Ksenia, you really are something, first pregnancy and it’s twins!» said the familiar doctor with a smile. «Your boyfriend will be thrilled. He’s a medic, isn’t he? Works in an ambulance?»
«Yes, he’s a specialist in anesthesiology and resuscitation, and has been in this field for three years. But I don’t think he’ll be thrilled about this news.»
«Why is that?» the chatty woman immediately became interested. «Doesn’t he like children?»
«Worse,» Ksenia replied sarcastically. «We haven’t even been close. Believe it or not.»
She adjusted her medical uniform, tried to stretch her lips into a smile, but only managed a pitiful grimace. She felt bitter and lonely. Again, she was enveloped by a sense of hopelessness, as if she had once again crossed the threshold of uncertainty in her fate.
However, she only knew about those misfortunes from the talkative nannies at the childcare institution; naturally, she couldn’t remember them herself.
And they could lie, embellish, or conjecture the truth. An unclaimed orphan, feeling the influence of a cruel fate once more. It loomed over her, influenced her from the time she was abandoned in a cardboard box at the doorstep of a baby home in a small provincial town.
How many souls in this world were discarded by their parents in such a merciless manner?
The gynecologist, after her visit, was initially shocked, then composed herself. But she no longer asked the young woman any more questions. It wasn’t her place to solve riddles. Who knows what life circumstances this nice nurse might have. She had been working in the gynecology department for so long, she well knew that children are not always born from husbands and steady partners.
She had witnessed family secrets when blood types or other parameters revealed the truth. The real father of a child was always unknown. Even the woman herself sometimes did not know who it could be, since she had relationships with more than one lover.
Ksenia walked through the hospital grounds, noticing nothing around her.
Why does the sun shine so brightly, the endless blue sky beckon, and some birds chirp? Spring, love, romance—it’s all deception.
There is nothing beautiful in the relationship between a man and a woman if the culmination is the bedroom. Take, for example, her boyfriend, the young emergency doctor. He stood on principle. At the beginning of their romance, he somehow dragged her to his home, whispering,
«I’m going to surprise you, baby.»
Ksenia then pushed his insistent hands away.
«Oleg, I’m not ready. I’ve never been this close to anyone before.»
He laughed maliciously in her face:
«A prude, you say? That’s news to me. Well, I’ll patiently wait until you ask me about it yourself.»
A month later, Ksenia found out that Oleg was calmly sleeping with a nurse from the cardiology department, while he started treating her like a naive younger sister.
Movies, cafes, confectionery attractions in the park. He even stopped trying to kiss her. As if a wall had grown between them forever.
An unloved man—it’s even funny to apply such a term to him. Nothing more than a friend. But she was sorry to completely break off the relationship. Everyone in the hospital still thought they were a couple.
Ksenia was an orphan. Alone in the whole wide world. A series of state-run children’s institutions, medical college with honors, a fairly cozy spacious room in a communal apartment almost in the center of the old town, legally provided.
No one wanted to adopt her. Everyone was put off by her story. Who knows what kind of negligent parents she had? Maybe they were poor and alcoholic? Deal with that bad heredity later.
She decided to go into medicine while still in the orphanage. She fancied herself a heroine when she skillfully bandaged a lively boy’s scraped knee with a torn sleeve of her own dress. She went to escort the boy moaning from pain to the medical office and fell in love with that magical office with shiny metal instruments on the tray.
No fear of syringes, tweezers, pristine bandaging materials, bottles of iodine, and hydrogen peroxide. Even the smells of bleach and ammonia seemed divine to her. Ksenia was a determined young woman. While her peers secretly smoked cigarettes in a circle behind the utility block at the orphanage, she was studying biology and chemistry.
She didn’t even need the orphan benefits to get into the college. She handled it on her own. The entrance exams were a breeze. Two years and ten months of study flew by like one day. And then her adulthood date arrived. The nursing profession might not be the most prestigious in the world. But in her own, newly acquired apartment, with a diploma in hand, Ksenia felt like a completely adult, independent person.
She found a job quickly, although she had almost no experience, noticed by the head of the oncology department at the city hospital even during her practice. When Ksenia appeared in a room, all the patients began to smile, even forgetting about their pain for a while. She had some kind of sincere human warmth.
Almost not knowing love in her life, she herself loved people selflessly and even devotedly. She was not vindictive and was forgiving, even if someone inadvertently offended her. Where did she get the strength to pay attention to all the suffering? Such heartfelt specialists in a tragic department, from which not everyone returned home, were worth their weight in gold, and everything was always clean, tidy, neatly arranged, both at the nursing post during her shift and in every ward under her care.
No one wanted to offend, humiliate, or harm such a person, but in the general crowd of good-natured patients, a black sheep still turned up. Stanislav ended up in the gloomy department through connections.
His own aunt worked there as a doctor, was respected. A surgical surgeon, long in the profession, many years of experience, pulled so many patients back from the brink. He urgently needed to settle matters with the army in a positive light, up to the mark of «completely unfit for service.» If only that were possible. The contrast between him, faking suspicions of stomach oncology, and those who were actually ill was colossal.
The young man, a giant externally, with no apparent signs of the terrible disease, but in the hospital, it’s not customary to meddle in other people’s affairs. Since a hospital bed was allotted to the patient, it must be so. And everything would have been normal. But Stas got bored. And then he caught sight of Ksenia.
Petite, quiet, polite. She wouldn’t say a harsh word to anyone. He had already managed to ask his aunt about the employee he liked. An orphan, no one to protect her. Where is this mythical paramedic boyfriend of hers? Look for wind in the field. So he decided, on a day off, while there were few staff in the department, to have a little fun.
He dragged the girl into a storage room where mattresses, pillows, bed linens were stored. Ksenia was petrified by such audacity, unable to utter a word, as if her whole body were wrapped in iron shackles, and then Stanislav even covered her mouth with his hand. When he realized that the girl was innocent, he got even more carried away.
What a surprise, what a gift. Just look and keep quiet. I’ll keep my tongue behind my teeth too. If you blurt out anything about what happened here, you’ll be jobless in a flash. It won’t hurt you, go, you are free.»
Ksenia rushed out of the pantry and nervously surveyed the corridor. Silence. All the girls on duty after dinner had gone to have tea and coffee with candies. There had been a delivery today. There were plenty of sweet presents.
She carefully inspected her clothes, putting herself in order.
