Alexandra wearily sat down on a chair in the narrow utility room of the cleaning company «Blesk». It had been a busy day—three apartments, a country house, and an office. Every step was a struggle: her back ached, her legs buzzed. Only forty years old, yet she felt much older. She sadly smiled at her thoughts and began to take off her work uniform.
«So, getting used to it?» the energetic voice of Lyudmila, her colleague, rang out, snapping Alexandra back to reality.
«It’s okay so far, nothing special, thought it would be harder.»
«Ah, just wait! You haven’t faced the real challenges yet,» Lyudmila nodded importantly as if she were an expert on other people’s problems.
«You know, sometimes this happens… A ‘new Russian’ comes. Looks all decent, you think, what could be special? But no! You arrive at the place—oh dear! It’s as if a whole platoon of soldiers partied there non-stop for a week.»
Lyudmila gesticulated for emphasis, and Alexandra skeptically snorted:
«Come on, it can’t be that bad! And you handle this all by yourself?»
«What choice do I have?» Lyudmila shrugged. «We’re short on people, and the owners demand perfect cleanliness. Reputation is everything. So, we pretend to be professionals. Believe me, you’ll see plenty!»
«Guess they won’t trust me with such serious orders right away. Probably need to pass a probation period first, to be let into the wealthy homes?»
«Basically, yes,» Lyudmila agreed. «But don’t relax. Something unexpected might happen. Okay, I must go, swamped with work!» She grabbed her bag and hurriedly left, leaving only the click of her heels behind.
Alexandra watched her go. Where did that woman, over fifty, get so much energy? She never sits still!
Alexandra’s life hadn’t turned out as she had dreamed. Born without a father—her mother raised her alone, working to the point of exhaustion. At eighteen, foolishly, she became pregnant. The guy, of course, vanished instantly. Her mother just sighed heavily: «Seems like our fate—to give birth as maidens and then suffer alone.»
That’s when Alexandra decided: she wouldn’t suffer! As soon as her daughter turned two, she would find a job and start living independently. But the years passed, and no decent men appeared. Every time she tentatively tried to start a relationship, men immediately backed off, learning about the child. They recoiled from a single mother as if from the plague. Life was slipping right under her feet.
One day, in a moment of despair, she asked her mother:
«Mom, who was my father? Could he have been rich or famous? Why do we live so poorly?»
Her mother looked at her strangely, paused, then replied:
«He was rich, that’s for sure. Famous or not—I don’t know. But I decided to have you. He didn’t plan on a child.»
Alexandra understood everything. Her mother was right—one shouldn’t impose oneself on someone who doesn’t need you and your child. She just had to cope on her own.
It also didn’t work out with her daughter. As soon as she grew up, she distanced herself from her mother. She wanted a different life. Left at the first opportunity, hardly ever called or visited. Sometimes asked for money, but never about meeting.
Now her mother was seriously ill. Health problems—her legs were failing. Alexandra felt a lot of work ahead to provide for her mother’s treatment. Though she herself was over forty, she might have lived a little for herself, but honestly, that desire had almost vanished. All her energy went into just holding on and moving forward.
A loud door slam brought Alexandra back from her thoughts. How time flies when you’re lost in memories!
Olga Sergeyevna, the wife of the cleaning company’s owner, rushed into the utility room:
«Alexandra, great that you haven’t left yet! Listen, there’s an urgent matter. We have no one else. Are you free today?»
Alexandra blinked in confusion:
«Yes, Olga Sergeyevna, I was just about to go home. What happened?»
«We need to completely clean a huge house… In short, no time for explanations, let’s go!»
Alexandra sighed and, grabbing her bag of belongings, hurried after her boss.
After passing through several corridors, they entered Olga Sergeyevna’s office. Seating Alexandra across from her, she began:
«I understand you’re new here, not much experience. But there’s no choice—you’ll have to go. It’s an important client, a lot depends on this order for the company. I’m sure you’ll manage!»
Alexandra nodded, realizing it was impossible to refuse.
«Great!» Olga Sergeyevna was pleased. «So, you need to tidy up the mansion. Our client’s father lived there, recently passed away. Now we need to remove everything unnecessary and prepare the house for sale. I think there will be little dirt—these people are wealthy. But there’s plenty of work.»
«How long do I have?» Alexandra asked.
