Igor, maybe you should go alone to the meeting?» Svetlana was sitting by the children’s crib. Her son, Pasha, had just woken up, but she hadn’t been able to rest during his nap… Dark circles under her eyes, unkempt hair, tired eyes. It was supposed to be a day off, but in motherhood and care, there are no days off.
«Why is that?» her husband, Igor, was selecting a shirt with the precision of a surgeon in an operating room.
«My back has been aching since morning, and my stomach is cramping. Pasha just woke up… So it’ll be a while before I can put him down. Mom caught a cold. Your mother came by yesterday. I’m embarrassed to call and ask for help again.»
«Mom went to Auntie’s. I told you! We could’ve handled this in advance!» Igor snapped, looking at himself in the mirror while trying on a shirt. «I haven’t seen Ivan in a long time. It’s just dinner, not a marathon. Put something on instead of a robe. I’m not asking you to go to a restaurant.»
«I just…» Svetlana lowered her gaze. «I really don’t feel well.»
«Of course, now everything is allowed — you’re pregnant,» Igor smirked. «And what about me? Am I supposed to go alone, while my wife sits at home in her robe? I need a wife, Svetlana, not just a nanny and an incubator.»
Svetlana flinched, as if he had slapped her. Silence hung in the air.
«Sorry… That’s not what I meant to say…» He immediately walked over to Svetlana and took her hand, but she pulled it away and turned her back. «Sorry! You know this is important to me!»
«Important?» Svetlana whispered, her gaze finally losing its spark. «Fine. I’ll call the nanny for a couple of hours. I’ll try to get ready.»
«That’s wonderful!» Igor made a funny face at his son, kissed him, and left the bedroom. He had a lot to do: check his email, clean his shoes, call Ivan, and clarify which drinks to bring. As for Svetlana… She just took care of the baby, while also trying to figure out what to wear, so it wouldn’t be too bad. Comfort and beauty during pregnancy are often incompatible.
«Well, what’s taking so long?» half an hour later, Igor came into the room. Svetlana was feeding their son. «You’re still not ready?!»
«Sit with him, I’m going to wash my hair.»
«Did you fall, Svet? Have you checked the time?! Put your hair in a ponytail or whatever they do to make it look like it’s fresh, and let’s go.»
«Stay with the baby, Igor. I at least need to put on a dress!» Svetlana handed Pasha to her husband, but he waved the child away as though swatting a bothersome fly.
«I’m wearing a clean shirt, what’s the big deal?»
«Igor, sometimes I feel like you… You’re just like a child,» Svetlana said dryly, taking the baby back. She resolved the situation by putting Pasha in his walker. «Just make sure the baby is safe. Can you manage that?»
«Who do you think I am?» Igor asked, offended, and Svetlana finally started focusing on herself.
She was getting ready slowly, with effort. It was like putting on an uncomfortable mask of being a cheerful, light, attractive woman. But instead of a mask, in the mirror, there was a pale face with tired eyes, a forced smile, and red eyes from lack of sleep.
«Just dinner,» she reminded herself. «For Igor.»
Her hair was tied in a bun, and a thick layer of foundation covered her face to hide the bags under her eyes.
«Where’s your nanny, damn it? We’re going to be late!» Igor, getting nervous, passed his stress on to their son. Pasha began to cry, and Svetlana’s head started to ache. A knock at the door saved them.
The nanny had arrived.
When the couple arrived at their destination, Ivan and Rita were waiting for them. Rita, young and cheerful, in a light dress with an open back, shone brightly. She hugged Svetlana warmly.
«My God, how you’ve changed! So delicate! Pregnancy and motherhood suit you!»
«Thank you…» Svetlana smiled tightly. Igor, on the other hand, was already laughing with Ivan, raising his glass and admiring the smells wafting from the kitchen.
«It’s like France here,» he whistled. «Svet, remember when you used to cook this kind of stuff?»
«I remember,» Svetlana replied, looking away. «Before Pasha came, and before sleepless nights and days full of worries.»
At the table, Svetlana barely ate. The smell of seafood made her nauseous, and she could only think of getting home as soon as possible. But she held on, trying not to show how hard it was for her. Igor, on the other hand, was having fun, drinking, and joking with Rita.
«You two, don’t rush to get married,» he winked. «Once you have kids, goodbye, romance.»
Rita smiled politely, but Ivan gave Igor a squinting look.
«Igor, are you serious? We’re almost forty! If not now, then when are we going to be fathers?»
«Oh, come on. I’m joking. Things with my wife were just different back then.»
«Yeah, and the grass was greener too, right, Igor?» Svetlana cautiously stood up from the table.
«Grass? What’s that got to do with it?»
«I’m going home, call me a taxi,» she asked Igor.
«Are you serious? Already? It’s not even eight yet,» he grumbled without even getting up.
