Denis was already in his master’s program, but he had never seriously dated any girl. He was liked by the girls—handsome, friendly, and easy to talk to. But no miracle happened, no spark flew, and the guy no longer doubted that he would return home, to his native city, single.
Then suddenly, he met Oksana. It happened like this. In May, sitting in stuffy lecture halls or in the library was unbearable. After classes, Denis went downtown to wander the streets and visit a store. He went down to the promenade, wanted to drink some juice at a cafe, and there he saw an attractive stranger who was looking around in confusion. Denis was sociable, so he immediately called out to her:
«Miss, do you need help?»
«Maybe,» she continued looking for someone with her eyes, «I got separated from my tour group. We were supposed to go see the drama theater, but I got distracted by the river and the boats. I look around – and none of our group is nearby.»
«No worries, the drama theater is very close—just go up that street, and you will see it right away. Or if you want—we can sit in the cafe now, have some ice cream, and then I can give you a tour of the city myself. You’ll see the drama theater, the opera house, and various monuments. Then I’ll walk you to your hotel.»
«I’m not staying at a hotel, I’m staying with my aunt. She advised me that it’s best to explore the city with a guide over a couple of days. And now I’m completely lost…»
«No problem—I’ll walk you to your aunt’s door. What’s your name—Oksana? Very nice to meet you. Shall we go?»
The romance ignited instantly, although it was Denis who was mostly «to blame.» Oksana turned out to be shy, reserved, and not very talkative. But Denis immediately understood that she was the girl for him. They had known each other for about a week, but the guy had already proposed to his chosen one.
Oksana did not need to ask her parents for a «blessing.» Her mother had her early, never marrying her father. Much later in her life, another man appeared with whom she registered their relationship. In this marriage, two boys were born. Oksana always felt that her stepfather loved her much less than his own children. And her mother seemed to be apologizing for Oksana’s very existence all her life.
In her family, the girl played the role of a nanny for her younger brothers, and gradually, all the household chores fell to her. She did not have her own room: her mother and stepfather lived in one room, the boys in another, and Oksana made her bed on the couch in the living room.
The trip to her aunt’s, who lived in a major regional center, was a rare celebration for the girl. And Oksana knew that if she left home forever – the stepfather would only be glad.
The girl introduced Denis to her aunt, who approved of her niece’s choice. The young people filed for marriage registration and soon got married. The wedding was so quiet and modest that Denis’s classmates did not immediately realize he was married. The newlyweds simply sat with their closest friends in a cafe, raising glasses of champagne.
While Denis did not yet have his diploma, they lived with Oksana’s aunt. And then they moved to the city from which the husband was originally.
Oksana was very surprised that Denis’s mother not only did not come to the wedding but, as it turned out, did not even know that her son got married.
«Do you want to hide me from her?» Oksana asked her husband.
«No, not at all. It’s just that my mom has a weak heart, and I didn’t want to worry her beforehand. Believe me, she would have found a thousand reasons for concern. From organizing the wedding to wondering how we will manage financially. She would have started measuring her blood pressure, taking medication… But now it’s all behind us, we’ve come as son and daughter… You are now like a daughter to her,» Denis affectionately hugged his wife.
But he knew internally that not everything was so simple. Denis was a «ray of light» for his mother, especially after her husband died. Stepanida Vitalyevna – already elderly, overweight, suffering from angina, coped by trying to control everything in life.
Thus, she knew exactly which varieties of cucumbers and tomatoes she would plant in the summer at the dacha. She had set aside enough money to give Denis a monthly allowance while he was studying in another city. Anything sudden, unplanned—knocked the woman off track, she got so worried that it ended with an ambulance call.
Stepanida Vitalyevna also had clear plans regarding her son’s future bride. Of course, it would be better if her boy started dating the daughter of mutual acquaintances. But if not, if he just meets a good girl somewhere—let the relationship develop gradually. No civil unions, let them observe each other the old-fashioned way, going to the movies, walking in the park hand in hand. Then the son would bring the girlfriend home, introduce her to the mother, so that Stepanida Vitalyevna could have her say. Motherly advice never hurt anyone. The older generation has experience, the mother will advise—whether the girl can become a good wife or better break up with a lazybones and a flirt.
And here you go! On the threshold—Denis, tanned and cheerful, with a huge bag, and next to him—a serious, unsmiling girl.
Mom, this is my wife Oksana,» the son said.
When Stepanida Vitalyevna learned that this was not just a girlfriend, but that the young people were indeed married, she tried to muster a welcoming smile, but inside she remained wary.
Oksana was neither a spendthrift nor a lazy person. She took on the most challenging household chores. Yet, Stepanida Vitalyevna couldn’t relax. «She wants to take over the household quickly, showing that she can manage well without me, trying to push me out of my own home,» she thought.
Soon, the son and daughter-in-law came to her with an unexpected proposal. By then, both had found jobs. Denis was hired as a lawyer in a large firm, and Oksana also got a job in her field. She had graduated from a teachers’ training college and had now secured a position as a primary school teacher.
«Mom, let’s sell the apartment and the dacha and buy a house in the countryside,» Denis suggested. «Of course, it will require some investment, but we’ll have a lot of space, and you can spend all day in the fresh air. It’s not good to stick around in a multi-story ‘anthill’ for years. Don’t worry, we’ll look at options together. Whatever money we’re short, we’ll take out a loan.»
They quickly found a suitable house with a large plot of land. Stepanida Vitalyevna needlessly worried that they would corner her off. Now she had a bright, spacious room with windows overlooking the garden. There was no need to walk up and down stairs, so even with a weak heart, she could visit the flower beds with peonies and irises and dine outdoors as much as she wanted.
