was admitted to the hospital. Everything happened like in a dream. As if someone else was making decisions, signing papers, lying down on the operating table. She requested general anesthesia — she didn’t want to see anything, hear a single sound, or feel a thing.

“It’s over,” she whispered to herself when she was finally alone. Then, burying her face in the blanket, she quietly cried into her pillow until her tears dried.**

Two days later, Stas took her home. He was worried — the old Varya no longer existed. Before him stood a shadow of the woman he loved. She moved mechanically, her gaze was dull, her voice barely audible. He hugged her tightly, ran his hand through her hair, trying to bring back warmth and confidence.

“Varya, I’m with you. I love you. Everything will be alright,” he whispered, not even knowing if he believed those words himself.

“No, Stas… nothing will ever be alright,” she answered, burying her face in his shoulder, and cried again.**

A year passed. Time doesn’t heal but helps a bit to distance from the pain. Varya threw herself into work, trying not to think, not to remember. Sometimes she stayed late, came home close to dawn. Work became a lifeline, though sometimes she felt that this shell was beginning to press down on her.

Suddenly, Stas suggested they go visit his parents in the village. It would take several hours by train. Varya didn’t object — a change of scenery wouldn’t hurt. Stas hoped fresh air, nature, and the care of family would help his wife relax a little, to remember what it meant to be a living person, not a shadow of the past.

“We’ll walk through the forest, swim in the river, visit my parents,” he persuaded her, trying hard to lift her spirits.

On Friday evening, Stas met Varya after work, and they headed straight to the train station. The train was already arriving when they got to the platform. Stas ran to get the tickets while Varya waited near the carriage. At that moment, a gypsy woman suddenly approached her. Her eyes burned, her voice was confident and somewhat mysterious:

“You will give birth to twins on your birthday.”

And before Varya could say anything, the woman disappeared, as if dissolved into the air, leaving only a shadow of puzzlement and anxiety behind.

A minute later, Stas came over.

“Varya, what’s wrong? You’re shaking.”

“Nothing… I just thought I saw something… Did you get the tickets?”

“Yes, let’s get on the train.”

The gypsy woman wouldn’t leave Varya’s mind. Thoughts swirled like leaves in an autumn wind. When the train started moving, she gathered courage and asked:

“Stas, did you see a gypsy woman when you came to me?”

“No, there was no one,” he replied firmly.

“Maybe I really imagined it…” she muttered, trying to convince herself too.

In the village, it did become easier. Fresh air, a cozy little house, the care of elders — all this gradually began to soften the pain. For the first time in many months, Varya had a strange dream: she held two large fish in her hands. In the morning, she didn’t immediately understand the meaning of this image but, while having breakfast, she asked her mother-in-law:

“Maria Ivanovna, what does it mean to dream about fish? I dreamed I was holding two.”

“Varyusha, it means pregnancy!” the woman exclaimed happily.

“Oh, don’t pay attention to it,” Varya tried to brush it off.

“You’ll soon give me grandchildren,” Maria Ivanovna smiled, clearly believing her own words.

“Do you believe in dreams?” Varya still doubted.

“Whether you believe or not, fish always mean pregnancy. It’s a sign,” she answered confidently.

A month later, Varya missed her period. At first, she didn’t pay attention — stress, fatigue, change of climate… But after a couple of days, she felt weak and nauseous. Memories of the past flared up, but now with new hope. She bought a test at the pharmacy, came home, and without undressing went to the bathroom. Two lines. Clear, bright, leaving no doubt.

Running out, she bumped into Stas who was just entering the apartment.

“Stas! I’m pregnant!”

“Varya… I’m so happy. I love you,” he admitted, hugging his wife and kissing her tightly.**

That night, Varya fell asleep in the arms of her beloved, happy and confident that everything would be different. And indeed — everything went differently.

At the appointment, the doctor confirmed the pregnancy and added one important detail:

“You will have twins.”

“Twins?” Varya couldn’t believe her ears.

“Yes,” the doctor smiled.

