— We will live together for an eternity,» Roman softly whispered to Maria as they submitted their application at the registry office.
«— In joy and in sorrow?» she asked, smiling and gazing into his eyes, which were full of happiness.
«— In joy and in sorrow!» he nodded confidently, pulling her even closer.
«— And won’t I bore you throughout all of eternity?» Maria asked playfully, tilting her head and looking at him with a mischievous squint.
«— How can you bore me when I love you more than life itself? I’m more afraid that you’ll tire of my constant presence by your side,» Roman replied.
«— I want you to always be by my side,» Maria confessed as she kissed him. «I want to fall asleep and wake up with you, prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for you, wait for you after work every evening, and spend all the evenings with you.»
After graduating from a teachers’ college, Maria worked as an elementary school teacher. She planned to return home before her husband and manage all the household chores before his arrival. Roman, on the other hand, dreamed of providing them with a life free from want.
«— I’ll work a little longer, open my own company, hire people,» he dreamily said. «We’ll build houses. And I’ll build the most beautiful home for us! And then the children will come…»
«And how many children will we have?» Maria asked enigmatically.
«— Many!» he answered confidently. «Just like my grandmother’s. My dad had four sisters and two brothers, and they were always close. And you know, they still support each other today.»
«— Yes, you have a wonderful family,» Maria agreed.
When Roman informed his parents about his intention to introduce them to his fiancée, they organized a real celebration, inviting the whole family. They welcomed Maria so warmly that she felt like a part of that family.
After the wedding, the newlyweds were sent on a honeymoon, and upon their return, Roman’s aunt offered them the use of her apartment—she was leaving the city for a few years. During that time, Roman realized his dream: he opened a construction company and began building a house. Soon after, Maria announced that she was pregnant.
«— I’ll try to finish at least a temporary house by the time the baby is born,» Roman said. «We’ll set it up, and then move into a big house.»
«— Why are you sure it will be a son?» Maria asked, surprised.
«— I just feel it!» he declared proudly. «That feeling came on its own, so it must be so.»
«And if it’s a daughter? Will you be disappointed?»
«— No, of course not! I don’t mind whether it’s a son or a daughter; I will love them equally!»
«I don’t care either. The main thing is that the baby is healthy! We dreamed of a big family!»
The couple sat embraced, imagining how they would set up the nursery.
«— First one nursery, and then we’ll add another,» Roman smiled. «It’s good that we’ll have enough space. And I’ll make a big playground in the yard…»
However, Maria’s pregnancy did not go smoothly. Complications arose, and she had to spend long periods in the hospital, almost until the time of delivery. They discharged her for short periods, but soon she would end up back on the hospital bed again.
«— It would be better to get rid of such a baby,» advised Maria’s friend Marina. «A saved baby isn’t a baby, as my grandmother used to say.»
«— Marina, what are you saying?!» Maria exclaimed in indignation. «Every child is loved! The ultrasound results are good.»
«— Well, you decide for yourself, of course. Just remember that husbands usually run away from problems. Are you sure your little Roman is faithful to you right now? Perhaps he’s been running off for a while. And if the baby is born with abnormalities or becomes ill, he will certainly run away, and you’ll be left with nothing but regret.»
«— Marina, sorry, but until I have this baby, I don’t want to talk to you. You’ve never been so toxic before. What’s gotten into you? Roman works day and night, builds a house, and controls the workers. I’m one hundred percent sure that he’s faithful to me. Otherwise, I would have felt it.»
«— Well, well,» the friend said with a disapproving frown. «If you don’t want to talk—then we won’t.»
And she left, clicking her heels on the tiled floor.
Maria wondered why her friend was so hostile. Perhaps she was envious. Marina herself didn’t have a husband, and the men who lined up, as she used to say, quickly disappeared. Maybe it was out of spite that she was badmouthing Roman. Maria was convinced that he was not at all like that. It was clear that he was exhausted from work. He simply didn’t have the energy for an affair. But sometimes a little seed of doubt still gnawed at her. However, Maria tried hard to push these thoughts away.
When the time came for the delivery, Maria was feeling unwell. The birth was difficult, and the baby was born very weak, immediately being admitted to intensive care with pneumonia.
Maria couldn’t find a moment for herself. Roman abandoned all his work, paid for a private room for her, and sat by her side all day.
They understood each other without words. Even silence together brought more comfort than loneliness. But after twelve long and exhausting days, the doctors announced that the baby’s body could not overcome the illness.
