— Elizaveta, I’m leaving early today. Will you close the kiosk by yourself? And if necessary, cover for Mrs. Anatolyevna, okay? — Elizaveta almost whispered.
— Are you even asking, silly! — her partner replied, biting off a piece of fresh bun. — You can always count on me for that. Although, I must admit, I’m starting to worry about you. It’s been two months since you lost your aunt, and you still haven’t recovered.
The woman sadly looked at her friend, throwing the rest of her favorite treat into her mouth.
— Want some tea? Chamomile. To calm down.
— I am calm, Galya. Really. I just need a little more time. I understand that life goes on. Although it’s very hard to accept.
— You should think about the living, not those who have left this world! You have a husband, an adult daughter who started university this year. They all need your care and support. Come on, pull yourself together!
— She wasn’t just an aunt. She was a mother! — Elizaveta said with tears in her eyes. — A person who, from an early age, cared for me more than my own parents did. Aunt Eva raised me. Without her, I would have been sent to an orphanage.
— Don’t make things up! It’s just your wild imagination! — Galina tried to cheer her friend up.
Elizaveta didn’t reply to her partner and began to arrange the goods that had been delivered a few hours ago.
— Liz, don’t you want to meet your mother? — her colleague persisted. — You haven’t seen her for thirty-two years… That’s a lifetime.
— Galya, would you like to see a woman who gave birth to you and then left you alone in an apartment at six years old, running off with a new lover to another city a thousand kilometers away? She didn’t care who would feed you, whether you could find your way to your aunt’s. Or rather, whether you would survive at all. She never even tried to find out how you were doing. For decades.
— I understand your resentment, but… she’s still your mom! — Galina said thoughtfully. — And what if she’s no longer alive? Maybe this is your last chance to see her?
— I don’t care! Just like she didn’t care back then. We drifted apart «like ships at sea.» And let’s not continue this pointless conversation. I’ve always had, and will always have, only one mother. She is forever and ever in my heart.
— And Milena? Your daughter dreams of meeting her real grandmother.
— She should appreciate the one who paid for her tutors and gave her pocket money every week. Oh, I don’t want to talk about it! Galya, let’s stop. I’m tired. And I have a headache.
— Alright, dear! As they say, living life is not like crossing a field. You’ll manage!
Elizaveta left work fifty minutes early. She always did this when she wanted to spend a few hours alone.
A fine rain drizzled outside, the kind that heralds the impending autumn muck and chill. It had already gotten dark, despite the early hour. The woman glanced at her watch. Six ten. That meant she had almost an hour for peace and nostalgia.
Elizaveta pulled her hood over her head and quickly walked towards her home.
As she was almost at the entrance of her building, her mobile phone rang. It was Anatoliy.
The woman sat down on a bench and, not to give herself away, cheerfully answered:
— Hello, dear. Are you home yet?
— Almost. Stopped by the store. Need to buy anything for dinner?
— Yes, some cookies for tea. We’re all out of sweets.
— Got it. Are you coming home soon? Still at work? — her husband asked caringly.
— Yes. I’m laying out goods with Galya. They brought ten boxes. I might even stay a bit longer. Doubt we’ll finish by seven.
— Just don’t overwork yourself. Everything in moderation! — Anatoliy tried to start a «teaching lecture.»
— Sorry, but I need to run. It’s not nice that Galya is working alone. See you soon! — without letting her husband reply, the woman quickly hung up.
Five minutes later, Elizaveta was at her favorite place on Earth:
— Let the whole world wait! — the woman said aloud and smiled contentedly.
Elizaveta brewed tea, placed a photo of Aunt Eva in front of her, and plunged back into an ocean of memories.
When her mother abandoned her as a little girl, her aunt «turned the world upside down» to adopt her niece.
Her mother had nothing against it. To her credit, she even facilitated the paperwork so her sister could finalize the adoption as quickly as possible.
— Don’t think Eva loves you that much! — her grandmother scolded every time she saw her granddaughter. — She couldn’t have her own children, divorced her husband, and now seeks consolation in you. It’s not out of great love, believe me! It would have been better if they had sent you to an orphanage.
The little girl silently blinked, not understanding why her mother and grandmother hated her so much.
Years later, Aunt Eva told the girl the truth. It turned out her conception was the result of an act of violence. Doctors forbade terminating the pregnancy. She had to give birth. But the girl forever remained a «dark stain» in the family.
Relatives always looked at her with hatred, avoided meetings, and never gave her gifts. Only Aunt Eva was always there and loved her niece with all her heart until the end of her days.
With that last thought, her chest tightened.
The last years of her «mother»… how difficult they were. Elizaveta still couldn’t understand why God punished this saintly woman with such torments.
Three long years of terrible illness. They tried everything, went to every doctor… nothing helped.
But what was even more hurtful was the behavior of Milena and Anatoliy, who never visited the sick relative and didn’t help take care of her.
— This is the woman who raised me, who saved my life. How can you be so indifferent to her? — Elizaveta was indignant.
— Dear, don’t exaggerate. She just played the role of an aunt. Anyone in her place would have taken in a niece. Don’t award her undeserved «medals.»
— You say that because Aunt Eva always thought you were unworthy of me! She never hid her feelings and always spoke her mind!
— I don’t care about her opinion, — Anatoliy harshly replied. — Or about her. If you want, go and take care of her. But don’t count on me! I won’t lift a finger. It’s nothing personal. I just dislike her since the moment we met.
Milena echoed her father and didn’t even want to hear about Aunt Eva.
— Daughter, how aren’t you ashamed? — Elizaveta asked disappointedly. — What’s your problem? I could force you to visit the sick, but I don’t want to.