It was a sign. A sign that life was not over. That pain could be overcome. That there was room for a second chance.

All tests were normal. The doctor only recommended bed rest during the last month to minimize risks. But Varya felt great. And on her birthday, loud, healthy, life-filled cries were heard in the delivery room.

Two boys, resembling their father, were born that very day.

And today, on the steps of the maternity hospital, stood that same happy father with huge blue balloons, a bouquet of flowers, and gifts for the medical staff. Stas was waiting for his Varya, his sons.

Once, while walking with a stroller in the yard, Varya saw that same gypsy woman again. She approached silently, like a shadow, and said:

“Well, you gave birth to twins on your birthday?”

Varya nodded, smiling through her tears.

“Yes.”

The gypsy woman disappeared just as suddenly as she had appeared. Only the wind remained, playing with the petals of spring flowers, and two small hearts beating next to her own.

Raisa Alexandrovna never thought she would have to prove her right to the apartment. She had lived there for thirty-two years. Especially to her husband. And certainly not in a notary’s office, where they had come for a completely different reason.

“Do you want to make a gift deed for your son?” the notary asked businesslike.

“That’s exactly it,” Viktor Stepanovich nodded, stroking his graying beard. “My wife and I decided it’s time to do everything legally. Mikhail is already thirty, has his own family, a child.”

Raisa smiled faintly, remembering her grandson. That was what was worth saving for so long, putting aside money from every paycheck, working two jobs, counting every kopek. Images flashed before her eyes: she and Vitya entering the new apartment, painting the walls, buying furniture with the first big bonus.

“But there’s one catch,” Viktor Stepanovich suddenly said, and something in his voice made Raisa wary. “I’ll be the one making the gift deed. The apartment is registered in my name.”

“What do you mean — in your name?” Raisa looked at her husband in bewilderment. “It’s ours together…”

“No, dear,” Viktor Stepanovich smirked. “If you look closely at the documents, you’ll see the sole owner is me.”

The notary coughed awkwardly.

“Indeed, according to the certificate of ownership, the apartment is registered to Viktor Stepanovich.”

“But we bought it together!” Raisa exclaimed. “I worked two jobs; we saved up together!”

“And where’s the proof?” her husband asked, looking at her with an unclear triumph. “There’s no proof. Now I want to make a gift deed to our son, but only for half the apartment. I’ll keep the other half.”

“And what about me?” Raisa felt her hands trembling. “Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m perfectly sane,” Viktor answered calmly. “I just decided to put everything in order.”

“What order? We lived together for thirty-two years!”

“The documents speak for themselves,” Viktor shrugged. “The apartment is mine. I alone decide what to do with it.”

The room began to spin. Could this really be happening? Could Vitya, her Vitya, with whom she had spent her whole life, just so easily…

“Are you feeling unwell?” the notary asked sympathetically. “Would you like some water?”

“No,” Raisa straightened up. “I’m not unwell. I’m just curious when my husband became so… enterprising.”

Viktor looked away, but only for a moment. Then he looked back at his wife with undisguised superiority.

“Raechka, why are you so upset? It’s just a formality. The apartment has always been in my name, I’m the head of the family. Nothing changes.”

“Everything changes,” Raisa said quietly. “It changed a long time ago. And I didn’t notice.”

She suddenly remembered how three months ago Vitya started staying late at work. How strange calls appeared, after which he left the room. How he began to be interested in legal matters, searching something online in the evenings.

“When were you going to tell me about your decision?” she asked. “Or did you plan to surprise me right here?”

“Don’t dramatize,” her husband waved her off. “You have a pension; it’s enough for you.”

The notary coughed awkwardly.

“Actually, if the apartment was bought during the marriage, then…”

“It was bought with my money,” Viktor interrupted. “I signed the purchase agreement. All payments went through my account.”

Raisa closed her eyes. Images from the past flashed before her: standing in line at the bank to make another loan payment, giving her salary to her husband so he could add his part and pay the installment…

“Wait,” she suddenly said. “I want to check something.”