Stepanida Vitalyevna began to look noticeably better, lost some weight, and her cheeks had a healthy glow.
She would have been entirely satisfied with life if not for Oksana’s silence and aloofness.
«Your wife can’t stand me,» she complained to her son.
«What are you talking about,» Denis laughed. «It’s just her nature. She speaks little but likes to listen.»
Indeed, Stepanida Vitalyevna could endlessly tell Oksana about her childhood and youth, about the fates of her friends, and about all the things that elderly people love to discuss. Oksana didn’t brush her off, didn’t rush to leave and attend to her own business, but listened patiently to her mother-in-law.
Denis gradually got involved in his work, the workload increased, and there came a time when he was sent on a long business trip. It was an inopportune time—his mother needed treatment. Initially, the doctor wanted to hospitalize Stepanida Vitalyevna, but yielding to her request, agreed to day hospital treatment.
Oksana volunteered to drive her mother-in-law to the hospital in the morning and pick her up by noon. But on the very first day, everything went awry. Stepanida Vitalyevna had several IV drips, underwent the prescribed procedures, rested a bit in the ward, and by two o’clock, as arranged with Oksana, went out to the hospital porch. She waited a little, but the young woman was nowhere to be seen.
Stepanida Vitalyevna walked around the hospital town, stepped off the premises, and sat on a bench at the entrance. It was impossible not to notice her. But no one came for her.
Although the hospital was on the outskirts of the city, the area was bustling. The district was being actively developed, several bus stops and a mini-market were located near the clinic. People came and went. But Stepanida Vitalyevna vainly looked for the familiar purple car. Eventually, tears streamed from her eyes.
At first, one woman walking by stopped, then another, a third. Everyone asked—what happened, did she need help?
Stepanida Vitalyevna could no longer hold back. She had to vent all her doubts, all her fears, it was vitally necessary to complain to someone, even to strangers.
«My daughter-in-law is trying to get rid of me,» she wiped the tears across her cheeks, «I raised my son alone, dedicated my whole life to him, Denis is my light. I thought he would find a good girl, and I would have a daughter, then I would raise my grandchildren. No, he didn’t consult with his mother, found who knows who. My daughter-in-law looks at me like a wolf, won’t say an extra word. Today she drove me to the hospital and left me. And I don’t remember the address of our home—we just moved, I have no money, what now?»
Passersby shook their heads. Among them were those who would have paid for a taxi for Stepanida Vitalyevna, but she couldn’t remember where to go! They advised her to return to the hospital, surely the doctor had her address and relatives’ contact numbers recorded.
But then a car pulled up nearby, and a young elegant woman hurried to Stepanida Vitalyevna.
«Do you recognize me? I’ve visited you a few times. I’m Oksana’s friend—Marina Avdeeva. She asked me to meet you and take you home, she gave me the keys…»
«Well, you see, everything worked out fine,» said one of the women who had recently run to the kiosk for a bottle of water for Stepanida Vitalyevna, «Now they’ll take you to your address, and you won’t get lost.»
Marina helped Stepanida Vitalyevna into the car.
«And where is Oksana?» the woman asked suspiciously.
«You see, there was a force majeure. Oksana, when she was taking you to the hospital, stopped by a pharmacy on the way back. And there she suddenly felt ill—she fainted right next to the cashier. They called an ambulance, and Oksana was taken to the hospital. At first, they thought she just had a sudden drop in blood pressure. But when she came to—they told her she was pregnant, already in the second month. They sent her to gynecology, where they said she needed to stay for preservation. As soon as Oksana fully recovered, she remembered about you, called me, and asked me to take you home. She was very worried that she let you down.
«That’s nothing!» Stepanida Vitalyevna waved her hand, «I’m not a little child, I would have managed. Tell me better how she herself is? What do the doctors say?»
«I don’t know the details yet, but apparently, there’s nothing serious, just need to support the body. They’ll give her some injections and release her.»
Since Stepanida Vitalyevna’s family now lived outside the city, they and Marina traveled home for about an hour. And during that time, the mother-in-law remembered a lot. She pictured slender Oksana, who seemed to hide behind Denis when he introduced her:
«And this, mom, is my wife…»
Stepanida Vitalyevna also remembered Oksana’s unobtrusive care. She never allowed her mother-in-law to do hard work—washing floors, carrying bags from the store, let alone doing the general cleaning. Just as quietly, without extra words, she took on everything herself—washing, cleaning, laundering.
Stepanida Vitalyevna’s friends often complained to her about their daughters-in-law. One loves herself, doesn’t come out of fitness centers, all sorts of manicures-pedicures, hairdressers-cosmetologists. Another demands to be taken on vacations abroad, completely drove her husband into the ground, reproaching him hourly that he earns too little.
And daughters-in-law for today’s mothers-in-law are not people at all. Especially if the elderly women are not wealthy and cannot provide the young with an apartment, a car, a dacha.
Poor Oksana ended up in the hospital herself but remembered her mother-in-law! God willing, soon there will be a grandson or granddaughter. Stepanida Vitalyevna’s face beamed with delight. She already imagined knitting tiny bonnets and booties for the baby, walking with a stroller, and later—reading fairy tales. And just holding, hugging the warm little body of a child—it’s such happiness!
When Oksana returned from the hospital, she apologized again for letting her mother-in-law down. But Stepanida Vitalyevna kissed her and in turn apologized for everything.
«Let’s you and I, my daughter, prepare a festive dinner for Denis’s return,» she said, «And then we’ll tell him our big news.»
