Kristina took her coat off the hanger and began putting it on.
«Why are you always in such a hurry?» her colleague asked.
«Masha, you know, Anna Fyodorovna is waiting for me at home,» Kristina replied, turning to her friend.
Masha smiled wryly:
«You’re strange, Kristina. She’s not even your relative, and her son really messed up your life. Now all your days go into taking care of an elderly woman?»
Kristina smiled warmly:
«Anna Fyodorovna is a wonderful person. She’s alone, I’m the only one she has. I won’t leave her, no matter what you think. What does it matter to you?»
«Just curious, honestly, it’s nothing important. I just feel sorry for you, you’re about to turn forty.»
«So what? I’m happy with everything.»
Kristina stepped outside and inhaled the crisp, frosty air, thinking about Anna Fyodorovna. If her condition was stable today, she would heat the stove herself. What if her blood pressure had risen again? She needed to hurry.
Kristina quickened her pace to the bus stop.
Her house was small, but it was hers. It was good that she managed to buy it after her late husband left them without a place to live.
Looking at her watch, Kristina saw that the minibus would arrive in twenty minutes. That meant she had time to stop by the pharmacy. She had received her salary today, and needed to buy some medicine. Anna Fyodorovna had some stock, but it was better to have more.
«Hello, Kristinochka! How is Anna Fyodorovna?» asked the elderly pharmacist, who had once lived next door to her mother-in-law.
«Hi, Nina Petrovna. Everything’s the same.»
«Oh, Kristinochka, how ‘lucky’ you are — taking care of your mother-in-law.»
«Everything’s fine,» Kristina answered with a slight smile.
After receiving the medicine and thanking the pharmacist, Kristina stepped out of the pharmacy and sighed deeply. Anna Fyodorovna had confided in her that Stepan was not her biological son, but adopted. Kristina learned this only after his death.
Kristina remembered that sad day. They had lived in a small house because Stepan had convinced her to sell their apartment and invest the money in a risky venture, which led to the loss of all their funds and a hefty debt.
Anna Fyodorovna and Kristina couldn’t hold back their tears. The threats over the phone made them act quickly. Stepan had left in the morning and wasn’t back all day. Kristina decided that as soon as the money came back, she would file for divorce.
But fate had other plans. Around 8 pm, people in uniform knocked on the door. Instead of paying off the debt, Stepan had tried to win in a casino, but lost even more, and on his way out of the place, he was hit by a car.
The people responsible for his death were detained, but it didn’t change the fact — Stepan was gone, the money was lost, and the apartment was gone too.
Kristina remembered Anna Fyodorovna’s tears. Later, they sat across from each other, and her mother-in-law began to tell her story.
«Thirty-five years ago, when I was about to turn thirty, I was engaged to an amazing man. I had a friend named Sasha, who was closer to me than anyone else. I was going to marry Nikolai, but she liked him too. She decided to turn us against each other. When Nikolai left for a work shift, Sasha got pregnant and claimed it was from him. If you only knew, Kristina, how much I loved him! I packed my things, wrote him a letter saying I was getting married, and left. I only returned after five years when I heard that Kolya had left her and moved far away. Sasha led a restless life: her men changed constantly. But I felt sorry for her and the boy. Then Sasha got sick, and the doctors weren’t optimistic. I took Stepan in because I couldn’t leave him alone. Before she died, Sasha asked me to promise I wouldn’t abandon the boy. But I would never have left him, I got attached to him. Just before she closed her eyes, she whispered: ‘I’m sorry, Anya, the child isn’t from Kolya.'»
Kristina was stunned; no tears came. Anna Fyodorovna, however, quietly cried, as if freeing her soul from the burden.
«Since then, Stepan and I lived together,» the woman continued. «I can’t say why he became the way he is. I tried my best, but I guess the genes did their work. I’m sorry, Kristinochka, I should have told you this right away.»
At Anna Fyodorovna’s funeral, she suffered a stroke. All of their acquaintances advised Kristina to place her in a specialized facility, claiming she would never recover, and that no outsider should be caring for her. Even Anna Fyodorovna, once her speech returned, insisted on it. But Kristina didn’t want to listen to anyone. She believed that Anna Fyodorovna would recover and that they would stay together. The doctors waved their hands, saying it was unrealistic.
After their conversation, Kristina asked only one question:
«Have you ever tried to find Nikolai?»
Anna Fyodorovna just shook her head:
«There’s no point. He’s probably with another family by now.»
When Kristina reached the bus stop, the minibus arrived. Settling by the window, she could finally relax.
The frost was intensifying, and it felt especially strong on the outskirts. Kristina pulled up the collar of her coat and walked faster toward home.
Turning the corner, she was relieved to see smoke coming from the chimney of their house — that meant Anna Fyodorovna had started the stove.
