Barbara Solovyova sat in the doctor’s office and wept bitterly. The young nurse couldn’t come to terms with her beloved husband’s betrayal: it turned out that Gena had been cheating on her for the last couple of years and was even planning to marry his mistress!
«What a nightmare, oh Lord!» thought Varya to herself, «And to think he traded me for that flibbertigibbet! Well, yes—she’s the daughter of a deputy, all fancy and pampered, and I am what? Just a simple nurse at a city hospital… But we lived together for four years, it’s not just ‘rip and discard’… Oh God, why me?»
This happened about a week ago: it was Varya’s day off, and she decided to surprise Gennady. She cooked his favorite roast with salad and went to his workplace. Gena worked at a large firm that created advertising on building facades and road billboards, so he often stayed late at work due to constant meetings and «planning sessions,» where he, along with colleagues, resolved customer issues.
As she reached the right floor, the woman walked down the corridor to her husband’s office; she was already anticipating how Gena would be delighted to see her.
At that moment, behind the doors of Gennady’s office, a woman’s laughter was heard, and then—Varya heard:
«Gena, wait… Don’t rush… Gena, it tickles!»—The girl squealed, followed by a loud thud in the office.
«What is that?»—Varya stared in shock at the door to her husband’s office.
Varya decisively pulled the door handle. Of course, it was locked.
«Open up, Gena! Open it now!»—Varya exclaimed.—»It’s me!»
For a second, all sounds behind the door stopped. Then some rustling was heard, after which her husband finally opened the door. He looked a sight: his shirt was unbuttoned to the middle, and traces of dark burgundy lipstick were visible on his face. In addition, the man was struggling with his belt…
Varya felt as if she had just been «slapped» in the face—the humiliation was something she had never experienced in her life. Looking over her husband’s shoulder—the woman saw her: a gorgeous blonde in a tight short dress had already smoothed her long hair, and now she was adjusting the strap of her dress while looking at a small elegant mirror. Catching Varya’s glance—she just smirked maliciously.
«What are you doing here, Varya?»—Her husband asked indignantly.—»Why did you come here?»
Instead of answering, Varya just sneered bitterly:
«Yes, I was wondering that too, Gena… Really, why did I come here? I just wanted to please my eternally hungry husband, brought him food… And, it turns out, he’s busy with far more important matters…»
Varya could hardly remember what happened next. She stood and cried, stunned by the bitterness of the betrayal by the person closest to her… As for the beauty, she just slowly «floated» past Varya, on the way sizing up the lawful wife from head to toe. Lastly, she threw over her shoulder to her lover:
«As soon as you sort out your problem here, be sure to call me. I will always wait for you, my kitty…»
That same evening, Gennady seriously started talking about divorce:
«Well, we’re not suited for each other, Varya. It happens. Let’s separate like normal people…»
Varya, pale as a sheet, sat in front of him on the couch—and couldn’t believe what was happening.
«How could you, Gena? What did I do to you? And most importantly, how is this, your chick, better than me?»
Tears welled up in the nurse’s eyes of their own accord.
«I love you, Gena… Truly love you…»
However, in her husband’s eyes, there was nothing but fatigue and a faint glimmer of regret. He squatted in front of her and hugged the woman by the shoulders:
«Oh, Varya, why are you killing yourself over this, for God’s sake… You’re twenty-five already, not a girl. And I’ve cooled towards you—there’s no longer the passion that was there before.»
«And you have passion for her?!»—Covering her face with her hands, Varya asked. It was so painful and insulting that she couldn’t put it into words. Yes, I’m twenty-five, but what does that change?..
«Yes, Varya, it changes everything…»—the husband said slowly and got up.—»Look at yourself. All day at that job of yours—I always see you either in uniform or in pajamas… What love, what tenderness, tell me?..»