She opened her old worn bag and took out a folder. An ordinary cardboard folder with faded flowers, tied with twine. Viktor looked at her in surprise.

“What’s that?”

“This, Vitenka, is called foresight,” Raisa Alexandrovna calmly replied, untying the twine. “My mother taught me all my life to keep documents. All the documents. I never thought I’d need them… like this.”

She pulled out a stack of yellowed papers.

“Here are receipts for the initial apartment payment. Notice the payer’s name: Raisa Alexandrovna Korneeva. And the date — two days before signing the purchase agreement.”

Viktor leaned forward.

“That means nothing! It’s just…”

“Wait, I’m not finished,” Raisa continued calmly. “And here are statements from my savings book. See these withdrawals? Every month, regularly, an amount equal to half the monthly loan payment. For fifteen years.”

The notary carefully examined the documents.

“And here’s something else interesting,” Raisa pulled out an envelope with an official stamp. “A bank certificate about the loan repayment. Look closely at the account details from which the last payment was made.”

The notary studied the document and looked up at Viktor Stepanovich in surprise.

“That account belongs to…”

“Me,” Raisa Alexandrovna finished. “It’s my personal account where I received salary from my second job. Vitya was sick then, couldn’t work, and I made the last large payment for the apartment. Entirely.”

Viktor Stepanovich turned pale. He clearly hadn’t expected such a turn of events.

“But the ownership certificate…”

“Yes, it’s in your name,” Raisa nodded. “Because it was easier to register it that way back then. You had a good reputation at work; your loan got approved faster. We are family; what difference does it make whose name the apartment is under? That’s what I thought for thirty-two years.”

The notary put her pen aside and straightened up, shifting her gaze from one spouse to the other.

“I must tell you, by law, everything bought during marriage is considered joint property. It doesn’t matter whose name is on the documents. Especially when there’s proof Raisa Alexandrovna also paid for the apartment.”

Viktor Stepanovich nervously drummed his fingers on the table.

“That’s all nonsense! I can bring a bunch of papers too,” he waved irritably. “What difference does it make who paid how much? The main thing is the apartment is registered to me!”

“No, Viktor Stepanovich, that’s exactly not the main thing,” the notary calmly objected. “If it comes to court, the apartment will be divided in half. That’s common practice.”

“What court?” Viktor protested. “I’m not going to sue!”

“But I might,” Raisa Alexandrovna unexpectedly said. “If you insist the apartment is only yours.”

She didn’t expect herself to say that. She had never threatened her husband in her life. In fact, she rarely raised her voice at all. She always thought a woman should be gentle, yielding, creating coziness and peace at home. And now — this. But something inside her seemed to switch.

“You? Going to sue?” Viktor Stepanovich laughed shortly. “Raecka, you’re afraid to speak up at your meetings in the clinic. What complaints?”

“People change,” Raisa looked him straight in the eye. “Especially when betrayed.”

Viktor was the first to look away.

“Why are you dramatizing? Nobody’s betraying anyone. We just need to put things in order.”

“Putting things in order means leaving your wife homeless after thirty years of marriage?” Raisa felt a wave of indignation rising inside her. “Why do you want this, Vitya? Honestly.”

A heavy silence hung in the room.

“I need freedom of action,” Viktor Stepanovich finally said, looking somewhere aside. “The ability to manage the apartment without… unnecessary talks.”

“Who do you need to discuss it with?” Raisa asked quietly. “Her?”

Viktor jerked as if struck — the best answer to her question.

“You know?” he only asked.

“I suspect,” Raisa felt a strange calm. “For how long?”

“Six months,” Viktor answered reluctantly. “She… she’s younger.”

“Of course younger,” Raisa nodded. “Otherwise, what would be the point?”

The notary cleared her throat, clearly feeling uncomfortable.

“Maybe it’s better to discuss personal matters in private? I can step out for a few minutes.”

“No need,” Raisa shook her head. “We’re here on business; let’s deal with it. So, the apartment is considered joint property, and I have the same rights as my husband. Right?”