«Four days. The client is already there. Valentin will drive you. Come on, hurry!»
Alexandra raised her eyebrows in surprise. Olga Sergeyevna’s personal driver usually didn’t transport ordinary cleaners. However, the situation was exceptional. She obediently nodded.
«Wait,» her boss stopped her. «Be careful there. In rich homes, there are many temptations. Don’t even think about taking anything—the consequences will be very serious. And you’ll never be able to work in this specialty again.»
Alexandra was stunned by such a turn in the conversation. Indignation slowly began to boil inside:
«What are you saying, Olga Sergeyevna?! How can you even suggest?!»
«Now, now, don’t get heated,» she murmured conciliatorily. «Just had to warn you. But the pay is decent. Your mother is ill, right? Need money for treatment?»
Alexandra just nodded tiredly. Her mother had indeed recovered significantly, and the cost of medications was astronomical. There was no room for principles here.
«Alright, run to the car! Valentin knows the address, they’re already waiting for you.»
The client indeed awaited Alexandra at the massive gates of a luxurious three-story mansion. A distinguished middle-aged man dressed in a strict black suit, with an impassive expression. His stern look gave Alexandra a slight chill.
«Listen,» the client began without preamble, «while you were on your way, I thought it over and decided: the house needs to be completely cleared of all personal items. You will have four days instead of two. Leave the dishes, vases as they are. But clothes, photographs, and other trinkets—remove without a second thought.»
Alexandra almost objected, thinking about valuable items or memorable souvenirs that might be among the belongings. But she bit her tongue in time. It was not her place to question. What was said, must be so.
The client continued with instructions:
«Once everything is ready, the house can be put up for sale. The exterior must be impeccable. If you find anything truly valuable—jewelry, gold—report it to me immediately.»
Alexandra obediently nodded.
«Alright, get started. I’ll check the results in four days,» he said sharply and, turning around, headed to his car.
She watched him with a thoughtful look and set to work. Circling the mansion, she decided to start from the second floor. At first glance, the rooms were in perfect condition. The study, apparently the owner’s favorite place, pleased her especially. Everything sparkled, items were in their places, only a light dust and cobwebs revealed the long absence of residents.
In the bedrooms, however, more serious tasks awaited. Closets, like overstuffed barns, threatened to collapse under the weight of clothes and boxes. With a sigh, Alexandra descended to the first floor for trash bags, bracing herself for a long day’s work.
By nightfall, Valentin drove up for her, calling from the hall, but she asked him to wait a bit.
«Probably enough for today,» she thought, approaching the last cabinet. «I’ll start sorting, and finish tomorrow.»
Pulling up a chair, she stood on tiptoes to reach the contents of the top shelf. That’s when her gaze fell on a small, quite ordinary box.
Curiosity got the better of her. She carefully retrieved the find and, holding her breath, lifted the lid. Inside were old photographs and several documents.
The first photo made her freeze. It showed a young, beautiful mother. A version of her mother Alexandra had never seen—radiant, smiling. She began to sift through the other photos with trembling hands. There was her mother with a man—tall, elegant. His portrait she had seen downstairs, in the hall. Another photo showed herself—a chubby, little baby. This photo was kept at her home.
Her brain worked feverishly. Why were family photos here? Who was this man next to her mother? Could he be her father?
Her hands shook so much that she could hardly unfold the documents. The first was a will, covered with seals and signatures. Skimming the text, Alexandra gasped and collapsed onto the chair, powerless.
It turned out, the owner of the house—the man in the photograph—was her father! The will stated that many years ago, against his own will, he had left his love and child. All these years he had been tormented by remorse but did not dare to interfere in their lives. Feeling the end approaching, he decided to provide for the future of his daughter and her mother, leaving them the mansion, a significant sum of money, and an apartment.
Alexandra’s head spun. Could all this be true? No doubts—the names, dates matched. So, the father hadn’t just abandoned them? He loved them? Why then hadn’t he found them earlier? How much could have changed over the years!
A sudden noise and Valentin’s voice snapped her out of her stupor:
«Hey, Alexandra, are you coming soon? Are you even alive?»
«Yes, coming down now!» she replied, hurriedly stuffing the papers into her bag.
On the way home, she was silent, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. She didn’t even notice how she got out of the car and climbed the steps. Only when her mother spoke did she realize where she was:
«Sasha, darling, what’s with you? You seem strange. Something happened?»