Soon, what happened began to seem like some terrible, absurd dream. And soon after, Stanislav was discharged. Even though Ksenia had a medical education, she did not immediately realize that the incident with the disgusting patient had serious consequences.
Her pregnancy did not bring her any morning sickness or other ailments. When she came to her senses, the fetal age was already about eight weeks.
She was not scared, she was upset that she wouldn’t be able to become a worthy mother for the baby with her income. Being a bitter orphan herself, she didn’t even allow herself to think of getting rid of the child. It wasn’t the baby’s fault that his father was a real beast. And besides, he had her, his mother, and she would not abandon him under any circumstances.
Seeking help from Stanislav through his aunt was repulsive to her. Let no one know who the father of her baby was. Now, having learned from an ultrasound that she would become a mother of twins, and that her belly would soon be visible since the pregnancy was already 4 months along, Ksenia was in despair. Her offspring would be impoverished, as poor as she was.
How she did not want such a cruel fate for her little ones. It felt awful, but she had to go to work. The patients were not to blame for the changes that would soon alter her life, and it was still unknown in which direction exactly.
Strong, willful, courageous — these adjectives would describe everyone around Vyacheslav Alexandrovich, from his young wife to partners, colleagues, and friends.
He managed to hide deep within his soul the sorrows of the past. He always relished the present and looked to the future with optimism. Rock, granite, diamond, which circumstances could not even scratch.
«Where will all this go now,» the man thought. «I will soon turn into a powerless being, obeying the commands of terrible pain. My doctor was honest with me. A couple of months — that’s all I have left in this world.
I can barely endure the agony from one injection to the next. In oncology, there are physical torments. In my case, it was all too advanced. The verdict is irrevocable. What do people think, those who know for sure that they have very little time left to live? Who knows? Probably everyone has their own thoughts. They are scared, very scared.
The inevitable question arises, why was such a fate prepared for me?
A wealthy businessman with a million-dollar fortune, a hereditary owner of a large metallurgical corporation, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich thought of his beloved woman. How will she, so fragile and delicate, survive in this cruel world without him? He even forbade her to visit him often here, in the oncology department of the city hospital.
It was not proper for him, a mature man of 55 years, to involve such a carefree creature in the web of his own and others’ suffering. He wanted to leave this world alone, without unnecessary witnesses, no matter how much he loved this woman. He grumbled when his aging father visited, inventing reasons why it was better for him not to show up today. Either important tests were being done, only interfering, or he was tired and wanted to be alone, what was the point of traveling across the city to him.
His father did not want to give in, stubbornly resisted his prohibitions. But Christina did not object. She burst into the ward like a bright exotic butterfly, leaving behind a trail of scents from exquisite perfumes and spring freshness. She kissed him on the cheek, telling him about the stores and spas she had visited in recent days.
She loved to speed in her car and explore new places where they pampered her, nurtured her beauty. An old habit of a former model, who left the runway at her husband’s wish but did not change her old habits.
They met 12 years ago in Sicily, where everything was conducive to romantic adventures.
Christina was filming a series of commercials in the town of Taormina. This small architectural masterpiece on the Ionian Sea coast, situated on top of a hill, was an excellent setting. According to the director’s idea, the heroine wandered through narrow streets where the hostesses of private homes displayed huge pots with houseplants, or sailed on a yacht to the Isola Bella island, home to exotic animals and birds.
Colorful mini-scenes encouraged the purchase of sunglasses, without which in the hot Italian sun, and indeed on the southern beaches, relaxation was impossible.
Christina changed outfits and smiles on her face and looked impeccable on camera, despite the blinding sun and heat. Vyacheslav Alexandrovich, watching the filming crew’s work from a distance, thus spent time on a mini-vacation.
A meeting with Italian partners on the mainland was scheduled in three days.
A resort romance with Christina bloomed on the seashore like an exotic and bright flower, it was hot and passionate. Vyacheslav fell in love head over heels for the first time in many years.
Christina reciprocated the same, not asking for gifts or money, eagerly wanting only him, completely dissolving in the embrace of her admirer.
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich was visibly losing his head but did not want to resist it. After a family tragedy that occurred many years ago, he was living and breathing fully again.
The trouble receded into the shadows.
Behind the successful businessman lay two unsuccessful, hastily arranged marriages. The first, as usual, was during his student years. It was destroyed by everyday life within a few months. Pretty Svetochka was horrified by the sight of frying pans and pots, and he did not want to milk his father for extra money.
Their family holding was just beginning to get on its feet. His father worked like an ox, saving every penny. Vyacheslav’s mother was a true comrade-in-arms to her husband. She stayed at home, taking on all the responsibilities of managing it without any help. And then there was capricious Svetochka with her long manicure and boundless ambitions.
«Slava, I married the son of a major businessman. I didn’t sign up to be your cook. I was hoping for a completely different level of life in your house. And here, your mother even washes the dishes herself for everyone. I’m leaving.»
He met the second beauty a few years later. She too was lovely, attractive, and had an excellent education from London. Having lived on the shores of foggy Albion, the daughter of one of his father’s partners fancied herself an aristocrat, a lady with impeccable manners.
Vyacheslav’s habit of carelessly throwing socks near the bed and going out without a tuxedo or at least a perfect classic suit terrified her.
She tried to establish the habit of hosting English tea parties with receptions for equally pretentious girlfriends.
Slavik’s mother flatly refused to participate in these prim gatherings. She rushed to Vyacheslav’s younger sister Katya, to take an extra walk with her in the park or read an interesting book. One day, the daughter-in-law finally couldn’t stand it, packed a suitcase, and left for her parents, also big fans of English traditions and rituals.
After two failed marriages, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich moved on to short, non-committal relationships. He allowed himself ordinary holiday romances, where he always stated the rules of love upfront—spend a beautiful time together at his expense, then part ways, with no one owing anything to anyone.
He would have considered more serious relationships if any of his temporary girlfriends had become pregnant, but no such information came. So he lived without care until he met Kristina. His little friend, his bright sunshine, his comrade in all games and entertainments was his younger sister Katya.
They had a big age difference—fifteen years. Sometimes, when the parents went out in the evening to the theater or a restaurant, they stayed alone. It was a happy time. Slava made a pile of hot sandwiches with doctor’s sausage and cheese, and they feasted, washing down the sandwiches with tomato juice. Then they watched old Soviet cartoons, fooled around, and lay on pillows.