“Exactly right,” the notary confirmed.

“What do I need to do to officially register my share?”

Viktor Stepanovich sharply turned to her:

“Are you seriously going to split the apartment?”

“Were you seriously going to leave me with nothing?” Raisa retorted.

She suddenly realized she wasn’t afraid to argue at all. All her life she avoided conflicts, gave in, smoothed things over. But now she had a clear understanding: she would not let herself be deceived. Not after all these years, after all the sacrifices and compromises.

“I think you should talk at home,” the notary gently suggested. “Then decide about the gift deed or something else.”

“What is there to talk about?” Raisa Alexandrovna gathered her documents back into the folder. “We’ve talked for thirty-two years. Enough.”

Viktor Stepanovich suddenly grabbed her hand:

“Raya, come on! I got carried away. Of course, no one is kicking you out of the apartment.”

“Then what?” she pulled her hand away. “Just wanted to see if I could be fooled?”

“Don’t dramatize! I just wanted…” he hesitated. “Wanted everything to be legal.”

“You can make a property division agreement,” the notary interjected. “Specify each spouse’s share.”

“What shares?” Raisa smiled ironically. “Half and half, as it should be. But why do we need this agreement if we lived thirty years without one?”

She looked at her husband carefully, and suddenly everything fell into place.

“You’re going to divorce, aren’t you?” she asked bluntly. “That’s why you decided to claim the apartment in advance?”

Viktor Stepanovich lowered his eyes.

“No, what are you saying…”

“Don’t lie, at least now,” Raisa said tiredly. “I believed every word you said for thirty-two years. Thought we had family, trust, respect.”

“Raecka…”

“Don’t call me that!” she suddenly cut him off sharply. “Not now.”

A heavy silence hung in the office.

“I love another woman,” Viktor Stepanovich finally said. “I want to start life anew. I have the right.”

“You do,” Raisa agreed calmly. “And I have the right to half our apartment. And I will get it.”

“What will you do with half?” Viktor Stepanovich shrugged. “How do we divide it? Put a wall in the middle of the room?”

“Sell it,” Raisa said firmly. “And split the money.”

“Where will you go to live?”

“Not your concern,” she cut him off. “You made your choice.”

Only now did Raisa Alexandrovna realize she felt neither pain nor resentment. Only a strange relief and determination. As if a weight she had carried for years suddenly lifted from her shoulders. In recent years, she often caught herself thinking she was tired of her husband’s endless nagging. Of feeling that everything she did was wrong.

“Does Misha know?” Raisa Alexandrovna asked about her son.

Viktor shook his head.

“I’ll call him today,” Raisa nodded. “He should hear it from me, not by accident.”

“You’re going to turn him against me?” Viktor frowned.

“I’m going to tell him the truth,” Raisa shrugged. “That you found another woman. Want a divorce, and tried to trick me out of the apartment. What conclusions he draws is his business. He’s an adult.”

“You’ll present everything so I look like a villain!”

“Aren’t you?” Raisa raised her voice for the first time during the conversation. “What else do you call a man who decided to throw his wife out after thirty years of marriage?”

“I’m not throwing anyone out!” Viktor also started to get irritated. “I just wanted to give my share to our son! So he definitely gets something if…”

“If what?” Raisa interrupted. “If I start claiming my rightful property?”

The notary cautiously intervened again:

“Sorry, but I must say that gifting property by one spouse without the consent of the other can be challenged in court.”

“See?” Raisa triumphantly looked at her husband. “Even that wouldn’t work. You’d still have to ask me.”

Viktor Stepanovich rubbed his forehead.

“I just wanted…” he stopped. “Okay, never mind what I wanted. Let’s talk at home. Calmly.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Raisa stood up, carefully fastening her bag. “It’s all clear. I’ll file for divorce and property division. I wish you happiness in your new life.”

She said this without irony, simply stating a fact. And saying these words, she suddenly realized she truly meant it. Let him be happy — with anyone, just not with her. Because she deserved more.