— And rightly so! You can’t force someone to love. Mom, just don’t be upset. I don’t want to lie to you, be rude, or argue. Maybe I just feel she’s a stranger. If it were my real grandmother… that would be different. Let’s find her and meet! I think she’s very cool!
— Forget it! — Elizaveta shouted at her daughter. — Don’t even think about it. Better prepare for university admission!
The woman had to cope with all the problems and cares alone.
In the morning, she made breakfast, ran to her aunt to feed and wash her. Then work. In the evening, back to her aunt’s, then home, where cleaning and cooking awaited. Sometimes she had to sleep only three hours a day. Bags under her eyes and wrinkles appeared.
— My girl, you need to rest! — the sick woman worried. — Don’t come for a few days. I’ll manage on my own.
— That’s impossible, mommy! Don’t bother. I’ll occasionally stay overnight with you.
Elizaveta kept her word and often stayed overnight at her beloved relative’s.
The time came when the woman’s condition worsened day by day.
— Daughter, I have an important request for you. Promise you’ll do it! — one morning, the sick woman spoke to her niece.
— Of course. Anything you want!
— Call a notary. I want to draft a will. To give you my apartment.
— What nonsense? — Tears welled up in Elizaveta’s eyes. — I don’t need any apartment. I need you!
— I’ll be around as long as God allows. A month, a year, two, ten. No one knows when my last day will come. We’ll make the official documents just in case.
— No! — the niece resisted until the end.
— You’ve never let me down in your life. And now keep your promise! And also… I forbid you to tell anyone about the inheritance. Friends, relatives, family. Doesn’t matter. Let it be your secret. After I’m gone, you’ll decide what to do.
Yielding to Aunt Eva’s persuasions, Elizaveta agreed to all the conditions. The apartment became her property.
The woman took care of the sick until the end, striving to make each of her days happy and delighting her «mother» with pleasant surprises.
Half a year later, Aunt Eva was gone.
Two months had passed since that tragic day, and nothing inside had changed.
Emptiness. New emotions were needed. She needed to distract herself and get back on her feet. This couldn’t continue any longer.
Yes, no one could replace Aunt Eva. But… would she be happy with her niece’s condition, to whom she dedicated her life?
Elizaveta took a sip of cold tea and… remembered the conversation with Galya. A month ago, she told her friend about the inheritance.
— Really! — the woman was thrilled. — And what will you do? Congratulations from the bottom of my heart! After all, your aunt was a great woman!
— But I can’t breathe without her.
— Then go to the sea, — Galya offered nonchalantly. — They say it helps those with breathing problems.
— What a joker! — Elizaveta laughed for the first time since the funeral. — I wonder who’s going to pay for that. Tolya earns just enough for groceries, and that’s good. And our salary would barely get us past the ditch.
— Beauty! You now own a three-room apartment. Rent it out to decent people, get the money, and go to Turkey! Why not?
— Good joke, — Elizaveta responded uncertainly. — Maybe later. But definitely not now.
That day, Elizaveta said a categorical «no.» But now she was ready to go on her first trip ever.
She quickly went onto a real estate website, registered, and posted an ad seeking tenants.
— So I don’t change my mind! — Liz convinced herself.
The next day, her phone was bursting with incoming calls. There were many candidates. From all of them, the landlady chose a young family with a child, received a six-month advance payment, and drew up an official lease agreement.
— Friend! — Galina squealed with joy. — I’m so happy for you! You owe me a bottle of champagne for the idea!
Elizaveta went home, content and happy. But an unpleasant surprise awaited her there. Both her daughter and husband attacked her in a rage.
— How could you keep such a thing secret? — Anatoliy was indignant. — What if I had other plans? Or could have rented the apartment for more? For instance, renovate it and rent it as a daily apartment. Do you realize the income? Your head is empty!
— Did you think about me, mom? — Milana yelled. — Your daughter lives in a dorm with huge rats, cooks food in a dirty kitchen with no sanitation. Does that bother you? No! Instead of giving me the apartment to live in, you let strangers move in, secretly saved up money, and are going to the sea. Brilliant, but shameless!
Elizaveta sat silently at the table, watching her husband and daughter closely.
— I listened to you. If you’re finished, then it’s my turn to speak. And you will also listen to every word I say without interrupting. Agreed?
Anatoliy and Milana said nothing.
— Believe it or not… I hid from the family that I received the apartment as an inheritance. And I saw their true faces! Family — that’s you. Just to clarify! — Liz confessed. — For years I asked you for help. No one even showed their nose at Aunt Eva’s. Alright, let’s assume, for personal reasons, you didn’t like her. But you didn’t spare me either. I slept three hours a day, suffered, and struggled. And you didn’t care! You comfortably snuggled in warm beds and ignored my problems.
— Don’t make up nonsense! — Anatoliy grimaced discontentedly.
— I turned a blind eye to everything. You might ask why. I don’t know myself! Can’t explain. Probably was fooling myself. Didn’t want to admit what was obvious. My family is not a family at all! A group of strangers with consumer desires.
— We weren’t the ones planning to go to the sea! And we weren’t the ones deceiving! — Milana was outraged.
Elizaveta smirked:
— I feel sorry for you. Unfortunately, life never gives anything good to people like you. And also… I am going to the sea. I will rent out the apartment and spend all the money exclusively on myself. Whoever doesn’t like it, there’s the door. I’m not holding anyone back.
Neither the daughter nor the husband accepted Elizaveta’s ultimatum.
The girl cut off communication with her mother and called her only on major holidays.
Anatoliy filed for divorce. They divided their joint two-room apartment.
The woman was not sad for long. Within a year, she met a new love, a man she married and with whom she found true happiness.