Gennady hesitated a bit, but still continued:
«And Lyuda… Lyuda is completely different. It’s sparks, it’s delight, it’s magic and a celebration of beauty, in the end! I’ve felt such emotions with her for the first time in my life, which we never felt in all our four years of marriage… Besides, she’s only twenty, in her prime. I don’t think I need to explain to you how many advantages that gives Lyuda over you.»
«Gena…,» Varya sobbed,— «How can you even say that to me?..»
Gennady looked at his wife, and then—the woman saw in his eyes the most natural coldness—he seemed to have already stopped considering her his wife. As if—they were both already strangers to each other…
«Varya, I made Lyuda a proposal.»—Gennady stated resolutely.
«What??»—The nurse could not believe her ears.
«And she has already agreed,»—continued her husband,— «It will be better if we get a divorce as soon as possible. We don’t have kids, so, I think, it will all go quickly enough…»
Varya didn’t know what to respond. She sat there in tears and felt how her life was crumbling to dust. Not the life she had dreamed of when getting married… Yes, they had failed to have children all this time, but Varya had hoped that the right moment simply hadn’t come yet. Now, it turned out that Gennady had not planned to build a full-fledged family with her at all…
«And, by the way, since we’re talking about divorce—we should discuss the division of property… I’ve been thinking,»—Gennady shrugged and rubbed his hands, seemingly not knowing how best to tell his wife about his idea.—»Thought about buying you a solid house in the village? Such that you could live in it comfortably! You’re originally from the village—so that would be the best option for you.»
«And… what about our apartment?»—Wiping away tears, Varya asked.
«And the apartment, well…,»—The man hesitated for a moment, but then quickly said:—»The apartment will stay with me. After all, we bought it together, after the wedding—why should we divide these miserable square meters? Varechka, think about it yourself,—he quickly spoke, not giving his wife a chance to recover,— «Well, we sell this apartment, split the money, and then what? Those will be mere pennies, what are we, buy a room for ourselves? Sorry, but I’m not ready to live in some shack. And my job is not far, you understand… And this way, it’s a win-win for everyone—you get your own house in exchange for all acquired, and I—this apartment. All’s fair.»
Confused, Varya could not immediately respond: on one hand, her husband’s proposal, now almost an ex, seemed logical, but on the other…
«So, you’re suggesting I live out of town?»—She clarified.—»And what about my job, Gena?»
Gena grimaced and sourly said:
«Oh, Varya, don’t make me laugh, for God’s sake. What difference does it make to you where to work as a nurse—here, in the capital, or in a village? Anyway, nurses’ salaries are the same everywhere. You won’t lose much…»
In the end, Varya agreed, as suing was a long and likely losing process, not with her salary to engage in such a thing. Holy simplicity… She really thought that he would buy her a good house, somewhere close to the city. There, she would be able to start everything from scratch, and figure out what she had to do with her life next… And so, a month after the divorce—Gennady ceremoniously handed her the corresponding papers and keys to the house. He deliberately did not show his ex-wife her future home—citing his constant busyness.
Even now, when she asked him to drive her to the village where she was to live, Gennady flatly refused:
«Varya, be a person—call yourself a taxi! I’ve done all I could, on my part, for you. It’s time, my dear, for you to start living a new—completely independent and free from me life! I can’t keep helping you forever… And Lyuda will be upset if we’re late to her dad’s dinner invitation…»
Varya, although upset, couldn’t object: Gena was right, now each of them was on their own. Shrugging as if nothing terrible—she ordered a taxi herself and arrived at the address indicated in the papers.
«Gena, what a scoundrel you are!»—Varya nearly cried, scolding her ex-husband over the phone.—»How could you deceive me so brazenly??»
On the other end of the phone, an impatient sigh was heard:
«What, in your opinion, was my deception, Varvara?»—The husband asked coldly.
Varya stood in front of an old dilapidated two-story village house: to be honest, it looked more like a rundown shack than the «cute cottage» that Gennady had so enthusiastically described to her.