— Hello, Lena! — Angelina saw someone she knew and waved.

— Hello, — Lena smiled warmly. — You haven’t come to see us in a long time.

— Lots of work, no time for vacation. My daughter is in ninth grade.

— Ah… if I remember correctly, you usually went on vacation at the end of June. You have a celebration, a birthday… — travel agent Lena tried to recall precisely but was mistaken. Angelina Sergeeva had been her longtime client.

— No, my birthday is in winter, — Angelina laughed. — But at the end of June, my husband and I have our wedding anniversary. We usually plan our vacation around that date, to go away. We’d like to this year too… but I don’t know how it will work out. I simply have no time to deal with it.

— I can help you pick some tours. That’s what I’m here for, — Lena smiled. The women exchanged a few more words and agreed to keep in touch via messenger, then parted ways.

In the evening, Angelina told her husband about the meeting.

— Yeah, that happens, — he mumbled.

— Looks like we won’t go anywhere this year. Our daughter has exams, and I’m busy, — sighed Angelina.

— You know what… I guess I can take over organizing the vacation.

— Really? After 15 years of marriage, it’s the first time you’re willing to take something on, — Angelina laughed.

— Oh, stop it! — he waved his hand. — Don’t undervalue my contribution to our family life.

— Your main contribution I definitely can’t undervalue. Look at her sitting there, studying English, — said Angelina, looking at their daughter.

— Yeah. But besides our daughter, there’s plenty more… Just trust me.

Angelina was silent, trying to figure out where this sudden enthusiasm came from. Ivan was not known for initiative — in fifteen years of marriage, he had never planned anything. He even went shopping with a list she wrote.

— Alright, — she exhaled. — Go ahead. Surprise me. I have tons of work to do.

“I will surprise… oh, how I will surprise,” Ivan thought as he rubbed his hands.

Angelina really was busy. Deadlines at work, a daughter preparing for the Unified State Exam (EGE), everything falling on the wife: control, support, meals, cleaning, finances. Ivan had always been a background presence — neutral, not interfering, but not helping either.

But this time things were supposed to be different. Her husband enthusiastically started searching for hotels. And, to be honest, she felt flattered. She was tired… and here — care. Finally! It took less than a hundred years…

Her mother-in-law didn’t believe it when she found out the son-in-law was organizing the vacation.

— Can you imagine, he volunteered himself. Says he’ll make a surprise. Hope it’s not Antarctica.

— Or the Bermuda Triangle, — snorted her mother. — Surprises from men are a dangerous thing. Keep an eye on him.

— Come on, Mom! We control them first, then wonder why they turn into helpless adults.

Angelina said a lot more to her mother but discreetly slipped her husband a “random” business card of travel agent Lena.

Ivan, not a very attentive man, assumed the card was from someone at work. Like Anna Petrova, his colleague, who was also planning a vacation and browsing wonderful seaside hotels with Ivan.

On the chosen day, Ivan called Lena and said he wanted to go on a vacation, just the two of them.

— I was just selecting options for other clients for those dates. I can send you some options right now, — Lena replied, and within 5 minutes, Ivan had a document with tour options and prices.

“This hotel my wife won’t handle… don’t like this one, they only have breakfast… but this one… looks good. Yeah.”

— Lena, I’ve chosen the third option.

— Did you notice it’s a city hotel? Not close to the sea. Doesn’t that bother you?

— No, we’re on a romantic trip, — he laughed. — The main thing is a comfortable bed.

Lena chuckled. She loved working with clients like Ivan. Not families with kids where wives spent months reading hotel reviews, not economists to whom everything was expensive. The perfect client was not newlyweds or family men, but a man in love.

— Shall I book it?

— Yes… I’ll stop by tomorrow with the money.

— You can also pay by transfer to my account.

— No, I’d rather bring it in person. I don’t quite trust transfers…

— As you wish, — Lena clicked her tongue. She had worked at the travel agency for over 20 years and seen many things…

In the evening, Ivan told his wife he had picked a great option.