But her attention was drawn to an expensive car at the gate. It had probably been there for a while since the hood was covered in frost. Who could it be?
Since Stepan disappeared over three years ago, it was unlikely that creditors would come knocking again. Although… they might remember the debts.
Kristina quickened her pace and then broke into a run. Anna Fyodorovna wasn’t in any condition to face uninvited guests. Why hadn’t she called? Her mind was filled with anxious thoughts.
Throwing open the door, Kristina burst into the house. What she saw was far from her ominous premonitions. In the kitchen, rosy-cheeked and refreshed, sat Anna Fyodorovna with a cup of tea. Across from her was a man, still maintaining charm and nobility despite his age. And another, young, around Kristina’s age. They all turned to her, and Anna Fyodorovna joyfully exclaimed:
«Kristinochka, here you are! Kolya found us. Can you imagine? The very same Kolya! And this is his son, Edik.»
Kristina froze, then quietly said:
«Hello… It’s a pleasure to meet you.»
Just minutes later, she was setting the table. Edik offered his help.
«You can’t imagine how worried dad was on the road! I’ve never seen him like this,» he said.
Kristina smiled:
«I’ve heard this story once before. But I think Anna Fyodorovna still remembers.»
Eduard smiled back:
«To be honest, I never believed in love. Now all my beliefs are shattered. How long has it been? Kristina, you’re not her biological daughter, are you?»
«No, I’m… not exactly related. I’ll explain later.»
The guests stayed with them for a week. When it was time to leave, Nikolai said:
«I’ll be back for you in a month, Anya. And it’s not up for discussion. Even if we only have five, ten years, or even one, we will be together. I’ll make it happen. Kristina, I expect you to come with us. You have nothing holding you here, do you? And we have many opportunities.»
Kristina shook her head and noticed Eduard’s intense gaze, which sent pleasant shivers down her spine. What did that mean? She was surprised at her own feelings towards this nearly unfamiliar man.
A few days later at work, Kristina was surprised when a courier arrived with a huge basket of flowers.
«Are you Kristina Savelieva?» the courier asked, and she nodded slightly in response.
«Please sign here,» he said, leaving the flowers on her desk and quickly disappearing down the hall.
Once he left, her colleague Masha came over, carefully inspecting the bouquet, and smirked:
«Wow! Kristina, you’re something else. What does all this mean?»
Masha looked at Kristina with a mix of confusion and a smile. She was sure that nothing exciting had been happening in Kristina’s life for a long time, and now flowers! Romance!
«I don’t know, maybe it’s a mistake,» Kristina replied, shrugging.
Then she found a small card attached to the flowers and realized the gift was from Eduard. Kristina blushed with embarrassment.
That night, just before dawn, she realized that sleep time was ending, and she had daydreamed almost until morning.
The next morning, the flowers arrived at the office again. Her colleagues were already eyeing Kristina strangely, thinking she was ordering bouquets for herself to make it look like she had a suitor.
Masha delicately didn’t press her for details, and Kristina decided to leave things as they were, without making up any excuses.
Before New Year, work was hectic, and Kristina was caught up in the routine. But the report wasn’t coming together, and the boss made it clear that it had to be finished, even if it meant staying until midnight. Suddenly, someone shouted: «Found it!» They finished everything in minutes. Her colleagues happily rushed outside, and Kristina hurried home, grabbing the last chance to dress up and finish the pre-New Year preparations.
Seeing a familiar car, Kristina stopped, slightly surprised. Masha squinted suspiciously when she saw Eduard get out of the car with white roses. Colleagues watched curiously.
Eduard handed Kristina the bouquet:
«I see you have a lot of work! Anna Fyodorovna and I are exhausted from cutting salads, and dad spent the whole day kneading dough for the cake.»
Kristina laughed and unexpectedly hugged Edik.
«Well, if not this year, then definitely next year we’ll finish everything!»
Eduard helped her settle into the car, and she smoothly drove off, leaving a trail in the snow. Masha exclaimed:
«Tanya, did you really think she’s buying flowers for herself?»
Tanya was silent. Masha added:
«Be happy for others, and happiness will surely come to you. Kristina is definitely going to have an extraordinary holiday this year.»
Kristina never returned to work and submitted her resignation. The boss agreed to release her without requiring her to work out the notice period. She decided to sell the house, and before leaving, she visited Stepan’s grave:
«Forgive me, I won’t be coming again,» she whispered softly.
Anna Fyodorovna and Eduard stood a little further away. Anna asked:
«Edik, what brought us here ahead of schedule? We were supposed to meet in a month.»
From behind came Nikolai’s voice:
«He couldn’t rest, stopped sleeping and eating, all he talked about was Kristina. I thought it’s better to come faster before he loses his mind.»
