Nina was tired and leaned back in her chair. It was unclear whether her head or back hurt more. There was a gentle knock on the office door.
«Nina Sergeyevna, may I come in?»
The woman looked up in surprise.
«Rita, why are you still here?»
The girl smiled sheepishly:
«I can’t just leave you here alone. What if you want some coffee?»
Nina smiled:
«I really appreciate it, but you didn’t have to. You could have gone home to rest.»
Rita sighed:
«You know no one is waiting for me at home. I always feel better at work.»
Nina had met Rita under such circumstances that no sensible person would have done what Nina did. Her car broke down on the outskirts of the city just as her phone battery died. She was returning from important negotiations in another city, tired and hungry. After several attempts to start the car and then the phone, she gave up and walked out into the street. It was very cold that day. Fifteen minutes later, after unsuccessfully trying to hail a taxi, Nina decided to at least walk to a gas station or store to call for a ride. That’s when she saw a lone female figure.
Rita was walking along the road’s edge, completely unresponsive to anything, looking straight ahead and clearly seeing no one.
«Miss!»
Rita did not respond and walked past Nina. Nina caught up with her and tugged at her hand:
«Why are you walking on the roadway?»
She stopped but did not even look at Nina, just stood there and wanted to keep walking as if she hadn’t heard her. Nina was not about to give up that easily. She grabbed the stranger by the hand and almost forced her into the car. At least it was wind-free inside.
«What’s wrong with you? Are you feeling ill?»
Then the girl looked at her more meaningfully and started to cry.
Nina learned that she was an orphan, that the state had provided her with housing, she had graduated from a technical school, and met a boyfriend — everything was wonderful. Then the boyfriend simply kicked her out of the apartment, bringing another girl there.
«But it’s your apartment!»
«He said that he had transferred everything to his name.»
Nina sighed:
«Where do such naive people come from? Really, only from an orphanage.»
She tried to start the car, and miraculously — the engine purred immediately. Nina drove off, and at home, her father was waiting.
«Dad, look, I’m not alone!»
Sergey Andreevich came out to the hallway:
«Hello, Nina. And who did you bring? A Snow Maiden?»
«Almost. Another half hour and she would not have been a Snow Maiden, but definitely would have turned into a snowman.»
Sergey Andreevich hustled, led the guest to the kitchen, and while Nina was changing, he had already set the table. Nina smiled.
Generally, Nina was not particularly kind or prone to spontaneous actions, yet she didn’t know why she felt the urge to help Rita.
«Do you really have no one else?»
She shrugged:
«You could say that. I mean, I do have a sister. I saw her once when I was very little. I even have a photo; she was 16 and I was just two. We have different mothers, but the same father. I guess she visited us, and then when I was five, my mom and dad died. I lived in an orphanage and honestly don’t know if she remembers me.»
«Have you tried to find her?»
«No, what for! What would I tell her? That now, when I’m in trouble, I decided to find you and live off you?»
Nina smiled involuntarily. Rita was embarrassed:
«Please forgive me! Thank you for the dinner, I’ll go now.»
Rita got up, and Sergey Andreevich looked at his daughter, seemingly asking why she was silent.
«Rit, sit down! Where are you going? Outside? Stay with us tonight, and tomorrow we’ll figure out what to do for you.»
She smiled and thanked them. In the bedroom, Rita placed something on the nightstand beside the bed and fell asleep. Nina couldn’t resist, went to look. It was the very photo Rita had mentioned. A young woman held a laughing child, and she herself was laughing. Good girl, open gaze. Nina examined the photo for a long time. In principle, one could try to find her even by this photo, but only when Rita herself wants it.
The next day, Nina talked to a lawyer who worked at her firm. He not only helped the girl get her apartment back but also sued her ex-boyfriend for a significant amount of money for emotional distress. Then Nina invited Rita to try working as a secretary at her place. Rita caught on very quickly and soon became Nina’s indispensable assistant.
«Nina Sergeyevna,» Rita smiled warmly, «but this is wrong!»
«Look, Genka from the finance department follows you like a shadow, and Valerka from security. And you don’t even look at them.»
Rita laughed:
«Why look at them? I know them already. Valerka is a womanizer, hard to find a bigger one. And Genka — he’s so positive, like a hidden marathon runner.»
«Yes, the guy is definitely a dry one. Only numbers in his head. But what can be done…»
Nina stood up:
«I need to hurry home, the neighbor has probably already left, which means dad is alone.»
After he had a bad fall last year and broke his leg in two places, doctors almost banned him from moving. Yes, he could move around the house using crutches, but that’s all. Sergey Andreevich somehow immediately soured, he lost interest in anything. If not forced, he would forget to eat, could sit for hours staring out the window. Nina tried everything — all in vain.
«Rita, I have a request for you — could you look for a companion-nurse for dad?»
The girl looked at her scared:
«Nina Sergeyevna, is he worse?»
«Well, not that he’s worse, but he lost interest in life, completely. Understand, I’m so busy here, and all the time I think: did he eat, didn’t he plan some nonsense?»
«Okay, Nina Sergeyevna, I’ll start tomorrow! Any more instructions?»