— Good meals, clean rooms.

— And the sea?

— Well… it’s about a 10-minute walk.

— I thought it would be right on the beachfront.

— You know the prices for beachfront? — the husband protested. — No, if you’re ready to pay twice as much, then I’m all for it! By the way, I’ll need money tomorrow to buy the tour.

— Well then buy it, — Angelina looked at her husband surprised.

— Need the money, — Ivan said calmer, without emotion.

— Aren’t you the one organizing the vacation from start to finish this year? — Angelina teased him.

— I found everything, organized it! And you know my salary… So, will you give me cash or transfer to my card? — Ivan looked impatiently at his wife.

— I don’t have that kind of money now. Salary’s in a week.

— And if there are no spots left?!

— You can book with a partial payment. I’ll think how best to do it. Show me the hotel info again, I want to read reviews.

Ivan rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. If he argued, his wife might take over vacation planning herself, which was not part of his plans.

However, Angelina simply didn’t have time — her daughter came home from tutor and demanded dinner.

Waving it off, Angelina decided for once to trust her husband’s choice. But she forgot about the money, got busy. In the end, the next day Ivan went to the travel agency and took care of the paperwork, calling his wife right from there.

— Listen, Gelya… You promised to transfer money. I’m at the travel agency now…

— What agency?

— What’s your office called? — he asked Lena, unaware his wife personally knew the travel agent.

— “Spherical Earth.”

— Oh… You went there? Good. I’ll transfer money directly to their account now. Send me the details.

— Well…

— I always pay this way.

— Alright, — Ivan sighed, then addressed Lena. — Money will be transferred now. Do you need anything else from me?

— Passport details of travelers. Have you been with us before?

— No… This is the first time I’m buying a tour myself! — Ivan said proudly, handing over his passport.

Lena saw from the passport data that Ivan Sergeev was already listed in the client database.

— Are you traveling with your wife?

Ivan flinched at the mention of his wife.

— Why do you ask?

— I see you traveled with our company last year. Angelina Sergeeva, your wife? — Lena smiled.

— Ah… No! — Ivan answered quickly, blushing. — We divorced. Yes. We separated. I’m not going with her. Here’s the passport. — He handed another document. — Do you have Anna Petrova in your database?

— Um… — Lena stared at Ivan, not knowing what to do. A week ago she spoke to Angelina. And Angelina said they were celebrating 15 years of marriage. And now… divorced?!

— Do you have her in the database? — Ivan repeated.

— No. But I’ll enter the necessary info in the form now. She’s your… um…

— My girlfriend.

— Right. Got it. Okay. — Lena didn’t show her inner turmoil. Inside she was boiling. A year ago her husband left her for some “Anna Petrova” — with duck lips, 20 years younger than Lena. Now, judging by Ivan’s behavior, he decided to secretly vacation with his young lover.

— How will you pay for the tour?

— By transfer to the account.

— Only to a personal card. No need to indicate anything in the payment description. — Lena spoke confidently. She already knew she would tell Angelina about her husband’s escapades and show her the vouchers. She would even give a discount on this hotel if Angelina decided to catch her husband red-handed. Lena could not have guessed that Ivan was not just a cheater but also a mercenary scoundrel. She learned this when she received money from Angelina S. to pay for previous tours.

That was how Angelina Sergeeva, Ivan’s wife, had paid for their past trips. This meant only one thing: Ivan decided to vacation with his lover on his wife’s money.

— Did you receive the money? The advance?

— Yes, I sent a request to the hotel and am waiting for confirmation. As soon as it’s confirmed, I’ll send you the confirmation, — Lena said without looking at Ivan. He quickly took the passports and left.

“All is well, darling! We’re flying to the sea,” he messaged — not to his wife, but to Anna Petrova.

He called Angelina and said the application was still being reviewed.

— Okay. Good. Thanks, — she answered. — I have a call on another line. I’ll call back.

Angelina saw that Lena called. She never imagined what the travel agent would say to her.