«That’s it, Gena—that’s it!»—Varya exclaimed.—»Just don’t lie to me that you didn’t see this house before buying it. You said it was comfortable rural housing, but here…»
«That’s it!»—Gena barked roughly,—»Don’t you show off! What I could find for decent money—I bought! Take what’s given and be quiet: are there four walls and a roof over your head? There are. So get settled. You’re a country woman, after all, or what?»
«Stop reproaching me for my past!»—Varya yelled back.—»I don’t want to live in such a horrible place! I’ll be scared to sleep here at night! Gena, I want you to immediately return to me all the money due for this shack. I’m sure I can buy a much better housing option for myself than this, so-called, ‘cottage’…»
The phone laughed sarcastically:
«Varya, wake up! The deal is irreversible! Or do you think I’ll rush right now to look for buyers for you? If something doesn’t suit you—figure it out yourself! Otherwise—I’ll call my future father-in-law. You know he’s a very important person. Just at the snap of his fingers—you’ll not only lose this house but everything else! Do you need that?»
Overcome with anger, Varya didn’t even know what to say. Finally, she said with contempt:
«My God, Gena—sometimes I think, how could I have lived with you for four years and not notice—how cynical and vile you are?.. I hope your new wife will soon realize that dealing with you is more trouble than it’s worth.»
With these words, the woman ended the conversation and walked into the yard of her new home. To Varya’s surprise, the interior of her house wasn’t that bad: of course, it required cosmetic repairs, and at least a week of cleaning. But, with some effort, everything was quite fixable. After all, Varya thought to herself—even though the house wasn’t pretty from the outside, it was still entirely hers. No one would just come and «ask» her to leave with her belongings, as her ex-husband had essentially done. After unpacking some of her things, the woman changed clothes and began cleaning the first floor.
While cleaning, the nurse remembered her past: she really grew up in a village, just located in a completely different region. Varya didn’t remember her parents—she was raised by her grandparents. Her grandmother, however, once said that her mother was a seamstress-motorist, worked at a clothing factory in the district center. Who the girl’s father was—Varya’s mother never told, and her grandmother didn’t insist on finding out.
Then, Varya’s mother fell seriously ill—caught a cold during one of the harsh village winters. The pneumonia the woman suffered caused serious complications to her heart, and six months later—Yekaterina (Varya’s mother’s name) died of a heart attack.
When young Varya graduated from school, she immediately headed to the city. She wanted to connect her life with medicine, but understood that she lacked the knowledge to enroll in university full-time. Therefore, the girl decided to start with medical college, where she trained as a nurse.
Just before graduation—a real tragedy happened in Varya’s life: Anna Ignatyevna, her grandmother, suddenly passed away. The elderly woman had been feeling unwell for some time but stubbornly refused to go to the hospital:
«Grandma, but it’s your health!»—Varya tried to convince her.—»Think about it, if, God forbid, something happens to you? And I’m not around, I’m in the city, studying. What then?»
«Well, the world isn’t without good people,»—the old lady shrugged her shoulders,— «Neighbors will help, they’ll call an ambulance…»
Unfortunately, the medics just didn’t make it in time that fateful day to the elderly patient. When Varya was informed of her grandmother’s death—the girl initially couldn’t believe it had happened—so unexpectedly it occurred.
Grandpa, Semyon Prokhorovich, also didn’t live much longer than his spouse: just a month after Anna Ignatyevna’s departure, a tragic accident took his life and practically all of Varya’s family’s modest estate. A fire broke out at night, suddenly. Firefighters later said that a tiny coal, inadvertently dropped by the grandfather from the stove, was the cause.
The loss of loved ones became a real trial for Varya: the girl couldn’t recover for a long time, so she even remembered the moment of her graduation from college poorly. In the photo, among the graduate students, the girl looked the saddest—there was not a hint of a smile on her face…
Gradually, life began to get back on track: Varya got a job as a nurse in a city hospital, and a little later—met Gena, whom she married. Now, four years later—she had to re-establish her life and start living literally «from scratch».