Nina shook her head negatively, then looked at the girl:
«How are things at the institute?»
Rita smiled:
«All good, the session is soon.»
«Well, then let’s go home. It’s almost New Year, everyone is bustling, running around, and here we are sitting at work.»
Rita nodded and also began to get ready. She didn’t plan to celebrate New Year at all; if there are weekends, she could sit with textbooks.
Three days later, Rita entered Nina Sergeyevna’s office:
«Nina Sergeyevna, what time can you meet the candidates? Twenty people came, I left three, they all, in my opinion, fit the role of companion for Sergey Andreevich.»
«Well, let’s do it in twenty minutes, I’ll finish up with work now.»
Rita was right: the candidates were indeed good. Nina asked questions, got answers, and frankly, it was not so easy to decide. But at one moment, one of the women, slightly older than Nina, apparently nervous, started fidgeting with her bracelet.
«You have exactly the same bracelet, only where did I see it…» and then it dawned on her. «You know what, come to us tomorrow, meet the father, look around, and then we’ll decide everything.»
The woman smiled:
«Of course.»
The hardest part was sending Rita to the store because nothing else came to Nina’s mind. And she wanted apples, right now. Rita looked at her strangely but did not argue and went. Nina rushed into the secretary’s reception:
«So where does Rita keep that photo? Definitely in the first drawer!»
She began to carefully examine the photo. That’s right, she was not mistaken: that bracelet — there couldn’t be another one like it. It was inexpensive, probably homemade, but obviously dear to the person. What does this mean? The very sister that Rita so wants and is so afraid to find came to them for a job, and Rita did not recognize her?
Nina looked at the photo again: though she would not have recognized her either. In the photo, a light-haired, lively girl, and this one — a woman with dark hair and a serious gaze. Maybe the bracelet just passed to another person? Thousands of questions and no answers. Alright, tomorrow is a day off, she could also invite Rita to her place and figure it out in the evening.
Nina told everything to her father. Sergey Andreevich, as usual, listened uninterestedly. But by the end of the story, he perked up.
«Ninochka, we must definitely find out, what if it really is our Ritoчka’s sister?» Nina smiled.
«And you’ll help me only to question that woman?»
He nodded, his eyes lit up, and he carefully moved to his office.
«Nina, bring me dinner to the office, I’ll check on the Internet, what did you say her name was?»
Nina looked in amazement at the empty plates. It had been a year since dad ate everything. Father did not turn his head away from the monitor.
«Can you brew some coffee for me?»
«Dad, what coffee? It’s night outside!»
«Well, please, I don’t like your healthy tea.»
Nina sighed, went to the kitchen. Of course, she would do it, what else remains?
The woman’s name was Darya. She willingly talked about herself.
«I was married, got divorced, somehow didn’t have children, so I decided to come to this city where my father once lived. He has a daughter, much younger. Wanted to find out, see how she is. The last time I saw the girl was at the funeral, but she was in such a state that she didn’t recognize anyone. I really asked my mom to take Rita, but mom didn’t allow it. She terribly hated the father for leaving. Probably, I should have insisted, but I was used to listening to my mom in everything. And three years ago, she caught a cold and died, one might say, not from the cold, but from her character. She called the doctor a fool and started treating herself. Eventually, when they brought her to the hospital, it was too late.»
Darya smiled at Nina.
«Your secretary reminds me a lot of Rita. True, I understand that it cannot be so, since Rita was raised in an orphanage. Her path to such firms, of course, is closed.»
Nina and her father exchanged glances, but they had no time to respond: the door slammed, and Rita appeared.
«So why are we just sitting? Why aren’t we decorating the Christmas tree?»
«Rit, what tree? Do we have children?»
Rita laughed.
«I’ll be the child! Please, I want Santa Claus and a gift!»
Darya looked at Rita in amazement. Something was wrong. She watched attentively, couldn’t take her eyes off the girl.
«Rita… your name is Rita, and your patronymic, by any chance, isn’t Pavlovna?»
Rita slowly turned to Darya. The box with Christmas toys, which she apparently bought on the way, slipped from her hands to the floor.
«Who are you? How do you know my dad’s name was Pavel?»
Darya breathed in.
«It seems that our fathers were named the same. Moreover, it was the same man!»
Rita clutched her hands to her chest.
«Wait, it can’t be! You… you are Dasha?!»
Tears streamed down Darya’s cheeks.
«Exactly, I am Darya Pavlovna! We met when you were very little. I remember, rather, not so much remember as know. I have a photo. I remember, dad photographed us. We were walking around the city then…»
Nina gestured to her father, they left and closed the door behind them.
«Well, dad? Let them talk, and we’ll set the table.»
Sergey Andreevich sighed.
«I’m such a poor assistant.»
Nina laughed.
«Don’t even think about using your position to get out of peeling potatoes, dad!»
«You — tyrant!» Sergey Andreevich sighed. «How could I raise such a one?!»
And Nina’s heart sang. She hadn’t felt so happy for a very long time, and although part of the happiness wasn’t hers, she rejoiced for herself, and even more. Now everything will be fine for Rita, and for Dasha, and for dad, and that means, for her too.