— Hello?

— Hello, this is Lena from the “Spherical Earth” agency.

— Good afternoon, Lena. Did something happen? They didn’t confirm the hotel? Or did my husband mess something up? — Angelina laughed.

— I don’t know how to say this. Your husband was here today. He asked to book a tour for two, on certain dates.

— Well… yes, I know. What’s the problem? I transferred money to you.

— The thing is… he asked to book it not for you, but for himself and some Anna Petrova. Normally, I would have sold the tour by now… But I checked the booking history. The money came from your card. We met recently. I thought it might be a mistake, so I decided to call you. Sorry if I’m interfering.

— What? — Angelina shuddered. — Wait. Who’s this Anna?!

— His… friend, he said. He also said you divorced.

— Fifteen years! And suddenly he decides to handle the vacation himself! I thought… that it was care! — Suddenly Angelina began to cry. — Sorry…

— I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have called you, but I went through betrayal myself. I think it’s better to know now where your money is going. Than later.

— Yes! Of course, you’re right! — Angelina quickly wiped her tears. — Can we cancel the tour?

— I haven’t booked it yet. The money is still on my card. Don’t worry. Your husband won’t fly.

— Wonderful.

— Just don’t ask me to forge a voucher and give your husband “tickets,” — Lena hinted at possible revenge.

— I’ll do it myself. And I’ll send them to him by email from an unknown address. Thanks, Lena. You don’t have to return this money. I’m going to vacation. With my daughter. Just let’s adjust the dates.

— Yes, okay. — Lena sighed. It was a close call.

What it took for Angelina to pretend everything was fine while enduring her husband… She endured it for her daughter — she needed her to finish ninth grade peacefully, without extra nerves.

In the end, three days before departure, when the daughter had finished all exams and went out calmly to play, Ivan couldn’t hold back and confessed.

— Darling, I have a special gift for you on our anniversary. I’m leaving.

— Go ahead, — Angelina replied, already expecting this outcome, without even looking away from her work spreadsheets.

— What do you mean?! I’m not going to the store! I mean, I’m leaving.

— Good luck.

— And I’m not going on vacation with you. Let’s call it a gift to me for all 15 years of humiliation! For all the time I couldn’t be a real man next to you! But now, I can! Oh, how I can!

— Vanya, don’t distract me from work. If you’re leaving — leave. Do you even know how to find the door after 15 years?

— Just like that?! You’re not even sorry to spend money on my vacation?! I’m not going alone, with my beloved woman!

— Fly, eagle… Fly, — Angelina smirked. — Just don’t fly too high, so it won’t hurt when you fall.

Ivan tried to say something, waving his hands, but Gelya put on headphones and focused on her work. It hurt her, it was nasty, unpleasant. But fortunately, Lena saved her from even greater pain by preparing her for her husband’s betrayal.

Otherwise… Angelina would have been in a daze.

But not now.

Ivan left. He went to Anna, and three days later, with suitcases and fake vouchers, they stood in line at check-in. Angelina wanted to go and see their faces, but she was too busy with work. However, she guessed what screams Anna would let out when the polite registration clerk said they were not on the passenger list and the papers were fake.

Ivan will rant so much that he will be taken to the interrogation room. In general, the lovers’ vacation will fail.

Ivan will keep waving his hands and accusing his wife of deceit for a long time.

In response, he will receive a court summons and a threat that Angelina will file a police report for fraud.

“I have a witness, Lena. She will confirm you tried to steal my money,” Angelina will write to Ivan, and only after that will Ivan leave her alone.

They divorced. There was nothing to split — all property belonged to Angelina and the daughter. Ivan was left with an empty house and Anna, who was so offended she kicked him out after realizing she could only travel by bus at his expense, not to a resort.

Angelina and her daughter had a wonderful vacation by the sea. And since that day, Angelina and Lena became friends. She was very grateful to the honest woman who, instead of thirsting for profit, preferred a clear conscience and peace of mind for the abandoned Angelina. And that happens.