Finally, the house was put in order, and it started to look much cozier. Now, the woman had to figure out the job issue…
In the local paramedic’s office—the young nurse was welcomed with open arms due to the shortage of medical workers. Thus, Varya found a new job, and with it, some income. Soon, Varya also met her neighbor—a sixty-year-old woman, Lyubov Ivanovna Kunitsyna, a native villager who collected mushrooms, berries, and various medicinal herbs… Other villagers, although they considered Kunitsyna slightly strange and eccentric—never harmed her.
Lyubov Ivanovna lived alone, in a hut located at the very edge of the forest. Her only companion was her dog—Masha, who served her mistress faithfully in her forest trade.
One day the women chatted, and Lyubov Ivanovna invited the young nurse over for tea, where she told her about her unusual occupation.
Varya noticed that there were no family photos on the walls of Lyubov Ivanovna’s small house.
«Excuse me for such an indiscreet question,»—Varya said,— «But, do you really have no relatives? Doesn’t anyone visit you?»
Lyubov Ivanovna stopped smiling. She sighed heavily, and then—pointed to a small dresser behind the guest. Varya turned around and gasped—she hadn’t immediately noticed the photograph in a mourning frame standing on the dresser. The photo depicted a serious young man, looking at the camera calmly and somewhat distantly.
«My God,»—Varya whispered,— «Forgive me, Lyubov Ivanovna…»
«That’s okay, that’s my son, Nikita…»
The woman’s eyes slightly clouded over, as if she was slowly sinking into the past.
«I once had a husband and a son,»—Lyubov Ivanovna recounted,— «But neither of them is around anymore… Ignaty, my husband—went to God in Heaven seven years ago. He outlived Nikita by only six months…»
«I’m sorry for you,»—Varya sincerely sympathized.— «But, in the photo, your son looks quite young. What happened?»
Lyubov Ivanovna looked bitterly at her young guest.
«Nikita worked in the North, something related to the extraction of precious minerals. I didn’t delve into the details, nor did he talk much about it,»—the woman explained,— «His boss, when he called us, my husband and me, said that my son got caught in a fierce blizzard near their service ‘town’. He froze to death… They buried him there, so I don’t even know where my son’s grave is now…»
Lyubov Ivanovna breathed heavily—it was visible that she still hadn’t fully recovered after the loss of her only son. The elderly woman pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and began to wipe the tears rolling down her cheeks.
«Forgive me, Varya,»—she apologized,— «It’s just, whenever I remember all this—my heart feels like an old wound is reopening. It’s been so many years—I should have come to terms with it, but I just can’t…»
The old lady told Varya that Nikita was born late—they were already over forty years old at the time. They had been unable to have children for a long time, had completely despaired—but they were helped by a trip to a remote monastery.
«It was a real miracle!»—the woman recalled.
Lyubov Ivanovna told Varya that Nikita grew up very calm and intelligent, and only brought joy to his family until he turned sixteen.
The neighbor explained to the woman—she always wanted her son to stay close, help them around the farm, and get a job at the local farm, but Nikita had completely different plans for the future:
«My son’s heart was always hot, he was drawn to adventures and foreign cities. That’s why he left home. He traveled a lot, said he had almost traveled the whole country—so he sent news about himself very rarely. And seven years ago, we received that terrible news… Now, it’s so hard for me to come to terms with the fact that my closest people are no longer in this world…»
The elderly woman lovingly and sadly looked at her son’s photo.
«The only thing that saved me then,»—she continued,— «Is the appearance of Seryenki in my house. Without him, I can’t even imagine—what could have happened to me…»
«Seryenki?»—Varya was surprised.— «And who is that?»