Maria sank into darkness with grief. She had been through so much, only for it all to end in such a tragic way. As if that wasn’t enough, the doctor stunned them with another piece of sad news.
«— You see, the problem lies with you,» the doctor addressed Maria. «It would be better if you no longer tried to get pregnant. Every attempt could end in the same sorrowful result.»
«What now will happen?» Maria asked her husband, struggling to hold back her tears. «Will you leave me? Why would you want such a wife? You could find another…»
«— Stop talking nonsense!» Roman said with hurt. «I love you and will be by your side, no matter what happens— in joy and in sorrow!»
«But is it even possible to be happy without children? How can we go on living peacefully? I can’t do it! You should just leave now; I’ll understand. It would be better than waiting for you to say so.»
«I would never say that,» Roman insisted, but Maria refused to listen.
«I’ll go to my parents,» Maria declared as they returned from the cemetery after saying goodbye to the baby.
«We’re going home!» Roman replied firmly, taking her by the arm.
But from then on, their relationship changed. Maria completely withdrew into herself, and Roman insisted that she resign from her job. They lived in the temporary structure, as planned, while he continued completing the house. His mother, aunts, and Maria’s parents took turns visiting to help Roman and support Maria, but she refused to communicate with anyone. Marina often dropped by too, repeating the same thing every time: that she should have listened to her, and now nothing could be changed.
«— Leave Roman,» Marina advised, taking advantage of moments when no relatives were around. «Why are you ruining his life? He’s young; he’ll find someone else who can bear him healthy children. And you, you will suffer when he confesses it. He will choose the woman with a child, and your love will be over. Mashka, I’m worried about you. Think about your parents, about me. We love you and will never betray you, but you can’t rely on men.»
«— Leave,» Maria whispered softly. «Don’t come back.»
After Marina left, Maria screamed so loudly that Roman heard her even at the construction site and ran over.
He held her tightly, kissing the top of her head, while she tried to push him away, shouting that she no longer needed him and that he should find someone who could give birth normally.
«— I don’t need anyone but you,» he whispered. «I can love only you. And even if we can’t have children, I will do everything so that we are happy. You are just grieving the loss of our baby, but time heals. We just need to wait…»
But Maria didn’t get better. On the contrary, she worsened day by day. Roman took her to consultations, inviting specialists from various clinics. All the doctors shrugged helplessly: physically she was fine; the only solution seemed to be psychotherapy. However, Roman categorically refused to have his wife admitted to a clinic.
Time passed, and Maria grew weaker and weaker. Neither her husband’s persuasion nor her mother’s tears helped. She lay on her bed all day, staring at the ceiling and crying. The medicines prescribed by the doctor had no effect.
Roman struggled to contain himself, so as not to break down and start drinking, as others did. He had already finished building the house and was busy with the interior finishing, describing every stage to his wife.
«— I wanted to choose the wallpaper for our bedroom, but then I thought it should be done together,» he said, stroking her hand. «And I don’t want to choose the tiles for the bathroom alone either. Mash, come to your senses. Think of me. I’m hurting too, and seeing your suffering hurts even more. Let’s overcome this together. We promised to support each other, in joy and in sorrow. Wake up!»
Maria only tiredly closed her eyes and asked to be left alone. Then she drifted into dreams where she and her husband sat on a lawn, surrounded by children—boys and girls. She even smiled at these fantasies, but upon opening her eyes and facing reality, she began to cry again.
One evening, when Maria had dozed off, voices sounded outside the door. She recognized the clear voice of Marina. Why were she and Roman raising their voices? Soon, everything became clear.
«— Why are you here?» Roman asked sternly.
«— I’m here to put all the dots on the letter ‘i’,» Marina replied defiantly. «I’m not going to hide the truth any longer. I’m pregnant! And now we need to decide. Either this baby or me! Choose! Who would be better for you—a self-centered woman who doesn’t care about you, or a healthy, sensible, beautiful woman?»
«— What are you talking about?» Roman spat, lowering his voice. «I would never leave Mash. I immediately said that it was just a momentary impulse. You agreed. What do you want now?»
«— The child needs a father!» Marina declared. Maria heard footsteps and realized that she was being led out the door.
Her heart pounded in her chest. Maria got up, sat on the bed, and rested her head in her hands. How could he? – the thought flashed by. And how could you? – another thought echoed. She suddenly realized that her friend’s predictions had come true. Marina had taken advantage of the situation and seduced Roman. But if Maria had pulled herself together, he wouldn’t have succumbed. Everything in her head became a tangled mess. She wasn’t thinking about the consequences of her depression; she was only thinking about herself, drowning in her own grief. But now it was too late. Marina was right: the child needed a father, and Roman must take responsibility for his actions.
