Konstantin and Albina met within the walls of the Institute of Culture, although their faculties were different. From a young age, Konstantin was immersed in the world of music, which was not surprising given his background. He grew up in a family where art was not just a hobby, but a way of life. His father, a violinist, taught at the conservatory, and his mother taught children to play the piano at an art school. It would have been a tragedy if their son had not inherited a musical ear. Fortunately, Konstantin had it in full. And, of course, his parents’ passion for art could not help but be passed on to him.
Konstantin often spent time at the music school where his mother worked. The building, reminiscent of a palace with its columns, grand staircase, and stucco, was filled with the sounds of various instruments coming from behind every door. Konstantin chose the guitar and was so enthusiastic that he never doubted his future. He knew exactly what awaited him.
Albina, on the other hand, grew up in a completely different environment. She was practically an orphan while her parents were alive. Her mother left her father and moved north to Noyabrsk, leaving little Albina in the care of her grandmother. She promised to return as soon as she got on her feet, but instead, she started a new family, where two children grew up. Albina’s father showed no interest in his daughter’s fate, never visited her, and never helped. Albina tried not to think about him.
They lived on her grandmother’s modest pension. Her mother occasionally sent money, but it was unreliable. From an early age, Albina learned to rely only on herself. She earned extra money by babysitting neighbors’ children or walking dogs. In her free time, she dedicated herself to books. Reading became her passion, and despite not being able to afford new books, she found them online and at the library. Therefore, after school, Albina entered the Institute of Culture, dreaming of becoming a librarian.
Her faculty was predominantly female, and many of her classmates looked for partners in other institutes. Albina, however, met Konstantin in her own educational institution. It happened by chance. One day, lingering after a lecture, she walked down an empty corridor and heard the sound of a guitar. The music was so beautiful that Albina couldn’t resist and peeked into the hall. There, she saw a dark-haired guy rehearsing on stage. Albina froze, listening to his play, and when he finished, she involuntarily clapped her hands. Konstantin, smiling, jokingly bowed in response.
Soon, they began to spend every spare minute together. In the summer, they organized a real research trip to the surrounding villages. They collected folk art—Albina documented song lyrics, while Konstantin recorded melodies. These materials later came in handy for their graduation projects.
By the time they graduated from the institute, Albina’s grandmother had passed away, leaving her a small two-room apartment in a prestigious area of the city. The location was ideal—it took just minutes to get to any cultural institution. Albina had long become part of Konstantin’s family, so when the young couple decided to get married, the groom’s parents were only delighted. The bride was modest and hardworking, but most importantly, there was so much common interest between her and Konstantin that their conversations never ended.
The wedding took place in the heart of summer, when nights are short and unnoticeable. The newlyweds and their friends greeted the dawn on a river tram, raising glasses of champagne in honor of the rising sun.
Initially, they decided to settle in Albina’s apartment, opting for cosmetic repairs. Creating their «own nest» became a real pleasure for them. They quickly found jobs: Konstantin got a teaching position at the art school, and Albina took a place in her beloved childhood library. After receiving their salaries, they enthusiastically went shopping, choosing new curtains or a coffee set—delighting in each purchase like a child with a new toy.
However, about six months later, their routine began to change. Their work schedules did not match: Albina went to work and came home later than her husband. Then she started staying out late. One day, when Konstantin, having forgotten some necessary notes at home, stopped by around eight in the morning, he discovered that Albina was already gone, although her library opened significantly later.
Konstantin had always trusted his wife and for a long time accepted her explanations without question.
«Did you go somewhere today? I came by, and you weren’t there,» he asked once.
«I ran to the market,» she replied.
«Why did you come back so late yesterday? I think I forgot to ask.»
«A friend was sick. She has a little one, needed help.»
«Karina? What’s with her?»
«It turns out she has serious heart problems. She won’t get healthy again.»
It seemed that Karina needed constant help. Either she needed someone to sit with her son while she was at the doctor’s, or help prepare for her birthday, as she was too weak to clean up herself. One reason replaced another. And Konstantin, who had never experienced jealousy before, suddenly realized that he no longer played the main role in his wife’s life.
Some time later, as he was leaving the entrance in the morning, he noticed Karina jogging. In a stylish sports suit, rosy and energetic, she easily passed him, waving goodbye. Konstantin was so taken aback that he couldn’t even call out to her.
Returning home in the evening, he again did not find Albina. Then he took Karina’s phone number from his notebook.
«Is Albina with you? If you can, call her over,» he asked.
«Where did you get the idea that she’s with me?» Karina was surprised. «We haven’t seen each other in ages.»
«Strange… And how’s your heart? No more need for help?»
«My heart?» Karina was clearly embarrassed but quickly figured out what was happening. «My heart, dear Kostya, is healthier than ever, but it looks like you’re growing horns. Or have they already grown? Maybe Albinka told you she was sitting by my bedside? How long has this been going on? Oh, always so modest, and now she’s completely let loose!»