Katya invariably fell asleep on her older brother’s broad shoulder.
And then she died absurdly. Vyacheslav didn’t know until then that he could howl like a wolf, full-throated. His little girl, his Katya, his beloved little one was crushed by a truck right at the bus stop.
Usually, during those times, a company car from Katya’s father took her to and from school, but that day she asked the driver to walk her friend to the bus, a birthday girl carrying home many gifts and a bunch of colored balloons. Later, the bewildered driver, speeding down the road at a decent pace, would try to blame those infamous inflatable balloons. He would say they blocked his view of the entire stop with their mass. But tests after the accident would show that his blood still contained much of yesterday’s alcohol.
Vyacheslav, who arrived at the scene before the parents, did not see Katya’s body. He only found her red hat with a pompom and white patterns in a dirty pile of crushed balloons. Nearby, the frightened driver of the father’s company car was making excuses.
«I couldn’t do anything, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich. She so asked to walk with her friend, she so wanted to help her carry the balloons. And now both of them are gone. I will never forgive myself for this mishap.»
Then there were the eyes of the mother, forever dead. The endless grief of the father, who soon retired from business, handing over the reins of control to his 27-year-old son. Vyacheslav’s mother never fully recovered from this tragedy.
She hugged her daughter’s favorite doll instead, trying to fall asleep. She looked almost mad. One day he caught his mother reading fairy tales to the same doll. A clinic examination showed that the woman was perfectly sane. But she quietly faded away day by day. She claimed that Katya came to her in dreams, at night.
She complained that she was scared alone in the pitch-dark cold, calling for her mother to save her. Vyacheslav’s mother listened to her. One morning she simply did not get out of bed, and three days later she passed away forever. Her husband found her in the morning, stunned by her happy smile, as if her cherished dream had finally come true—they were together with her daughter again.
The truck driver was convicted and given a long sentence, but this could not bring back the lost lives. For some time, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich could not drive. Not out of fear. He always had the image before his eyes—the balloons, the hat, the red pompom, laughing Katya throwing a pillow at him.
Now, forever, everything related to cars and the road remained something very painful for him. That’s why he was so nervous whenever his wife Kristina got behind the wheel again. He even disliked watching the process. A woman in a car, he stayed away from the garage. He wasn’t afraid of anything else in life, but he couldn’t overcome this.
Ksenia sat in the pastry shop where Oleg had dragged her. She spread chocolate over the surface of the saucer with a teaspoon, the chocolate that was poured over a tempting pastry. She faced a dilemma—whether to tell her friend some important news. Trust in her friend had grown, and she began this difficult conversation.
«Oleg, it happened that I’m pregnant.» The young man froze, not having yet brought the coffee cup to his mouth, and then suddenly erupted with curses.
«What are you saying? You gave in to another male, he was somehow more attractive than me? I’m friends with you only out of pity for your orphaned fate. Remember the legendary quote from ‘The Little Prince’? We are responsible for those we’ve tamed. So, I tamed you, like a homeless, unwanted puppy.»
Ksenia didn’t even know how to name the emotions she was feeling now. Disappointment, astonishment, pain. She had been so often excluded from the general circle in life that she once again felt like a little one lying in a cardboard box, where not even a soft, warm blanket had been laid, hoping that the little one wouldn’t survive. She was dying inside now. Another betrayal on her head. How many more of these life losses will there be?
She decided not to explain anything.
Her confession about the terrible incident in the hospital storeroom was unlikely to change Oleg’s attitude towards her. He had already signed and executed the verdict on their friendship. And was there ever one? Ksenia got up from the table and walked out. She was once again thrown out onto the street of life, like an unclaimed puppy that the owner didn’t like.
Of course, it never occurred to her that Oleg would suddenly turn out to be a noble knight, proposing marriage to save her from maiden shame and claim the children as his own. Single mothers were no longer regarded as something extraordinary or rare. She even had her own place, cramped but not offensive.
Unexpectedly, the head of their entire medical diocese called Ksenia to his office, closed the door, coughed:
«Ksenia, I have a delicate assignment for you. A few days ago, an unusual patient was admitted for treatment, a big friend and sponsor of our hospital. He has stage four stomach cancer. It’s one of those cases where a miracle won’t happen.
Metastases have already spread their claws in different directions, so he experiences severe pain. He’s lying alone in the VIP ward. Told me he came here to die under supervision. He’s a strong-willed, very strong man, without whims and hysterics. Just doesn’t want to burden his loved ones. He has no children, his father is old, and his beautiful wife is, conversely, young. That’s the situation.
Usually, Maria manages this ward. She requested unpaid leave. She’s taking her son to a sanatorium on the doctors’ urgent recommendations. The boy has asthma.
Your new charge’s last name is Khlynov. His name is Vyacheslav Alexandrovich. Please, treat him with all the kindness and attention you are capable of.
He’s a worthy person. Our land stands on people like him. Not a snob, not arrogant, not conceited despite his considerable wealth. Find a common language with him. I want him to be as comfortable as possible with us, even given his hopeless situation.
«Don’t worry, I’ll do everything as needed. You can count on me.»
Ksenia smiled sadly and continued:
«Dying alone without the support of loved ones is a terrible fate. I know well what it’s like to be alone in a crowd of strangers, and that’s if they’re not completely indifferent.
It takes great courage to make such a decision.»
The department head felt such an overt sadness in the voice of one of his best nurses that he got goosebumps. But at that moment, he was distracted by a phone call. He immediately forgot his fleeting feeling.
Ksenia hurriedly left the boss’s office to avoid sin. The assignment was clear to her—why waste the chief’s time?
In ward number 10, Ksenia arrived prepared. A smile on her face, her nurse uniform without a single wrinkle, tools in hand for setting up an IV comfortably. Vyacheslav Alexandrovich’s reaction to her appearance in the ward was strange.
He stared at the nurse wide-eyed, as if he had seen a ghost. She nearly dropped the IV, forgot all the words she wanted to say to him from the doorway, and began to stammer.
«Good afternoon. I’m your new nurse. Maria took leave, my name is Ksenia. Do you have any requests or wishes right now?»
Her patient continued to be in a kind of stupor. Then he came to his senses. He smiled strainedly and explained.
«You look very much like my younger sister. That’s why I was a bit shocked at first. No requests or wishes for now. If I need you, I’ll call you.»