Roman was gone for a long time. Maria imagined how he would come up with excuses, what he would say.
When he returned, head bowed, Maria asked:
«— What happened? Who came?»
And, sitting down beside her, he did not try to hide the truth. He told everything as it was.
«— Today your friend Marina came…» Roman paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then continued, «— Mash, I need to tell you something. Just listen to me calmly, okay? You’ve completely distanced yourself. First you were in a sort of shock, then these six months of depression… I’m not talking about something drastic, but you won’t even talk to me. I felt so alone that when Marina asked me to help her set up a bathtub, then invited me to dinner and started actively flirting with me, I didn’t refuse. Yes, I quickly realized my mistake, but nothing could be done to fix it. I betrayed you, and later I nearly lost my mind with guilt. But if this continues, I’m afraid I may break down again. I haven’t stopped loving you, no, just don’t think about that. Everyone needs warmth and understanding. And you seem to be frozen—cold, indifferent, almost like a stranger…»
«Marina claimed she was pregnant, but I don’t believe it. Yet even if it’s true, I still won’t leave you. But it’s so hard to endure all of this. I don’t know how I managed all this time without breaking down and drinking from loneliness.»
Maria looked at her husband reproachfully and began to cry softly.
«— If you really loved me, you would have never done this. Leave. The child needs a father.»
«— Oh, Mash, Mash…» Roman shook his head, rising from his seat. «How is it that you never understood anything… How unfortunate!»
He quickly left the house, slamming the door behind him.
The next morning, Roman went to Marina. She opened the door with a wide smile:
«— Have you finally decided to leave your…?»
But he interrupted her sharply:
«— Let’s go!»
«— To the registry office?» she smirked.
«— To the hospital! Right now you’re going to see a doctor and get proof of your pregnancy.»
«— I’m not going anywhere,» Marina retorted, pulling her hand away.
«— No, you will!» Roman stated firmly. «Otherwise I’ll assume that everything you’ve said is made up.»
«— Think what you want, but I don’t need you!» Marina snapped. «I just wanted to take revenge on Mash, to steal you away from her.»
«— Take revenge? For what?» Roman asked, surprised.
«— For always getting the better of her! At school, she stole a guy away from me, even though she knew I liked him. And when he invited her to the movies, she forgot all about it. Later, she found you and ‘conveniently’ got married. And what do you think? It’s pleasant for me when everyone abandons me?! I hoped that if she couldn’t have children, you wouldn’t want to stay with her and would notice me instead. But you’re so clueless. Why do you need her at all? Ugly, cold…»
«— Wait a minute…» Roman paused thoughtfully. «So you set up this whole story? You often came to us while Mash was pregnant. And then you visited her in the hospital, even though you didn’t have to.»
«— What a perceptive man,» Marina smirked. «Of course, I did. And I even bribed the doctor for a fake diagnosis of sterility. What, do you like seeing her happy? Do you know how many times I got rid of children so that I’d never be able to get pregnant myself?»
Marina moved from shouting to hysteria. And Roman suddenly forgot everything upon hearing that Mash’s diagnosis was fabricated.
He ran out of Marina’s apartment and raced home, buying a bouquet of her favorite tea roses along the way.
Rushing into the house, he stood frozen in the doorway. Maria met him in a beautiful dress, her hair neatly styled and even her eyelashes touched up. From the kitchen, appetizing aromas drifted.
«— Forgive me, Romka,» she threw herself into his arms. «I spent the whole night thinking and realized how terribly wrong I was. My behavior is inexcusable. You’re right—I was thinking only of myself. Forgive me… I have realized everything, and I no longer blame you. If you decide to leave for Marina and her child, I will understand. It’s all happened because of me.»
Roman took out his phone and played the recording of his conversation with Marina. Maria listened, pressing her palms to her lips. She couldn’t understand how her friend—whom she had trusted with her deepest secrets—could do such a thing.
«— Will you forgive me?» Roman asked timidly.
Maria nodded.
«— I have forgiven you already. And I want to fix everything, to regain what we lost during this time. I even have an idea of what wallpaper I want in the bedroom, and for the nursery we’ll buy new ones…»
She began sharing her ideas with enthusiasm, and Roman smiled silently. His Maria had returned, and now everything would be even better than before.