Konstantin hung up without a word. Whatever the case, he wasn’t going to discuss his wife with anyone, even their mutual friend. He decided not to ask other acquaintances and said nothing to his parents. The only way to figure things out was to follow Albina himself. It seemed humiliating and unpleasant, but for him, it was more important to understand than to build assumptions. Scandals without grounds were not in his character, but he also didn’t want to look foolish.
He took a leave of absence from work, but pretended to leave for his classes as usual in the morning. Then he hid on a bench at the neighboring entrance, almost completely concealed by a thick lilac bush. Half an hour later, Albina appeared. She was clearly in a hurry somewhere. If she had called a taxi, it would have been impossible to follow her. However, the wife headed to the bus stop.
Konstantin managed to move unnoticed behind her, then got on the same crowded bus through a different door. Albina rode almost to the last stop—a place that surprised him even more. Here was practically a suburban area. What was Albina doing in such a backwater? She confidently walked down the road leading to a forested area. Konstantin had never been here before, but soon noticed a building off the road—a hospital for the disabled. That’s where his wife entered.
Five minutes later, he also crossed the threshold of the institution. A female security guard, on duty at the entrance, looked at him attentively.
«Are you Albina’s husband?» she asked with sympathy. «Poor thing… I really feel for her. She’s so responsible, tries her hardest, but I’m afraid the results will be weak.»
«What results?» Konstantin didn’t understand. «What are you talking about? I just returned from a business trip, my wife hasn’t had time to tell me everything yet…»
«Don’t you know?» the woman shook her head. «Her father is lying here. Not only an alcoholic but also with serious back problems… Poor girl, she spends day and night here. Help is often inadequate in state clinics. Orderlies are paid pennies, so they won’t come over extra times. When Albina found out what happened to her father—he’s been here for a month and started developing bedsores—she took on his treatment. Now she washes him every day, treats his wounds, takes him out for walks…»
And indeed, at the end of the hallway, a wheelchair appeared, pushed by Albina. At the handles sat an emaciated elderly man with the distinctively bluish face of a chronic alcoholic.
Seeing her husband, Albina froze in place, turning pale as a sheet.
«Why didn’t you tell me anything?» he asked quietly.
«How could I…» she stammered, «How did you find out? Were you following me? You thought I was…»
Konstantin squeezed her hand tightly.
«Let’s go to the yard. Let’s sit down, talk. Let me help you with the wheelchair.»
The pause dragged on.
«By the way, what’s your father’s name? Ilya—I know that from your patronymic. And then?»
«Ilya Maximovich.»
The yard around the hospital was spacious and cozy, with tall trees creating cool shade. They sat on one of the benches. Ilya Maximovich seemed to enjoy every second of being outdoors. Closing his eyes, he soon drifted into a doze.
«You see,» Albina began, and tears streamed down her cheeks, «I immediately saw how much your family differed from mine. Your parents—cultured, kind people—they welcomed me so warmly. And me… a mother who lived far away and never needed me. And this father, who once forgot everything in the world for a bottle. I was a hundred percent sure: if your parents found out I was the daughter of an alcoholic, they would never let you marry me.»
«What nonsense!» exclaimed Konstantin. «Your father—that’s his choice, and we are completely independent individuals.»
«Wait, let me finish,» Albina continued. «Keeping quiet about my father wasn’t so difficult, since he hadn’t lived with us for a long time. I remember only that distant childhood: his endless binges, constant scandals with my mother. There was always poverty in the house because he drank away every penny. He couldn’t hold a job for more than two or three weeks. He’d start a new position, then inevitably get drunk, come in such a state to the construction site or gas station—and they’d immediately fire him.
After divorcing my mother, he started seeing different women. But such, you know, that even looking at them without tears is impossible. In recent years, we hardly crossed paths—news about him came through mutual acquaintances. Then one night he went out for vodka. Someone took his money and brutally beat him, literally tormenting him with their feet. It damaged his spine. When they told me… I could have refused to care for him, since he never paid child support, never helped with anything… But when I saw the state he was in… You know the rest.»
Kostya hugged his wife tightly and gently kissed her. When the walk ended, he helped Ilya Maximovich return to the building and settle into bed. It was evident that for Albina, this place had become a second home. Her favorite mug stood on the bedside table, familiar slippers lay near the bed. It was clear she intended to continue coming here daily to care for her father.
But Konstantin couldn’t allow such a situation. That same evening, he turned to his parents for advice. They took the story seriously. The son didn’t reveal the true reason for Albina’s silence, simply asking for their support. He knew his mother had influential connections in the medical field.
Just a few days later, a suitable option presented itself. Ilya Maximovich was transferred to a modern clinic where he was given a private room and began comprehensive treatment, including therapy for alcohol dependence. The hospital was located in the city center, just a fifteen-minute walk away. Konstantin’s parents regularly visited Ilya Maximovich, bringing him delicious gifts, although the food at the clinic was already excellent. Albina’s father began to recover quickly.
After some time, he sheepishly admitted to his daughter that it seemed there were budding feelings between him and one of the elderly orderlies.
Konstantin and Albina understood that there would be no more secrets between them. The father-in-law and mother-in-law continued to treat Albina with the same warmth, and she, in turn, felt that she had found a real family. And this feeling extended not only to Konstantin but to his entire family.