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich very much wanted Ksenia to leave quickly. Tears welled up in his eyes.
He didn’t want anyone to witness his weakness. His amazement knew no bounds. Ksenia had Katya’s face, only more mature. The same gray eyes framed by fluffy lashes, similar lines of eyebrows and lips. He thought that if his mother saw Ksenia now, she would faint.
Even their figures were almost identical. True, Katya would be about forty years old by now. This girl was clearly much younger. Yet the resemblance was striking. Vyacheslav Alexandrovich thought that his nurse could look like Katya’s daughter, how sad and irreversible all this was. When such encounters happen in life, they inevitably lead to ambiguous thoughts.
This fate did not spare Ksenia’s patient either. After she left, he immediately called his father and asked him to come to the hospital. He said he would explain the urgency on the spot. The elderly man arrived immediately, and the first thing Vyacheslav Alexandrovich did, under a plausible pretext, was to invite his new nurse into the room.
«Ksenia, my father has come to visit. Could you make us a couple of cups of herbal tea?»
He carefully watched his father’s facial expressions, but saw nothing special. Meanwhile, an honest conversation took place between the two men.
«Father, didn’t it seem to you that this girl bears a strong resemblance to our Katya? When I first saw her, I couldn’t believe my eyes that such things happen.»
«Indeed, I noticed. I even thought at first, didn’t you, son, leave traces somewhere after light romances.»
«Father, we’ve never spoken about personal matters before. I’ll tell you why I’m sure I have no connection to Ksenia. I have a serious security service working for me. After breaking up with a lady, it follows up for several months to see if any of the women became pregnant after our encounters.
I’ve always really wanted a child, but it never worked out. So, if any of my lovers ended up pregnant, I would definitely take an active part in her and the child’s future. I have a similar question for you. Mother has been gone for many years. I only know one of your companions, Asya Dmitrievna.»
Could it be that you had other women? Don’t consider my curiosity frivolous or tactless. The appearance of the new nurse struck me too much.
«No, son, there was no one else besides Asya. We met when I was almost fifty, and she was almost my age. She saved me then from the sorrow of losing my wife and daughter. She proved to be a faithful, honorable friend. Naturally, we were close, but we weren’t thinking about having a child. Asya’s son is almost your age by now. It’s time to expect grandchildren, not to become parents ourselves.»
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich pondered. The uncertainty still haunted him. He was searching for an answer as to why Ksenia looked so much like his deceased sister.
He proposed a new hypothesis.
«Father, could this girl be a distant relative of ours?»
Again, his father’s answer was negative. «As far as I know, we don’t have many blood relatives, on either my side or my mother’s. I know all the distant nieces and nephews well, and they live very far from here. During our entire life together with mother, we met no more than two or three times, and then we completely lost touch.
Life has spread us far apart.»
A sudden thought came to Vyacheslav, which he immediately shared with his father:
«Let’s not guess from the coffee grounds. I will instruct my security service to compile a complete dossier on this nurse. Then everything will become clear.»
They decided on that, and then Ksenia arrived with the tea. The men casually asked her how long she had been working in this department and what educational institution she had graduated from.
The girl detailed everything to them with a smile. Even how she had bandaged a boy’s knee in the orphanage and then fell in love with medicine. They parted on friendly terms. Both sides knew how to find common ground with unfamiliar people.
After the nurse left, the father and son firmly decided to find out who Ksenia’s parents were and where she came from.
The next day, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich was already issuing instructions in this regard to the head of his security service. It never occurred to anyone that the nurse’s story might turn out to be a tough nut to crack.
The report on the trip to the town where the baby house was located lay on Vyacheslav Alexandrovich’s bed just three days later.
He carefully reviewed all the documents and was perplexed. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor his brave service could find any traces of the origins of the newborn girl who was left at the children’s institution in an old cardboard box. For Ksenia herself, her patient under her care, a man with extensive connections, and indeed the rest of the human world, the girl’s origins remained a complete mystery.
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich was forced to admit that he was powerless here. Millions can’t always do everything. The mystery of who Ksenia’s parents were couldn’t be bought. There was nothing interesting or criminal in the girl’s life even after the orphanage.
The orphanage in the regional center until the end of ninth grade, training at a local medical college, a red diploma with honors, a room in a shared apartment, a job in the oncology department of the city hospital, romantic relations with an emergency doctor. That was all.
Ksenia’s biography was as petite as she was. The only mystical page in it was about her appearance in the state institution for newborns.
Ksenia ran down the corridor after a man who refused to wear a gown and shoe covers.
He behaved extremely boldly and agitatedly, demanding to be shown the room where Mr. Khlynov was. The nurse couldn’t allow a scandal, and the visitor clearly had no good intentions toward Vyacheslav Alexandrovich.
Ksenia burst into ward number 10 with the mysterious guest. He immediately dashed to the patient’s bed. What followed was terrible.
The clearly enraged visitor rushed to the patient, grabbed his arm, and screamed in fury.
«You rich people think you can do anything? I hate you! I’d spit in your face if I could.» Ksenia tried to shield Vyacheslav Alexandrovich, but the unhinged visitor roughly pushed her aside.
«Don’t get in the way. I need to talk to this insolent man, to look into his shameless eyes, since his wife hides from me behind the high fence of their private property.»
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich was completely baffled, quietly asked:
«What happened? How did Kristina offend or upset you?»
The man paused for a moment, then charged again:
«Offended, upset, is that what we’re calling it now? She destroyed me by taking away my loved ones!»
Ksenia and her patient could not understand.
Both mentally decided to let the man speak out:
«My wife was crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing on a green light, pushing a stroller with our youngest daughter, holding our older son by the hand. Your wife’s car hit all three at high speed, giving them no chance to survive. Do you know what it’s like to lose your three most loved ones all at once?»
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich felt a sense of déjà vu.
The bus stop, inflatable balloons, a red knitted cap, emptiness and cold inside. Perhaps it was some mistake. Kristina could not have committed this terrible crime. Yes, she loved cars and speed, but to hit a person— that was nonsense, absurd, a fabrication.
He did not argue with the opponent, seeing that the man was broken by the grief that had befallen him, and did not offer money as compensation, as it would have been inappropriate now. He would figure out how to help, a little later.
Ksenia, who had inadvertently become a witness to the man’s monologue, didn’t know how to behave. On one hand, as a staff member of a severe oncology department, she was supposed to protect her patient from such scenes.