Lyubov Ivanovna smiled:
«Oh, it was three years ago, in the spring.. I then met a wounded she-wolf in the forest… She was pregnant, lying in the bushes… Well, I helped her—gave birth to puppies, that is… Only, the wound she had was deep—she lost a lot of blood. Because of this, the she-wolf didn’t survive, and all her wolf pups perished. The only survivor, from the whole litter, was one… Poor thing, he was moving his little black nose around, squealing! Well, I took him, put him under my coat—and brought him home. Anyway, I couldn’t have helped his mom and brothers and sisters…»
«So, you brought a real wolf cub home?»—Varya was amazed.— «Wow! But how did you manage to raise him? Surely, special care is needed here…»
«My Masha nursed him,»—still smiling, Lyubov Ivanovna said,— «She had just given birth—less than a month since the birth had passed. But by that time, I had placed all her puppies with local hunters. The dog is pedigreed, even though she didn’t turn out to be large. So there was joy for everyone—my Masha found herself an adopted son, and I, that the little one wouldn’t perish.»
The neighbor seemed to glow when she talked about her second, four-legged favorite.
«When he grew up—he turned into such a handsome boy!»—the elderly woman recounted.— «Lean, long legs, all of smoky color—and on his chest, there’s a distinctive spot, slightly lighter than the main fur. That’s how I always recognized him when he ran home from his forest walks. We walked there together, my house is right next to the forest. But the forest called him, the wolf is a free creature, and he left. Now he comes sometimes—stays a little, as if checking if everything is okay with me—and then leaves again.»
Lyubov Ivanovna finished her story, and Varya was just amazed—what happens in the world! It’s a real miracle—to have a forest wolf as a «friend».
Varya herself later got to see Seryenki—the woman went into the forest for kindling, but tried not to go far into the thicket.
Several times, she froze as if rooted to the spot—seeing a wolf with that same, light-cream spot on its chest before her. Varya immediately understood who it was—so she tried to behave calmly but cautiously—after all, it’s a wild animal. He may have been good to her neighbor, but he didn’t know Varya herself, so the young nurse was still afraid of him.
One day, it was winter, mid-January—Varya, as usual, went to the forest for small kindling. When she had gathered enough branches, suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Seryenki appeared before her.
«Oh, hello, little wolf,»—Varya said quietly and stopped, waiting for him to move deeper into the forest.
However, the wolf didn’t intend to leave. Instead, he began to run up to the woman in short bursts, then run back. The wolf seemed to be calling Varya to follow him.
«Do you want me to go with you?»—Varya asked him, and Seryenki impatiently dropped to his front paws, as if saying «yes».
«Alright, have it your way…,»—Varya said slowly and started carefully stepping through the deep snow.
It was bitterly cold outside, so the nurse had to wrap her old cotton coat tighter around her. The woman followed the wolf further and further until she finally came to a large clearing.
At first, Varya couldn’t understand what exactly she was seeing: parts of some mechanism were scattered everywhere. Near one of them—the woman could make out an oval pilot’s cabin and part of a blade… It was a helicopter that had crashed in the forest.
«My goodness!»—Varya exclaimed and immediately ran to the cabin.— «Is anyone alive!? Hey!»
The cabin was crushed, like a tin can, but inside, to Varya’s great relief—there was still a living pilot. The man, about thirty, was severely injured—blood was seeping through his jacket from his arm.
«How are you feeling?»—The nurse tried to ask.— «Hang in there a bit, I’ll go get help right now…»
The pilot tried to half-open his half-rolled up eyes, but he couldn’t manage it. Varya touched his forehead: the man was «burning» all over. Obviously, he had a very high temperature, which meant every minute of delay inevitably threatened the pilot with certain death.
«Boy…,»—he murmured deliriously,— «… There, a boy… Save him… Please…»
Varya looked around in astonishment and then noticed a chain of small tracks leading from the helicopter somewhere deeper into the forest.
«Hold on, I’ll be back soon, and we’ll definitely get you out…,»—Varya promised him, and together with Seryenki, followed the trail.
As they walked, the nurse thought about how the helicopter could have fallen so close to their village, and they heard nothing? «Well, of course, there was such a blizzard all morning,»—Varya realized,— «The wind was howling so that no other sounds could be distinguished… Now the main thing is to find the missing boy».
