While tidying up the entryway, Milana heard her mother-in-law’s voice and looked out the window. Her husband was sitting on the front steps, talking to his mother over a video call. Milana went back to sorting the shoes, deciding not to eavesdrop, but Nina Yevgenyevna was speaking loudly enough that it was impossible not to hear her, even if you really tried.
— I already told you that Yulenka Smolyakova is coming. She’s become so beautiful! Natalia sent me her photos. Not just a girl, but a real dream. By the way, she got a job at a good firm. Such a smart one. And she still hasn’t gotten married. You understand what I’m saying?
— Mom, why should I care whether she’s pretty or not? Come on. My Milanka is the most beautiful of all. No Yulia can compare. And why should it matter to me whether she’s married or not? That’s her business. What does that have to do with me?
Milana couldn’t help smiling. It was nice to hear such words from her beloved husband. She was glad her husband treated her with such tenderness. They had been together for three years, a year and a half of that married. Her mother-in-law didn’t like her daughter-in-law at all, but Milana didn’t get upset—she had married Anton, not his mother. You could keep your distance with a mother-in-law. That was even better—you didn’t have to listen to her advice, which you most often hadn’t even asked for.
— Oh, look at him! “Why should I care!” As I recall, you were once in love with her, but Yulia refused to date you. Back then all she thought about was school and her career, but now a lot has changed, and you’ve turned into quite the handsome fellow yourself.
— That was too long ago to bring up now. She turned me down and that’s fine. It just means it wasn’t meant for us to be together, — Anton replied.
— Whether it’s meant to be or not isn’t for you to decide. Our fates are written in heaven. What if you see each other now and something starts beating in your chest again? I’m not insisting, of course. Maybe nothing like that will happen, but you must not refuse! In the end, we owe their family!
Milana felt a wave of unpleasantness at how insistently her mother-in-law was pushing another woman on her son, while his wife was very much alive and present. Why was she doing this? She knew they loved each other. Was she really counting on her son being tempted by the beauty from his past and divorcing? With a heavy sigh, Milana gathered up the remaining trash and was about to leave, but she hesitated for a moment.
— Your beauty can celebrate her birthday without you; you go and meet Yulenka. It’s not every day she flies back to her hometown. Bring her to me, and I’ll receive her properly. In the end, your Milana won’t be bored—her parents are organizing a banquet. There’s no one to meet Yulia, so you should handle it and arrange everything.
Her heart gave a jolt. How could a mother force her son to do that? The mother-in-law wanted him to meet another woman instead of being at his wife’s birthday. Where has that ever been seen? Why exactly like that?
She didn’t listen any further. Why wind herself up and then worry afterward? Better to just ignore it. Milana was sure her husband wouldn’t go along with it. Surely he’d know how to answer his mother properly—without offending her, but still putting her in her place.
A few days passed. Anton didn’t even mention the conversation with his mother, but on the eve of his wife’s birthday he announced that he wouldn’t be able to attend the celebration because “some things” had come up. He didn’t say what exactly, skirting the sharp edges, but Milana knew for sure. She was hurt to the point of tears. Why was he doing this? Why did he agree? Was that girl really more important to him than his own wife?
She had absolutely no desire to celebrate her birthday, but her parents were trying, organizing the party, cooking. Milana couldn’t upset them by refusing to come. She was distressed and wanted to tell her husband outright that she knew what he planned to do and what “important business” had appeared, but she decided not to start a fight and make things even worse. Anton, after all, was an adult. If he was acting this way, there had to be an explanation. Probably.
— Why didn’t your husband come? — her mother asked when Milana arrived alone.
— He’s working. He’ll be late today, so he couldn’t make it, — she lied, even though pretending was hard.
She wanted to tell the truth and ask for advice, but she didn’t know the whole story herself. She probably should have talked to her husband right away and asked why he’d made that choice. The mother-in-law refused to come as well; she congratulated her daughter-in-law over the phone and said she wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be able to attend in person.
— I prepared a present for you; I’ll give it to you as soon as we meet, — Nina Yevgenyevna said in a sly tone.
Was she really counting Yulia’s arrival as a “present”?
Milana knew that at one time Yulia’s family had helped her mother-in-law a great deal. Left without her husband’s support, the woman could barely make ends meet, and her friend helped her get through that difficult situation. There was another case Anton had once told her about. When he was twelve, he went swimming in the river with some boys, but his leg cramped and he started to drown. It was Yulia’s father who saved his life. Anton said he was grateful to the man and felt indebted to him. Maybe he should have stood his ground back then? Married Yulia instead of Milana? Bitterness tightened her throat, and resentment clouded her thoughts. What was her husband feeling for that girl now? She was supposed to be his first love, and his mother had said Yulia had only grown more beautiful. How would their meeting go? Would Anton want a divorce and start courting the girl from his past? He had spoken so nicely when answering his mother, but in the end he couldn’t refuse to go meet Yulia. Was it because of old feelings?