On the other hand, in such a situation, it would be cruel not to let the two people talk about the accident and its consequences. Meanwhile, the visitor started to gather himself. He slumped, turned pale, hunched over as if he had completed some difficult mission and was now free. He left without saying goodbye. He barely moved, suddenly devoid of strength.
Khlynov was also somber, deeply engrossed in thought.
Later, Ksenia accidentally overheard a snippet of his phone conversation. He was instructing the security service to obtain for him the video footage of the accident and upload it to his tablet. That day Ksenia was on a 24-hour shift, assisting the girls in the reception when an ambulance arrived. Oleg was in the team and didn’t miss the chance to throw a barb her way.
«I see our future mother is living and working quite tranquilly? Well-well. The music played for a short while, the lady danced for a short while.»
He scoffed contemptuously and disappeared, but it was already too late. A nurse, who had overheard their conversation, clung to Ksenia with a death grip.
«Ksenia, are you pregnant? Just yesterday at lunch in the cafeteria, I thought about how petite yet ravenous you are, as if you’re eating for two.»
«For three,» Ksenia didn’t pretend otherwise. «I’m having twins. I’m sixteen weeks along.»
Her colleague was stunned and immediately started questioning her.
«So, the father of the baby isn’t Oleg? Everyone in the department thinks you two are in love, that you’re together, and he just snapped at you like that. Did you cheat on him?»
Ksenia looked down.
«The father of my future children is not Oleg, that’s how it turned out. Let’s close this topic; it’s unpleasant for me. I would be grateful if this conversation stays between us. Almost all my clothes have become too tight; I’ve started wearing a uniform one size larger. Soon everyone will know I’m pregnant anyway, so let it be later rather than sooner.»
Almost at night, suddenly remembering Oleg’s biting remarks, Ksenia burst into tears.
The fatigue from nearly a day’s duty was taking its toll, and the workday had been quite troublesome. At the most inopportune moment, there was a call from room ten. She barely had time to wipe her tears. Vyacheslav Alexandrovich was a perceptive man; he immediately noticed the tear-stained eyes of the nurse but initially only reminded her that it was almost time for his painkiller shot, asking her to administer it a bit earlier.
He couldn’t endure the severe pain any longer. Ksenia checked the schedule; only 20 minutes were left until the injection, she thought:
«Lord, how does he bear all these terrible torments! Such a courageous man, yet he can’t withstand it.»
Fifteen minutes later, she checked to see if her patient was feeling better and was about to leave, reassured that he was, but he suddenly took her by the hand.
«Now, Ksenia, you will tell me why you were crying today.»
His tone was not commanding. On the contrary, it contained so much empathy that she couldn’t hold back, as if a dam of emotions had burst inside her. She told him everything. About her absurd romance with Oleg, about the audacious Stasik who attacked her on a day off, taking advantage of her utter confusion and fear of confronting an influential surgeon.
About her pregnancy and the twins she was expecting. Vyacheslav Alexandrovich became furious:
«Tomorrow we will dot the i’s in your vile story, and I will put that filthy nephew of your doctor behind bars for his actions. I have enough authority and money for that. Trust me on this.»
Ksenia pleaded:
«Please, don’t. I really like working here, I would be left without a job and a means to live after a public scandal.»
Vyacheslav carefully looked at the young woman whose life he was about to abruptly intervene in, influenced by the expectations and news about the accident from his security service. All this time after the man who accused his wife of a bloody crime left, he had been on edge.
Tomorrow he would know the truth, whether Kristina was guilty or not.
The department head dared not refuse Vyacheslav Alexandrovich’s vague request for a meeting with one of the department’s surgeons. He decided not to interfere with the conversation. Maybe the important patient wanted to consult this specialist again. It was his right.
Alas, no miracle could be performed in such an advanced situation. The ill man was already one foot in the grave. Medicine was completely powerless here.
The department head would have been utterly surprised had he heard the dialogue between Khlynov and his employee. Vyacheslav Alexandrovich did not beat around the bush. He spoke directly.
«I know that you used your official position to help your own nephew solve an issue with deferring his military service due to health.
Do you know what he did?»
The woman initially turned pale, then began to flush a deep red and quietly asked.
«What are you talking about? What did he do?»
He committed a crime, a disgusting, obscene one, attacking a nurse, and now she is expecting a child, actually two babies. Such actions are punishable under the criminal code. Do you believe that my influence is enough to put him away for a long time? I assume you are aware of what happens in prison to such bold young men. They are taught a lesson for the future, to forever remember what it’s like to be their helpless victim.»
«That can’t be. Stanislav is a nice, well-mannered boy. I will call him here to the hospital right now. Let him confirm in front of you that this is some mistake.»
«As a doctor, you are well aware that a DNA test from your relative and the fetuses in the mother’s womb will quickly resolve all doubts. But I’ll meet you halfway. I want to look the guy in the eye and hear his explanation myself.»
Stasik arrived at the hospital at his aunt’s request, completely bewildered.
The surprise was harsh. In room number 10, he was awaited by Khlynov, his elder relative, a defensive Ksenia, and the head of Vyacheslav Alexandrovich’s security service. A difficult conversation took place, but the boy could not deny the accusations for long. He confessed to everything.
«I don’t know what came over me, it was some kind of madness. I’m ready to… marry the girl I wronged, especially since she is expecting my children.»
Ksenia recoiled from such an offer.
«Please, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich, don’t punish me further, I can’t stand to see him. He is physically and morally repulsive to me. I will raise my children myself, without this monster.»
Stasik was confused:
«They’ll put me in prison now, aunt. I won’t survive there. They will break me, destroy me.» Khlynov pondered for a moment, then delivered his verdict:
«If Ksenia doesn’t want to deal with such an unpleasant person, we’ll do it differently. You’ll go to the army. I will make sure it happens as soon as possible.»
He turned to his subordinate:
«Take care of this immediately. And now leave my room,» he directed the female surgeon and her nephew towards the door.
«Crimes do not go unpunished. The young man will regret his vile act for a very long time. I will personally see to that.»
Once everyone had left the room, he eagerly looked at his assistant.
«What about the assignment? Are there any results from the investigation of the road tragedy?»
The guard looked downcast, avoiding his eyes, and responded.
«Boss, I’ll… I’ll connect you with the investigator. I’m afraid you won’t like the news. Wait for a video call, and I’ll step out of the room for now.»
