Svetlana sat on the bench.
She had just been discharged from the maternity hospital, feeling the burden of a grave mistake. Perhaps she should have left the baby there for the state to take care of him. But Svetlana had no choice—she had nowhere else to go. As soon as her boyfriend learned of the pregnancy, he disappeared. It later turned out he was a married man, seeking a fling.
She couldn’t leave her little child there. Now, due to her indecision, the infant might face danger: lacking warmth and food. Through tears, Svetlana gazed at the tiny nose peeking out from the blanket.
Svetlana had been orphaned early. Her parents’ house burned down six months after they passed away. Firefighters claimed bad wiring was to blame. Her only option was to move to the city to her paternal aunt. But there, her reception was cold; her aunt already had three children of her own.
Svetlana got a job and hoped for the best. Then, she met Saveliy, a handsome young man with an expensive car. When her aunt found out Svetlana was dating a guy, she ordered her to find another place to live. Saveliy, Svetlana’s boyfriend, helped her find a room in a dormitory, but now she lost that too.
Confused, Svetlana wiped her tears. What to do next?
Nearby, behind some bushes, noise erupted—two nurses stepped out to smoke.
«Gal, did you see how Tamara Ivanovna’s husband picked her up today?»
«Yes, of course. I feel sorry for her, such a good doctor. But no one is safe from that. She lost a child and can’t have more, yet works—delivering babies every day.»
«I don’t know how I’d cope. But she’s a good doctor and such a wonderful person.»
«Yes, they waited so long for that pregnancy. They’re already over forty. And what a house they built…»
Svetlana looked at her son and whispered, «Forgive me. I hope everything works out as I planned.» She stood up and headed to the church. She needed to think things through carefully to do everything right. In the church, she cried silently for almost an hour, only leaving when the child began to fuss. Svetlana found a secluded spot.
She walked to the park, where she sat watching the ducks. She couldn’t stay there long, surrounded by mothers with children. She understood she couldn’t just walk with her son and teach him to play ball. Her life seemed to end because her heart and soul remained with the child.
It was getting dark. Svetlana stood in front of a large new house with a green roof, lights on in the windows, but no one visible. She tenderly kissed the baby’s nose and walked to the house, choked by sobs and torn by pain in her soul. She felt as if the world was collapsing around her. She wanted to scream, to shout all the pain…
On the spacious porch, she placed a box found in a dumpster. Inside, she carefully placed the infant, who immediately began to cry. Svetlana closed her eyes tightly, and his cries echoed in her heart.
She pressed the doorbell and held the button for a long time, then quickly ran away. She hid behind a tree, listening to the baby’s crying. A loud male voice came from the house:
«Tamara, come here, quick!»
Svetlana clenched her jacket sleeve with her teeth, trying not to scream or rush to the baby.
A woman appeared at the door, gently picking up the child.
«Tolya, come inside quickly! Get inside!»
The door closed, and the baby’s cries dissolved in silence.
Completely exhausted, Svetlana collapsed on the cold ground at the base of a tree. She didn’t know how much time had passed until she awoke. When she opened her eyes, it had already darkened. Svetlana walked to the city limits—there was nothing left for her here. Her pockets held documents, although they were hardly needed now.
An hour later, she reached the highway, and within half an hour, a truck picked her up. The driver, an elderly man, was heading north, and she said she needed to go there too.
«Matvey, I’m so happy to see you!» exclaimed a woman as her son got out of the car and warmly embraced her.
«Mom, stop sitting in the heat. You know about the pressure,» said Matvey.
«Oh, stop fussing! Where’s my sunshine?»
A young woman with a child emerged from the car. The boy was about two years old, his eyes still sleepy, but as soon as he saw his grandmother, he immediately woke up joyfully:
«Ba!»
«Come here, to grandma, my sunshine!» Tamara Ivanovna stretched out her arms.
The daughter-in-law handed her the boy and laughed:
«Alright, Matvey, you can rest for two days, no kids.»
«Fine, rest,» Tamara Ivanovna waved her hand. «You get two days off, and I get to see my grandson once a month.»
Matvey smiled:
«Mom, we’ll gladly rest. I brought fishing rods, I’ll teach Vera to fish. How’s our river, not dried up yet?»
«What fishing,» laughed Vera. «The fish were long gone, and you came to mom, but you’re planning to sit by the river! I’d better help with the preserves,» she suggested, embracing her mother-in-law. «Mom and I used to can so much before…»
Matvey sighed deeply, pretending to be displeased:
«Ah, caught me. Fine, I’ll fix the fence. Been putting it off, but it needs to be done. By the way, Pashka called yesterday, asked about us.»
The day flew by unnoticed, and Matvey craftily smiled. He hadn’t told his mother that they didn’t come for the weekend but for three weeks of vacation. After his father’s death, his mother visibly changed but tried to hold on.
Matvey had long settled in another city, followed in his mother’s footsteps, and became a renowned doctor. The most complex surgeries and births repeatedly occurred under his excellent leadership. He started here, and then they invited him to a new perinatal center.
Matvey met Vera, who worked as an accountant, exactly at this center. Although they tried to visit relatives often, Matvey’s work overload rarely allowed it. But this time, they decided to take a vacation and go to his mother’s, as there were many things to do.