«I can’t sit here anymore, sorry. And we need to let the nanny go soon. Thanks, Rita and Ivan, for the lovely dinner.»
Rita saw Svetlana off, and Igor and Ivan stayed in the room together.
«Svetlana has really changed,» Igor exhaled, pouring himself another drink. «Remember how she used to be? So fun, full of life… And now… She’s like a dead fish.»
Ivan silently put his glass down. The door in the hallway slammed. «Dead fish» was gone.
«I’ll go prepare dessert,» Rita said, peeking into the room.
«Need any help?» Ivan glanced at his beloved woman.
«Thanks, I can handle it. Just need to slice the strawberries and arrange them on plates.»
«Rita really has a talent,» Igor continued. «She’s a great girl, well-groomed, figure — a sight to behold. And Svetlana…» He lowered his voice. «She doesn’t even try anymore. Always complaining about her back hurting, how tired she is… And she’s stopped cooking anything special. The same soup and steamed cutlets in the fridge for the third day. I’m sick of it! And remember how she used to make pancakes?»
Ivan stayed silent. He remembered how Svetlana, after some celebration when Ivan had stayed over, would bring warm pancakes with strawberry jam to the table, standing barely on her feet, already four months pregnant.
«And there’s no romance either,» Igor grumbled. «It’s always ‘my back hurts,’ ‘my head hurts.’ And she’s always with the baby. I can only approach her… and she says: ‘Don’t wake Pasha! Sleep.’ Listen, Ivan, believe me, don’t rush into marriage. Enjoy it while you can, while your body is still great. Once she gives birth, gets fat, and becomes a grandma… They all turn like that. Just look at Svetlana… She’s not a girl anymore, she’s an old woman. Boring, dull, and unattractive.»
«Is that it?» Ivan asked calmly. He understood that what a sober person thinks, a drunk person blurts out…
«What’s it?»
«Are you done?»
«Well… yeah, I guess…» Igor slammed his empty glass down.
«Now listen to me. Have you noticed what’s going on with your wife?»
«What do you mean?»
«She came in today tired. Seven months pregnant, with a belly as big as a watermelon. And you didn’t say a word, not a gesture. You didn’t help or support her. Even when she quietly asked you to call a taxi, you stayed here, didn’t see her off, didn’t make sure she left…»
«I came here to relax. And she ruins my mood,» Igor said unconvincingly. «And where would she go? I see in the taxi app that her ride is on schedule. She’ll be home in ten minutes.»
«She will. But alone. The baby needs to be fed, put to sleep, and she feels awful. ‘You’ve changed,’ — that’s what you’ll tell her later, when you come home drunk, slam the door, and wake up the baby… Yeah? Svetlana’s changed? No, Igor… It’s you who has changed! You! Not her.»
Igor frowned, but remained silent.
«You want her to stay the same Svetlana with abs and mini skirts? Well, she gave you a son, and you’re not even involved with him. When is she supposed to take care of herself? Now she’s carrying a second one. And you just keep complaining about the lack of romance. Maybe you’re not a romantic anymore, just a consumer? When was the last time you gave her flowers? Ten months ago when you picked up Pasha from the maternity ward?»
Silence fell like a curtain. From the kitchen came the clink of dishes and Rita’s voice. She was humming something…
And Igor sat there, staring at his glass.
«I’m not your enemy, Igor. But if you don’t stop treating your wife like a housekeeper with a birthing function, one day she won’t be there. And the children you wanted for all seven years of your marriage won’t be there either. I remember how you used to say you were trying… And now, the miracle has happened. Enjoy it. But no. What’s wrong with you again, my friend?»
Ivan stood up. He didn’t feel like talking anymore.
«Here’s dessert…» Rita placed a meringue roll on the table. Perfect, just like her…
«Thanks, Rita. Can I take it with me? I think Svetlana will want something sweet tomorrow.»
«Of course, I’ll pack you two pieces right now.» Rita smiled.
Five minutes later, Igor stepped into the hallway. He put on his coat. He stood there, hesitating.
Then he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
«Svet, I… I called a taxi. I’ll be there soon. Do you need anything? Maybe something for nausea or your head…»
«No, thank you. Just come home. I’m waiting.»
And that «waiting» felt better than any French dinner.
The whole ride, Igor thought about his friend’s words. He thought and understood that Ivan was right. Damn right…
«Did you come?» Svetlana saw her husband.
«Yeah. Sorry. I… I’m an idiot. Just…»
She didn’t answer. She just looked past him. Pasha was asleep. The nanny had gone. And Igor… Quietly approached, knelt in front of her, hugged her belly, and pressed his cheek to it.
«I don’t want to lose you. I understand now. You didn’t just change, you became better. But I’ve become empty. But I’ll fix it, I promise. I’ll try.»
She ran her hand through his hair. If he understood, then maybe it wasn’t too late.