Khlynov grabbed the tablet. The video call came quickly. He wished he hadn’t known or seen any of it. On the screen, the accident was shown in close-up, along with his wife’s drunken smirk.
The test results showed that her blood had so much alcohol, it was as if she had drunk at least half a bottle of cognac or whiskey before driving. He was devastated by the scene.
There was not a gram of regret on his wife’s beautiful face. Could he have lived for so many years with a soulless monster? The next recording was of Kristina being interrogated in a windowless room.
For a moment, he felt sorry for her, but it quickly dissipated. He did not know this side of his wife.
The young beauty cynically argued to two interrogators that drinking a little wine was trivial. It could not affect her concentration on the road. Then she said something that made Vyacheslav Alexandrovich’s hair stand on end.
«You all remind me of my husband here. He’s been obsessed with memories of the accident that killed his sister for years. That was her fate. And he, like some softy, keeps crying and visiting her grave with flowers.»
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich was consumed with hatred. What he was now seeing on the screen couldn’t be happening to him. He had loved and adored this woman. Thought they were two halves of a whole.
Thought they were destined for each other. Thought they were the perfect couple. It was all an illusion, a deception, a mistake; she had betrayed all his feelings, merely pretending to share his grief and longing for his sister and mother.
He suddenly recalled certain disconcerting details, small things about how Kristina never wanted to have children, how she turned his requests on this subject into innocent jokes, claiming she hadn’t yet enjoyed him alone, that she didn’t want to share him, how she would pout capriciously, rush to embrace, to kiss him. He allowed this woman everything, melted and swooned as only a deeply in love man can, known in another life as a very stern and serious type.
At home, he relaxed, let everything run its course, allowed his wife everything, just so she would be with him.
Khlynov reviewed all the video recordings several times, realizing that even during the interrogation, Kristina was intoxicated, somehow thinking that Slava would soon leave and she would be wealthy and free.
«We need to urgently review the will, but do it thoughtfully, consider every step in that direction.»
«Vyacheslav Alexandrovich, please forgive the intrusion without a call. Stanislav sent me flowers and a big sweet gift. I gave the cake and candies to the nursing staff without explaining who they were from. I wanted to throw out the flowers, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. They are still alive and not at fault. May I put them in your room?»
The man looked at her, and a new plan formed in his mind.
To his nurse, he replied.
«Ksenia, I’m also not thrilled with Stasik’s generosity, but the flowers indeed are not to blame. Put them on the windowsill. I have a serious conversation for you. I will need your help.»
Kristina was angry that she had been caught over something trivial. Her carefully orchestrated operation to achieve her ultimate goal was going up in smoke.
Where did that woman with children even come from on that crosswalk?
She and her friend had lost track of time at the bar, not realizing they had drunk quite a bit, including neat whiskey on the rocks. When she got into the car, her head was a bit dizzy, but she had so often driven drunk that she did not consider it a serious impediment to driving. In such an expensive car, and with such flashy license plates, traffic police hardly ever stopped her.
An important meeting was scheduled for tomorrow in Slavik’s room. His directives regarding the will were to be formalized and signed. Her husband did not have long to live, and she would deal with his pesky old father quickly.
She had spent more than ten years aiming to be alone with the millions of Khlynov’s wealth, to live for herself with some young macho man, with a pleasant, ever-youthful body, strong and bold. She really couldn’t complain about her husband. He was also of that breed of men, willful and passionate, strong, decisive.
The problem was that he was born too early to be her chosen one, and he was already nearing the end of his path on this earth. The significant age difference between them always oppressed her.
Her friends would say:
«Kristinka, fear God, he treats you like a queen, showers you with gifts, denies you nothing, fulfills every wish.»
But her husband’s adorations were not enough for her. Kristina believed that her unearthly beauty needed more than just expensive packaging. A soulmate by her side should match her. With the inheritance received after her husband’s death, she would live without any troubles.
Fortunately, she had never borne Slava a child, so there would be no dependents on the treasures.
The woman uncorked another bottle of wine, smiled predatorily. With her stunning looks, she even charmed a fashionable lawyer, quickly resolving her detention for a laughable fee. Just so Slava wouldn’t find out about this stupid accident before the final signing of the will on his part.
That would be so untimely. She could, of course, convince him that she was innocent, that it was just gossip about his poor girl.
She had persuaded him for over a year once to agree to gift her her favorite «swallow»—a red, elegant one with a stylish interior design—envied by all her friends, and a consolation for living with an aging husband.
Kristina prepared for her trip to the hospital with special care. Her husband had to be struck by her beauty right from the threshold, again to realize what a sunshine he had as a companion.
A scarlet trouser suit, a pristine white blouse, high-heeled pumps that further accentuated her endlessly long legs. Red hair tied back in a fluffy tail with a clip, small ruby earrings— a gift from Vyacheslav—in her ears. In her green eyes, love and devotion. A bit of his favorite perfume on her wrists, and there he was, ready, the image of the perfect woman, every man’s dream, belonging to him and his faithful alone.
Picking up her purse from the chair, Kristina flew on wings of greedy hope to the hospital to her husband. Today, in the history of her long labors and expectations, would finally be marked by a bold point of victory, cunning, and beauty over male trust and foolishness.
In the courtyard of the house, she took pleasure in looking over their family nest, thinking once again that she would be quite a wealthy widow. Kristina began to bend her slender fingers with bright, impeccable manicure, tallying up her assets in her mind.
A thriving company, which her husband shared with a reliable, long-time partner and family friend, a hideaway on the Black Sea coast where she and Vyacheslav loved to disappear for a few days, a house outside the city built in the style of a chalet somewhere in the Swiss Alps, a charming house on the Mediterranean. Three apartments in the city on this background seemed like a trifle, but they were also made in the best traditions of modern classic design.
A couple of cars in the garage for business and ceremonial outings, an entire floor in the house equipped as a wardrobe. Appearing two days in a row somewhere in the same outfit Kristina considered a faux pas. She loved bright baubles with lots of stones. The bigger, the better. She recalled her sin, occasionally visited by a secret reproach from a waking conscience.
After meeting Vyacheslav in Sicily, they lived separately for some time, she continued her obligations under advertising contracts. There was work in hot Tunisia, where colleagues persuaded her to go on an excursion to the Sahara desert. After spending the night at a hotel in one of the oases amid the sand and salt deserts, they were taken to the Eastern market for souvenirs.
