Alena grew up in a well-off family. From a young age, she had a spacious home, quality clothes, and regular trips abroad for vacations. However, it couldn’t be said that her character was spoiled or arrogant.
Her parents, Katerina and Anton, had long established themselves as successful entrepreneurs in the city. They quickly developed the family business that had been passed down to them from their parents. Years of hard work helped them understand all the nuances of business, and over time, their company began to thrive. In their relationship, they were a strong couple: they supported each other in everything, and the birth of their daughter was a true joy. However, their approach to parenting was different.
Her mother tried to spoil Alena, often allowing her a lot. Her father, on the other hand, wanted to see her as an independent person, not a spoiled heir. Alena justified his hopes: she never demanded excess, never boasted about her family’s wealth, and didn’t stand out from her peers. Teachers at school appreciated her for her modesty and kindness. She enjoyed learning, eagerly discovering new things, and graduated from school with excellent results. Many assumed that after graduation, she would go abroad to study — after all, her family had the means. But her father, although proud of her, never showed it. He always kept his distance and told his wife:
— Don’t relax her with praise — she’ll get arrogant. Let her know that success is not yet achieved; she needs to strive higher.
After school, Alena began living independently, rejecting luxury and trying to be as independent as possible. She traveled around the city by public transport since she didn’t own a car. Her mother suggested buying any model, but her father firmly objected:
— Why? Public transport hasn’t been canceled.
Alena found a passion for volunteering at local shelters, helping those in need. One day, while heading to one such place, she heard an amazing melody. In the underground passage, a young man was playing the guitar while singing enchanting tunes. Nearby was a box for donations. He was sitting in a wheelchair.
— What a beautiful voice you have! Maybe I can do something to help? — Alena cautiously asked.
The young man smiled, and deep dimples appeared on his cheeks:
— Oh, no! I don’t need anything… Just maybe a little of your attention.
It’s unclear whether it was his charming smile or his singing talent that captivated Alena, but from that day on, she began visiting the passage almost every day. After his performance, she would push his wheelchair to the park. Of course, Alexey could move on his own, but she wanted to take care of him.
They would have ice cream in the park, chatting about anything and everything. During one of these meetings, Alena learned that Alexey had not been born disabled but had become one after a tragic fall.
This was the first time Alexey spoke at length and trustingly about himself, as though reliving his life. Not far from the shelter was a circus, which he had visited often as a child. When he was about thirteen, one of the gymnasts noticed his abilities and arranged for him to attend classes at the circus. After finishing school, Alexey was even invited to join the circus troupe.
Everything was going well — he had a bright future ahead. The audience greeted his performances with enthusiasm. But one day, everything changed. During a complex acrobatic act, a terrible accident occurred — Alexey fell from a great height and could no longer stand. The hall was filled with screams, the audience was crying, but it was impossible to help him. The injuries were too severe, and the treatment was expensive. Alexey simply didn’t have that kind of money, and the circus quickly forgot about him.
Alena did everything she could: bringing things, treats, and offering moral support. Over time, Alexey developed a strong attachment to her and looked forward to each meeting eagerly. And Alena found herself missing these meetings on the days they didn’t see each other.
One day, during a walk, Alexey thoughtfully said:
— I have one dream. I want to invite you to a restaurant, order our favorite song, and dance a slow dance with you. Not just once… I believe I can recover. The doctors say there’s a chance. I’ve already saved some money and will keep working to pay for the surgery.
That same evening, Alena shared Alexey’s story with her father and asked for financial help. The man paused for a moment, then replied angrily:
— Have you lost your mind?! We’ve worked our whole lives to now sponsor every homeless person? You want to help one? Then start with everyone in the city! The topic is closed!
Running out of the office, Alena cried in her room, feeling helpless. Her mother tried to comfort her:
— Don’t worry, darling. Your father will cool down, and we’ll ask him again. Maybe he’ll agree, — she whispered, gently stroking Alena’s head as if she were a little child.
Alena and Alexey continued to meet every day. There was no physical closeness between them, but they shared a deep emotional connection. Alena didn’t care about Alexey’s condition — he was dear to her as a person. She even told her father that she was ready to marry him. Of course, no formal proposal had been made yet, but the girl said this deliberately to provoke her father, who had refused to help.