Fortunately, Varya found the child quickly, the little one couldn’t go far, he was sitting, huddled, under a sprawling fir tree.
The boy was silent, looking at the woman with wide frightened eyes. His cheeks were completely pale, the little guy had time to get very cold.
«My God… Kid, are you okay?»—Varya said, trying to catch her breath after running.
Instead of answering, the boy rubbed his reddened hands, he didn’t even have mittens on!
Varya picked up the child and, as fast as she could, carried him to the village, to Lyubov Ivanovna’s house. There, she explained the whole situation to her.
«Let him stay with me—warm up,»—the old woman said,— «And you run for help to the Nikiforov brothers, and they’ll bring the others. Look, I have big sleds in the barn. Strong—they’re still from my husband. Grab them, and go to the forest quickly—now every minute is precious…»
Varya did exactly as her neighbor commanded, and just a couple of hours later—the male pilot was lying in the berry and mushroom gatherer’s hut.
The young nurse provided the pilot with first aid, and Lyubov Ivanovna, meanwhile—having thrown some firewood into the stove, was already preparing a hot dinner for their little guest. In front of him was a large cup of hot tea and a plate of fresh rusks so that the boy could properly warm up and quench his hunger.
The little one still remained silent, so Varya and Lyubov Ivanovna decided that the child was in shock.
«Nothing, he’ll eat now, and the stress will lift like a hand,»—the old woman said, scooping a large portion of hot meat stew with vegetables into a deep bowl for the child.
The boy began to devour the food with appetite. «No wonder,»—the old woman thought to herself,— «poor thing, it’s unknown how long he spent under that tree!»
When he had eaten, Lyubov Ivanovna seriously looked at the little one:
«Well, dear, do you feel better now?»
The little one nodded:
«Yes. Thank you for helping and feeding me—I thought I’d die of hunger… And thank you for saving my uncle! He’s actually a very good person—just loves to take risks too much. Uncle Kostya took me for a ride on this helicopter—it’s his personal transport. He really loves the forest, so he wanted to show it to me—from a ‘bird’s-eye view’, I think it’s called… Then, we got caught in a blizzard, and the helicopter crashed… Uncle got stuck, he couldn’t get out, but I was almost unhurt. That’s when I decided to go for help—but I didn’t know where to go, and I was already very cold…»
«And where are your parents?»—Varya asked worriedly.— «They must have been looking for you already!»
«My mom died a long time ago, and I don’t have a dad,»—the little boy sadly replied.— «Uncle Kostya is raising me. And my name is Vladimir, Vladimir Smirnov. But friends and uncle just call me Vovka.»
«Well, Vovka,»—Varya said to him with a smile,— «It looks like you and your guardian will have to live with us in the village for a while until your uncle fully recovers, so it’s better not to disturb him. Let him get better first, and then we’ll see what happens.»
«Okay, I don’t mind,»—agreed the boy, and personally volunteered to wash his dishes, which greatly touched Lyubov Ivanovna.
«Oh, what a proper young boy is growing up!»—She wiped away tears stealthily.— «Kostya is lucky with the boy, no doubt…»
The blizzard outside was growing fiercer, soon completely covering the road in front of the homes of Lyubov Ivanovna and Varvara, cutting their village off from the outside world. The storm was so severe that the power lines and cell towers, rendered useless without electricity, left them unable to call for an ambulance or emergency services: rescue teams simply could not reach them. The women themselves did not dare attempt to venture anywhere beyond their village in such fierce weather. So, all they could do was look after the boy and his injured uncle.
The storm only subsided on the third day—a rescue helicopter, finally receiving the delayed distress signal from the area where Konstantin’s helicopter had crashed, began its search. However, due to a distorted signal, the coordinates sent by the boy’s father were incorrect, so the rescuers began searching in a completely different area.