Away from everyone, right on the ground, sat an ugly old woman in rags, selling spices and herbs. When Kristina approached her, she suddenly spoke in perfect French, which the in-demand model knew well.
«Looking for something special, girl? I have something for you. Buy this dried aromatic herb from me. Cook meat and fish for your beloved with it. He’ll be hopelessly attached to you, you won’t be able to shake him off. It’s cheap—only one hundred dollars for the whole big pack.»
Kristina laughed in response:
«What are you making up, old witch? I charm my man with the power of my beauty. I can manage without you.»
The Sahara desert resident smirked. «What will you do when he bores you? Slip poison into his glass? Take my herb, don’t be stubborn. People like you love to have everything in life go by their rules. The time will come. With my seasoning, you can burn everything inside your man, and it will all look like a terrible illness, not like poisoning. Just don’t overdo it, add no more than a pinch to your dish, or you’ll kill your lover prematurely.»
Kristina’s actions thereafter were strange. She was like under a spell. She bought the spice from the old witch. While the excursion group was driven over the sandy dunes in a jeep, she never let go of the package, holding it in her hands while sitting in the front seat. It seemed to her that her purchase was alive, warming her with its unknown, promising heat.
Later in Russia, hosting Vyacheslav in her cozy apartment, she always seasoned dinner with tiny particles of the herb, and he praised her cooking. Their nights were hot and so tender that they literally dissolved in each other. During that still happy time, Kristina soon forgot the old woman’s warnings.
Then there was marriage. A couple of blissful, romantic years together.
And suddenly Kristina began to tire of her supposedly old husband. Is a quarter-century age difference between a man and a woman a chasm? Should such a marriage be called a mismatch? Vyacheslav and Kristina never thought about this. Or maybe only he didn’t think about it, while she, having paid 100 dollars for her bright future, had already stepped onto the first rung of a treacherous calculation.
Kristina began adding the spice to Vyacheslav’s food about two years ago. Her goal was not his death; she wasn’t that sinister. It was more of an attempt to rejuvenate and add some color to their relationship. After meals prepared by his wife personally, her husband would come to life, being especially tender and passionate, and would remain in a great mood for a long time.
Then, suddenly, as if a bolt from the blue, a terrible disease manifested with clear symptoms too late. The always busy Vyacheslav Alexandrovich turned to doctors when it was already too late to do anything. He decided to die alone, in the hospital, out of his wife’s sight, and Kristina was very grateful to him for this action.
After learning the news of his illness, she got terribly drunk. Then she sobered up, accepted the news, resigned herself, returned to her usual light-hearted life, and patiently waited.
At 10 AM, room number 10 at the hospital where Khlynov was staying became crowded. Kristina arrived with a notary. She did not expect to see such a high assembly in front of her.
The head of the security service with one of his subordinates, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich’s father, and a business partner appeared without any accompaniment. Everyone was surprised that they had been gathered together, but they did not show it. The sick man did not keep them in the dark for long and delivered a full speech.
«Gentlemen, I am grateful that you found time to come to see me in the hospital. I want to share incredible news with you.
Recently, my security service, on my assignment, confirmed one of my suspicions. They traced the steps of my turbulent youth and found my adult daughter in a small town. I will introduce her to you now.»
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich pressed the nurse call button. Everyone, except for the security service representatives, exchanged surprised glances.
Ksenia entered the room. Khlynov gently pushed her to the center of the room.
«Don’t be shy, daughter. The people here are the closest to me. This is Ksenia, please welcome her.»
The atmosphere in the room resembled a famous scene from Gogol’s «The Inspector General.»
Different emotions reflected on the faces of those present in the room.
Kristina was stunned. Vyacheslav’s father didn’t understand anything, as they had precisely determined that Ksenia had no familial ties with their family. The family friend of the Khlynovs was also in shock. He had known them for many years and remembered Katya. Now he was looking at her grown-up copy, which made him shiver. Genetics indeed are intricate.
Only the notary, who knew in advance about all the changes in the will, remained silent. His face was impassive, as professional ethics required. Ksenia quietly smiled, playing the role of Khlynov’s daughter. It was not the most challenging request from him. And only she knew how much pain he was in.
With the exceptional permission of the treating doctor, she even administered a more potent painkiller to him today. Tomorrow, the man would pay for it with individual agonies, but for now, thanks to her efforts, he was holding up excellently. After the confrontations with Stasik, she so wanted to do something nice for Vyacheslav Alexandrovich, so why not participate in this strange play?
Already tired of the crowd, the patient continued:
«While Ksenia prepares tea or coffee for us all—we bought a wonderful cake—I would like to speak privately with my wife, my friends. I hope you will sit this time out in the corridor.»
Kristina did not like such a start. Why was the notary also told to leave? All this seemed highly unusual and so unlike the behavior of her infinitely loving husband.
But he did not torment her with mysteries, immediately making his position clear:
«Kristina, I know everything about the crime you committed on the road, about your cruelty, indifference to the dead, about how all these years you pretended to understand and cherish my memories of my sister and mother. I despise lies and hypocrisy, God be your judge.
And I have merely changed the terms of the will. After my death, you will not be destitute, I have arranged for a constant monthly allowance of three thousand rubles for you. You will have to forget about the rest of the inheritance. Otherwise, I will make every effort to ensure you end up in prison. While my millions have stopped all investigative actions against you for now, this process is reversible.»
«What?» the woman jumped up from the chair angrily. «You’ve lost your mind from all those injections that your little daughter gives you. By the way, how did it happen that she appeared here in the ward in a nurse’s uniform? Did you decide to play a trick on me? Admit it.»
Her voice suddenly became sweet, as thick as molasses, the ringing of bells in her former screech.
Kristina decided to change tactics and made one more attempt to fix everything. She hugged her husband, nuzzled his shoulder, and cooed.
«How this terrible unbearable pain has changed you, my dear! I am not guilty of what happened, it was a fatal coincidence. And I slightly lost control of the vehicle.»
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich looked at his wife, and it felt as if his rose-colored glasses had first cracked and then shattered, injuring his soul with the shards. He only now understood that Kristina had been playing the role of a loving wife all her life, skillfully managing his heart.
Love can be very cruel. Realizing that her acted-out performance had no effect on Vyacheslav, Kristina abruptly turned on her heels and stormed out of the room angrily. She did not wait for the tea, over which Ksenia was still fussing. She just hissed into the notary’s ear:
«We will meet in court.»