Alexandra slowly sat down on the couch next to her mother, took a deep breath, and blurted out:
«Mom, we need to talk. Today I learned something about my father.»
Her mother froze, her face twisted with anxiety:
«Lord, Sasha, what are you saying? So many years have passed… And probably, he’s no longer alive…»
«Exactly, he isn’t!» Alexandra pulled out the photographs and documents, handing them to her mother.
She put on her glasses, scrutinizing the pictures. Recognition, amazement, and deep pain sequentially reflected on her face. Taking the will, she slowly scanned the text, occasionally wiping away tears. Finally, she put down the paper and quietly said:
«Victor and I loved each other madly. We dreamed of being together all our lives. But he was born into the wrong circle… His family was wealthy and influential.»
She paused, gathering her thoughts:
«When our relationship became known, his parents were enraged. For them, it was a disgrace. They decided to marry him to a girl from a good family, who already had a child from a previous marriage. And by that time, you were already growing inside me…»
Her mother sobbed, and Alexandra tightly squeezed her hand, barely holding back her own tears.
«When the truth surfaced, Victor resisted for a long time. He didn’t want that wedding. He knew I was expecting you alone. But his father gave him an ultimatum: either the wedding or they would crush us both. What could we do?
«We spent a whole night talking. Cried, thought… And decided that the best way out was to part. He promised to help, but I refused. I was too proud, foolish…»
Now her mother was stroking Alexandra’s hand, and she, with shaking shoulders, allowed her silent tears to flow. How unjust everything turned out! They loved each other, wanted a family, but fate decided otherwise.
«We could have met many years later, even in old age… Embrace each other, talk. But we didn’t make it. It wasn’t meant to be…»
A heavy silence hung in the room. Alexandra, wiping her tears, broke it first:
«Mom, understand… He didn’t abandon us. Just circumstances. He thought of us all his life! Wanted to help, even if only in the end. We got everything he could leave.»
«Oh, Sasha, I don’t know…» her mother sighed. «So many years have passed. There will probably be other heirs.»
«But we’ll try!» Alexandra declared firmly. «Tomorrow I’ll go to a lawyer. Find out everything to the end. We’ll fight for what Dad did for us.»
The legal proceedings dragged on for almost half a year. The women desperately fought for the inheritance, proving their kinship with the deceased. Sometimes it seemed impossible to win—the other claimants were too strong and influential.
But one day, Olga Sergeyevna unexpectedly took their side:
«Sasha, forgive me, you old fool! I didn’t understand the whole story right away. When I delved into it, I realized everything at once. My husband and I had a similar situation. Then his kin was against our marriage. Threatened to disinherit, kick out of the house. But he stood firm, endured all the hardships for me. We won then, no matter what. And you, forty years ago, had it even tougher. Never mind, Sasha, we’ll manage! We’ll fight to the end!»
And they did indeed win. The court recognized Alexandra and her mother as the lawful heirs. To their surprise, they inherited the mansion, a significant sum of money, an expensive car, and even an apartment, whose existence no one knew.
«So this is our first little apartment!» exclaimed the mother, recognizing it. «We rented it from an old lady when Victor and I secretly met. Seems he bought it for us later…»
«Great, mom! You know what? Let’s gift this apartment to Milka. Your granddaughter, my wayward daughter. She seems to have straightened out, found a job. Let her live there, start her own family.»
The mother joyfully agreed. A few days later, she invited Alexandra and her granddaughter with her:
«Girls, shall we go to the cemetery today? I want to visit Victor.»
At the beautiful marble monument, the mother knelt, unable to hold back her tears:
«Hello, Vitenka. Forgive me for coming so late…»
«So many years lost, we didn’t meet in the end. Well, what can you do now. I’ll join you soon. Just wait a little…»
Alexandra tried not to listen to her mother’s words. Her heart squeezed from unspoken pain. Nearby, Mila tightly held her grandmother’s hand, also struggling to hold back tears.
When the mother, staggering, headed to the cemetery exit, Alexandra lingered at the gravestone. She couldn’t decide to leave. She wanted to stay here for at least a minute, talk to the person she never knew.
Shaking her head and casting one last glance at the monument, she hurriedly caught up with her relatives:
«Well, girls, home? There’s still so much to do!»