Later, they established the correct crash site and flew over the village where Varvara and her neighbor lived several times. Unfortunately, Konstantin’s helicopter had been so buried during the snowfall that the rescue service could not find it…
A few weeks later, the man finally began to recover, and Varvara managed to heal him with Lyubov Ivanovna’s extensive collection of herbs and her own medical knowledge.
All the while Varvara took care of him, she felt an inexplicable excitement and trembling. She often watched Konstantin as he slept, and at those moments, her heart would beat faster.
«My God, he’s so beautiful and brave!» Varvara thought at such times. «He wasn’t afraid to fly in such difficult terrain, wanted to make a child happy! Surely, his heart must be kind… Oh, it’s a pity that in her life, she never met such a wonderful man!..»
Varvara didn’t know that Konstantin, when he saw Varvara, felt similar feelings: the young man literally felt sparks running over her, «flaring» every time the beautiful nurse touched him.
Her wonderful, honey-toned, light brown eyes looked at the businessman with such sincere care and desire to help that Konstantin sometimes felt a bit «awkward.» In his everyday life, the gaze of the women around him expressed only demands, and a cold, pragmatic approach to choosing a potential partner.
When Konstantin felt a bit better and began to slowly walk around the old lady’s house, Lyubov Ivanovna asked him why he, first of all, didn’t call for help.
«I, Lyubov Ivanovna, want to see how my security service is working,» the businessman explained to her. «After all, I’ve been neither at home nor at work for so many days, and the connection here is bad. Let’s see how my manager handles such an emergency situation and how quickly they will start searching…»
Lyubov Ivanovna shook her head and smiled:
«Well, you are sly, Konstantin! Your employees will surely be worried.»
«If they are truly worried, they will find a way to contact me,» the man nodded to her. «Judging by the fact that this has not happened yet, my deputy awaits a serious conversation when we return to the city with Vovka…»
After that, he turned to Varya and carefully took her hand. The woman immediately blushed and felt dizzy from excitement:
«Varya, I want to say a special thank you…» Konstantin blushed, and a slight flush appeared on his cheeks. «If it weren’t for you, I would have most likely perished. And what would have happened to Vovka, God… An angel sent you to me, no doubt…»
The woman lowered her gaze, unable to look the man in the eyes: at that moment, Varya suddenly realized that she was in love with this tall and strong, yet so kind and sensitive man.
«It would be to you, Konstantin… I simply did what any normal person in my place would have done. Besides, I am a nurse—it’s my professional duty…»
Varya dared to look into Konstantin’s eyes, and at that moment—her soul seemed to fill with the singing of birds: the businessman looked at her so amazingly softly and tenderly, as if she were the dearest and closest person to him. Both understood that their feelings for each other were mutual.
Konstantin couldn’t explain why he so quickly began to feel something much deeper and stronger for the nurse than mere gratitude. However, at that moment—he decided for himself that he would not miss his chance: Varya was like the only and rarest diamond among millions of bright but ordinary «glass beads.» They must be together, and he would do everything in his power to make it happen…
Once, when Konstantin was sitting in Lyubov Ivanovna’s room, trying to help the woman repair an old radio, he saw a photograph of her deceased son on the dresser. Until that moment, he had almost never entered the herbalist’s room, and had not been interested in whether she had relatives—it just wasn’t the time…
The man instantly turned pale as if he saw a ghost before him, and with a trembling hand, pointed at the photo:
«Who is this?» he asked the old lady. Hearing who the boy in the photograph was to her, Konstantin whispered: «But this cannot be! Nikita was my late sister’s fiancé.»
«What did you say?» Lyubov Ivanovna could not believe her ears. «Young man, I am too old for you to joke so cruelly with me…»
The elderly woman slowly sank onto the old couch. She put her hand to her chest, as suddenly she felt ill—her heart seemed to be pricked by a needle, and it beat too fast.
«Lyubov Ivanovna!» Varvara jumped to her side. «What’s wrong with you? Are you unwell?»
«It’s alright, Varenka… It will pass,» the old woman reassured her.
«Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,» Konstantin said cautiously, «But I am telling the truth. Your son was going to marry Natasha—my own sister. She was pregnant when Nikita died on duty… He didn’t want to live off the money of Natasha’s and my father, was always too principled… My sister could not endure the difficult childbirth, and followed him in death… Since then, I have been raising Vovka by myself… It turns out that you are my Vladimir’s biological grandmother…
«My God,» Lyubov Ivanovna said with trembling, «So, what does this mean? Vovka—my grandson??»
«It seems so,» smiled Konstantin, then turned to the boy: «Vovka, meet your biological grandmother—baba Lyuba… Will you allow him to call you that?»
«Lord, of course!» exclaimed the elderly woman and hugged the boy to her chest. «Vova, my boy! What happiness that we found each other!..»
Lyubov Ivanovna couldn’t hold back the tears that streamed from her eyes. Just think! She had found the direct continuation of her beloved Nikitushka—she had a biological grandson all this time! And this girl—Varya, saved him from the harsh frost. The same frost in which her beloved son could not survive…
Varya was only confused—such amazing coincidences do not happen often in life… Yet, she was immensely glad that her elderly neighbor suddenly had a biological grandson! Now, she could again feel the real «taste of life» and would live for a dear and close person…
Konstantin fully recovered a few weeks later, after which he personally called his manager, and a car was sent for the uncle and his nephew. The boy was very happy that he now had a real grandmother and promised to visit her as soon as it was possible.
The millionaire, as he promised himself—gave his heart to the attractive and kind nurse who saved him from certain death. After some time—he flew back to her in the village, bringing with him a huge bouquet of delicate peach roses.
«My God, is this—all for me?!» Varya could not believe her eyes, receiving a huge basket of flowers from Konstantin. Honestly, she had already begun to think that they would never meet again: the social gap between them was too great…
«This is the least I can do to thank you, Varya…» answered, slightly embarrassed, the businessman. «I know it may sound a bit childish, but… Maybe you will honor me—allow me to invite you on a date?»
Varya, out of confusion, did not immediately find what to answer: she certainly did not expect this turn, although she secretly hoped that Konstantin might at least write to her after his return. And here it is—flowers, a date… But in the woman’s soul, a joyful song of love and pure feminine happiness was already singing.
«Yes,» she said quietly, «Thank you, Konstantin. I am very pleased with both these flowers and your proposal…»
The man smiled, and his face immediately lit up from the inside with sincere joy. In the corners of his eyes, like warm spring rays—appeared wrinkles, and this made Konstantin even more beautiful in the eyes of our heroine…
Their first date did not remain the only one—later, the couple had many more meetings. Varvara was completely charmed by the manners and chivalrous treatment she received from Konstantin. After six months, the young people had a lavish and incredibly beautiful wedding, attended by many guests—including Lyubov Ivanovna.
The elderly herbalist was very flattered that her grandson’s uncle invited her to their wedding with Varenka. She baked a large honey cake with berries, using an old recipe, and promised to teach this wonderful bride, as Varvara and Vovka were completely delighted with the cake.
As for little Vladimir, he adapted so quickly to Varya that, just a few months after the wedding—he began to call her «mom.» And a little later, the woman told her husband and Vovka another wonderful news—she was expecting their first child.
Now, Konstantin and Varya are preparing to become parents—the husband built a new, huge house for the whole family, where he moved his beloved wife. He wanted to take Lyubov Ivanovna there, too, but she refused—she was too firmly «rooted» to her old home, and her age was not suitable for moving.
Lyubov Ivanovna joyfully spends time with Vovochka when he visits her, and often thinks about the fact that Nikita managed to do the most important thing in his life, for which she will not cease to thank him—he managed to continue his lineage.
As for Serenky, who sometimes still comes to the old lady’s house, Lyubov Ivanovna seriously believes that the soul of her son was reborn in the wolf. Otherwise, how to explain that he led Varya to the helicopter, where her grandson was with his guardian? It must have been Nikitushka—who was that very wolf..