Christina will no longer visit Vyacheslav Alexandrovich on this day, nor in the weeks to follow. Patient Ksenia will have a conversation with her father and nurse, during which he will explain to them the trouble his wife has caused, and why he staged this theater with the will. A couple of days later, he will become bedridden, semi-conscious, and writhing in pain, which will finally claim him completely.
Sergey sat near ward №7, where his mother was lying, confused, tired, and angry. His mother was getting worse and worse, and he didn’t know how to help her. He no longer had the strength to look into the eyes that reflected insane pain. It was still too early for the next injection. He watched the clock, but the hand didn’t seem to want to move forward.
A minute seemed like an eternity. In the room diagonally across, with a sign saying number 10, doctors were bustling about. A pretty nurse kept running out all the time, dragging into that room either a device with a drip or something in a thin, transparent glass. He tried to distract her to himself, remind her that his mother needed an injection in 10 minutes, but the girl looked through him with unseeing eyes, muttered something unclear, and rushed off again.
His worries were in vain. In 10 minutes, the nurse appeared in his mother’s ward, adjusted her bed, gave her the injection, and took her temperature. Then she turned to Sergey:
«You haven’t left for a whole day. I saw that you hadn’t eaten all day. Your mother will feel better for a couple of hours now. Come with me to the nurse’s room; we’ll have some tea with sandwiches. I myself only had breakfast today, and it’s been 12 hours since then.»
«What are you saying, I don’t want to trouble you,» Sergey replied, suddenly feeling ravenous hunger. «I prepared some food to take with me from home. But I forgot the package on the table, I was in such a hurry.»
I think our cat has already found it. I don’t know about the bread, but the sausage is definitely gone.
Suddenly there was noise in the corridor. Ksenia quickly ran there, and then, a few minutes later, returned and sadly said:
«Well, that’s it, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich has suffered enough. He was such a kind patient. I took care of him as if he were my own father. And he jokingly called me his daughter. And now I feel like I’ve lost someone close. I’ll never get used to it.» Ksyusha suddenly remembered:
«What is your name?»
«Sergey.»
«Don’t listen to me, Sergey, I’m just babbling. It’s all from tiredness. Many of our patients leave well-treated. Let’s go have coffee instead of tea. My shift lasts till morning, and I’m no longer needed by my patient. I’ll help you with your mother.»
In psychology, there is a concept called «fellow traveler effect» — when people who barely know each other spill their guts to a random fellow traveler on a journey. Such was the night with the fellow traveler effect during Ksyusha’s shift. She told Sergey everything about herself as it was. He told her that he was also an orphanage kid, but not for long.
The woman who was now living her last days in ward number 7 had adopted him, raised him, educated him. He would soon finish university, stop working evenings as a pizza delivery courier, and find a decent job. But he didn’t manage to help her. Now he didn’t know how to repay this filial debt. He tried to always be there, but what was the use now. The train of hope had left. And that was something he had to accept, to come to terms with.
From that night on, Sergey and Ksyusha often talked when she had a free moment.
They were together when his mother last opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him, saying:
«Everything will be alright, son, just believe.»
Sergey started stopping by Ksenia’s after university when he had an evening without courier trips around the town. They went to the movies, walked in the park, ate ice cream on a bench, and talked a lot. It was a case of two solitudes meeting, both disenfranchised and not yet chained down, supporting each other.
The boy knew that a week after Hlynov’s death, his family and Ksenia were gathered by a notary. The main part of his real estate Vyacheslav Alexandrovich had willed in equal shares to his father and recently found daughter. Christina sent her lawyer in her place to this meeting, with whom she was already having a tumultuous affair.
Sergey didn’t want to court her now, no matter how much he liked the young woman. He needed to stand on his own two feet first, then think about proposing. Ksyusha guessed about his feelings for her. And yet, for now, pregnancy distracted all her thoughts, and working was getting increasingly difficult. She had noticeably rounded, looking like a cute bear.
Hlynov had left his assets in the company to his partner. On the condition that all profits from his share would go to the accounts of the city hospital’s trauma department. Soon they were able to afford new diagnostic equipment. Maybe someday it would save someone who comes in after a serious road accident.
When the time came, Ksyusha went on maternity leave.
Now she could afford not to work. In her immediate plans was a dream to finish medical school. She had even taken old chemistry and biology textbooks off the top shelf. Thank God, she no longer had to worry about her sons’ material future. Vyacheslav Alexandrovich’s gift would allow her to raise her children to be worthy members of society. As pompous as it might sound, Ksyusha really wanted her children to come into this world not in a cardboard box.
The second ultrasound showed she was carrying twin boys. Together they would be a real family. Hlynov’s legal service was instructed to assist the young woman in all matters concerning her new property. The character and habits of the future mother had not changed. The wealth that fell on her had not made her callous, conceited, or indifferent to people.
Only the ambulance doctor, Oleg, was not living peacefully. He was literally biting his elbows for having blundered, missing the wealthy heiress. Who would have thought that she would turn out to be the daughter of a millionaire, and he had always scoffed at her orphanhood. One fine day, it came to the point where Oleg decided to visit Ksyusha at her old address, in one of her new apartments, where she was planning to move after the maternity hospital.
When there was a sharp ring at the door, Oleg was standing on the doorstep:
«Ksyusha, I’ve come to make amends. You misunderstood me back then. I’ve always been sincere with you. You misinterpreted my words.»
«I don’t hold a grudge against you, but you’re too late, Oleg. I’m getting married soon. I’ll introduce you to my future husband now. Sergey, come here, please.»
Sergey looked out from the room into the corridor, staring at both of them uncomprehendingly. Ksenia immediately explained to him.
«Darling, my ex just stopped by. I told him our news, that we have a wedding in a month. You don’t mind that I shared our joy with an old friend, do you?»
She rose on her tiptoes, kissed the imaginary groom on the lips.
Oleg angrily surveyed both and ran out of the apartment into the stairwell. The door slammed shut behind him.
«What’s this, Ksyusha, I don’t understand, are you proposing to me?» asked the friend, bewildered.
«Are you against it? You’d never decide on your own. And we boys are running out of time. You’ll take all three of us, won’t you be afraid?»
«I’d be honored!» Sergey beamed with a smile.
Two solitudes were not alone in this world again.