— You seem completely absent-minded. If something’s happened, say so; don’t keep quiet. Your father and I are worried—we can see something’s wrong. Did Anton not come because you two had a fight? If he dared to spoil our birthday girl’s mood, I won’t let him get away with it! — her mother said sternly.
It was hard to keep everything inside, but long ago Milana had grasped one simple truth: she and her husband could sort out their problems and make up, but her parents’ hurt would never go away. She shouldn’t drag them into it—better to find out first how things really stood. If everything went wrong, then she would tell them the truth.
— I’m just very tired, and he really does have urgent business. I’m not lying. We didn’t fight. He gave me a bouquet this morning and this bracelet.
Milana showed her mother a gold bracelet, but she felt no joy at the gift. Because her husband wasn’t by her side—he had rushed to the airport to meet another woman. Thinking she didn’t want to go home that night, Milana decided to stay over at her parents’. She didn’t want to call her husband and tell him. She was afraid of hearing his cheerful voice, elated by the long-awaited meeting. Still, she couldn’t just not come home. That wouldn’t be right.
— What do you mean you’re staying at your parents’? I was planning to come pick you up. Are you feeling unwell? — Anton grew alarmed.
For a moment Milana was glad that he was worried about her and wanted his wife to come back, but the feeling quickly evaporated. Should she really be so happy? Maybe her husband just felt guilty and wanted to make amends somehow.
— No. I feel fine, I just thought…
— Don’t scare me like that, and don’t “just think” either. I’ll be there in half an hour. Get ready in the meantime. I hope your parents won’t be offended if I steal you from the party a little early? I’ve missed you so much.
Milana didn’t know whether to be happy. She was still hurt. He hadn’t come to the party with her, he’d made her suffer, he’d met Yulia, and then decided to dash over to get her?
Anton arrived, just as he’d promised. After greeting his wife’s parents, he apologized for not being able to get away earlier and asked them not to be upset with him. He behaved as if there were no other woman and he had truly been busy with some work matter. He smiled, holding his wife close, and Milana felt confused.
— Where are we going? — she asked, noticing that her husband turned down a different road instead of the one leading home.
— It’s a surprise. I want to introduce you to someone.
Milana flushed with indignation. How dare he take her to meet that girl? And on this day of all days!… Even if the day was almost over.
— I’m not going to meet her, — Milana ground out, barely containing a surge of fury.
— Her? I don’t know who you have in mind, but I’m sure you’ll like what I’ve prepared. Just be patient a little longer and you’ll understand everything yourself.
— I heard everything! — Milana blurted, and then bit her tongue for a moment.
— Heard what? What are you talking about?
— Your conversation with your mother. I know you couldn’t come to the party with me because you were meeting your first love at the airport. I should have told you right away to avoid all this pretending.
— My first love? I really did go to the airport today, but not to meet her. I told Mom straightaway to find someone else or go herself. Why would I do that? Of course we owe her family, but anyone can get from the airport to a hotel on their own.
Milana silently chewed her lip. She didn’t know whether to believe her husband. Who else could he have been meeting?
— This person flew in for a few days. I managed to intercept him at the airport and arrange a meeting with you. It’s a surprise, so just wait. I swear to you I wasn’t even going to meet Yulia. I spent the whole day preparing your present, and it stings a little that you don’t trust me.
Milana sighed heavily and looked away. She had imagined so much that she still couldn’t quite believe her husband’s words. But when they reached the pier, all her questions answered themselves. On the summer terrace of the little restaurant where they had once met, everything was decorated with flowers and a festive table was set, and on the stage sat the composer whose music Milana loved so much. He was playing the piano, and the music born from the smooth movement of his fingers caressed the ear. Tears sprang to her eyes when the composer joined them at the table to meet Milana. He gave her an autograph and a disc with his new album. He couldn’t stay long, but the meeting left an indelible impression.
— I knew you wanted his autograph and to meet him in person, and when I was told he was flying into our city, I rushed off to find him and ask for this gift. I was lucky he turned out to be a kind man and agreed, otherwise all my efforts would have been in vain.
Milana couldn’t hold back—tears slid down her cheeks. She apologized to her husband for working herself up and thinking badly of him. She had even pictured them splitting up.
— Silly girl! No matter what otherworldly beauty appears next to me, even if the whole world loses its head over her, I won’t so much as look her way. I love you—exactly you—not just for your beauty or your kindness. You’re my wife. How could I think about other women? Don’t you dare wind yourself up or keep things to yourself again. If something’s worrying you, tell me right away. Things like this need to be dealt with immediately, not bottled up as resentment. And what if I really had business to take care of? Would you have filed for divorce tomorrow without getting to the bottom of it?
Milana wiped her tears and smiled. She promised she wouldn’t jump to hasty conclusions anymore and would be sure to discuss everything with her husband.
The next day, when his mother called Anton and asked him to come over, he already knew she wanted to arrange another meeting with Yulia. He told her to stop interfering in his personal life. Anton told Nina Yevgenyevna plainly that he would cut off contact if she didn’t stop trying to separate him from his wife, because Milana was his deliberate choice, and he would not let anyone hurt her or push her into second place.