The next evening, they decided to have a barbecue. Little Andryusha joyfully played in the sandbox with a toy car. Matvey and his childhood friend Pashka made a plan for roof repair there, and then at Pavel’s house. Pashka joked that a well-devised plan was half the battle and a reason for a toast.
Tamara Ivanovna, busy in the kitchen, pretended to grumble at the men, but how could she be displeased when the whole family gathered? It happened rarely.
«Mom, I have news for you,» said Matvey.
«And what news, son?» she replied.
«I don’t know if you’ll be pleased. You’ll find out now,» joked Matvey, playfully slapping her with a towel. «Mom, we’re staying with you for three weeks!»
Tamara Ivanovna, in surprise, sat on the bench:
«Why didn’t you say earlier? What joy, Lord!»
She wiped away tears of happiness. Matvey grew concerned:
«Mom, what happened, why are you crying?»
«It’s happiness, dear,» she smiled.
They talked on various topics for a long time and didn’t notice when some unfamiliar woman appeared at the gate. Matvey stood up and headed toward her:
«Hello, are you with us? Please come in, mom’s home.»
The stranger entered the gate and hesitantly approached the table in the yard:
«Excuse me, perhaps I came at a bad time.»
Vera attentively looked at the arriving woman, then glanced at Tamara Ivanovna and saw how she suddenly turned pale and clutched her heart.
«Tamara Ivanovna, what’s wrong with you?» shouted Vera, running to her. Matvey and Pavel led her into the house, measured her blood pressure, and gave her pills.
When Tamara Ivanovna felt better, Matvey went outside:
«And where is that woman?» he inquired.
Vera looked at him:
«She left as soon as Tamara Ivanovna felt better. I don’t understand anything, maybe she’s an acquaintance of your mom?»
«Maybe she’s one of our relatives,» Matvey speculated.
Pavel and Vera exchanged surprised looks.
«Why do you think she’s a relative?» asked Vera. «Though… her face seems familiar to me too. Look in the mirror! You look very alike. If I didn’t know your story, I’d think she’s your mother,» said Vera.
Matvey, puzzled, looked at Pasha.
«Like two peas in a pod, honestly,» confirmed Pavel.
Matvey sat on the bench, deep in thought:
«What could all this mean? Maybe she’s a relative to my parents? But why have I never seen her before?»
Suddenly Tamara Ivanovna’s voice rang out:
«No, Matvey, she’s not our relative. For us—no. But for you… Yes, she’s your real mother.»
Matvey turned pale, and Vera tightly squeezed his hand:
«Who?» she gasped.
Tamara Ivanovna, with a heavy sigh, tried to explain:
«Matvey, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a long time. I always hoped she wouldn’t appear… never understood why she did what she did. But I could never start the conversation.»
Tamara Ivanovna told about how long they had dreamed of a child, but fate wasn’t kind to them. Losing a child was a real blow for her, and heavy thoughts never left her. But one evening, a doorbell changed their lives.
At the threshold, they found a note with a short message: «Please give him what I cannot, give him happiness.» «In those troubled times, when we had money and were known and respected in the town, we took it as fate. Had to change jobs and drive to another district to avoid extra questions. After some time, everyone forgot, and all thought you were our own son. I love you with all my heart, you are my dearest and closest person. But Svetlana left you not without a serious reason, understand? Not because you were not needed by her. I understand how hard it is for you to cope with this… She appeared in the village half a year ago, came and told me what happened. It’s not her fault.»
«Mom, do you want me to talk to her?» asked Matvey.
Vera, placing her hand on her husband’s shoulder, supported:
«Yes, I think so too. Otherwise, you’ll always think about her.»
«But where will I find her?» Matvey was surprised.
Pasha approached the gate and, looking outside, said:
«She’s there, standing by the tree and crying.»
Matvey stood up, unsure of what to talk about with the woman who had once left him. He didn’t understand why it was necessary. After all, everything in his life was in its place—a beloved mom and dad, even though he’s not around anymore. These thoughts swirled in his head, but his legs carried him to the unknown woman.
«Hello. I suppose we should talk,» he said uncertainly. The woman looked at him fearfully, timidly extended her hand, and touched his shoulder.
«I don’t need anything from you, Matvey. Just listen to me.»
Three years had passed since then. Matvey returned to the yard, where he now spent every free minute surrounded by family.
«Ma-a-a, where is everyone? Gather the grandchildren!»
Andrey jumped out of the car, followed by Vera with a little daughter in her arms. Svetlana came running out after them, followed by Tamara Ivanovna.
«Oh, my God, we’ve been watching from the window since morning, and still, we missed it!» laughed Tamara Ivanovna.
Svetlana had bought a house not far from Tamara Ivanovna’s, and their relationship gradually became closer. Initially, they communicated cautiously, but soon they became close friends. Together, they rejoiced in the grandchildren and took care of Matvey, as if he were their common son.
In the evenings, they shared stories: Tamara recalled Matvey’s childhood, while Svetlana talked about her trials and experiences.
Now they had a special, but strong family. Matvey joked:
«Who would have thought—I, a doctor, help women become mothers, and now I have two mothers myself, and my kids have three grandmothers!»