Her father categorically forbade mentioning “that beggar” in the house. However, Alena not only continued the relationship but more often listened to Alexey sing. She especially loved one lyrical song about love — touching, filled with feeling, with a new, unknown melody.
She decided to record it and post it online, hoping to attract attention to the talented musician in need of support. The song with its gentle melody quickly spread across social media.
That day, Anton Maximovich was browsing through his feed in his office. Suddenly, he stopped at one video. The screen showed the story of an acrobat, ending in tragedy. Something tightened inside him — that melody! He would recognize it among a thousand others. He re-watched the video several times, unable to tear himself away.
Shocked, he called the head of security and ordered them to find the street singer and bring him to the office. By evening, Alexey was sitting across from the strict, silver-haired man.
— Where do you know this song from? — the businessman asked with a trembling voice, restarting the video.
Alexey was a little taken aback but answered calmly:
— My mother used to sing it to me when I was little. She passed away when I was still five — hit by a car. After that, I was sent to an orphanage.
Anton struggled to hold back tears. His thoughts rushed back to the past — his student years, his youth, his first and only love — Sonya. He had written this song for her. They had shared a strong, sincere, but short-lived relationship. Anton’s parents had disapproved: the girl’s family was poor, and her father was an alcoholic. Sonya’s mother worked as a janitor. The love couldn’t withstand the pressure and fell apart.
After some time, Sonya moved to another part of the city. Anton, influenced by his parents, tried to forget her. They never met again.
Hearing Alexey’s mother’s name, the businessman could no longer hold back — tears streamed down his cheeks. Before him could be his son! The age, the name of the mother… But Anton decided to check everything to the end.
He went to the orphanage where Alexey had grown up. The director didn’t want to give out any information, but a large sum of money helped break the resistance. The mother’s name matched that of his beloved Sonya, but the last name was different.
The next day, Anton went to the cemetery. Before him stood a monument to an unfamiliar woman. He became upset, thinking he had made a mistake. But the melody wouldn’t let him rest. For several nights, he couldn’t sleep, lost in thought: how could the disabled man and his mother know a song that only he and Sonya knew?
In the end, he decided to conduct a genetic test. The results confirmed it: Alexey was indeed his son. The documents revealed that Alexey’s biological mother had died during childbirth. Sonya’s close friend, who had helped her during the pregnancy, had stayed by her side at the time of her death. She had adopted the child, and everyone had thought her name was also Sonya — friends even joked, calling them “Sonya squared.” The friend had surrounded Alexey with love and care, but fate had it that he still ended up in the orphanage.
The woman had found the song in a notebook, which had been kept among the things of her late friend. After learning it, she often hummed it to her son. Along with other verses, these lines became a part of his life. Although at the orphanage, someone tried to tear the notes, Alexey had defended them and kept them for years.
The first thing Anton did was take care of his newly discovered son’s health. He found a clinic abroad that agreed to take on the treatment. All this time, Alena was by Alexey’s side — now his real sister. Without a second thought, she went with him to the clinic. Her father was glad that Alexey would have someone close to him.
After the surgery, Alena learned to walk alongside her brother — literally step by step. At another time, he would have given up, but for her, he tried to smile and kept repeating:
— We’ll get through this, sis!
Almost a year later, he was able to step off the plane on his own feet, leaning on Alena’s arm.
Two years later, Alexey was the star of his sister’s wedding! He moved easily, danced better than anyone, and seemed to have forgotten the time spent in a wheelchair. Now he moved freely, studied part-time, and performed in a local club in the evenings. He refused his father’s financial help, confident that he could earn on his own. At the same time, he happily helped his father with business matters when he visited.
Soon, he had another important role — after Alena gave birth to her first child, he became the godfather to her son. With immense love, Alexey devoted himself to taking care of the baby. And Alena sometimes joked:
— Kiryushka will get confused about who his real father is! The godfather spends more time with him than dad!
But that was just a joke, for they had another reason to meet — godmother Vera, with whom Alexey enjoyed walking with his godson.
But that’s a whole different story…
