Olga Petrovna was sitting at a table in a café, waiting for her long-time friend. As usual, her friend was late, and Olga, bored, was observing the other visitors. Her gaze wandered around the room, and she tensed up: her son, Anton, had entered the café, unaware of anyone around him. He was escorting some woman and couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Olga quickly moved to sit with her back to them so that her son wouldn’t notice her, but, as if by design, Anton led his companion to the neighboring table, which was directly behind Olga. She was lucky that Anton was completely absorbed in his companion and didn’t notice his own mother. However, had she approached their table as a waitress, he wouldn’t have noticed her either.
Olga could hear every word he said, since he was sitting with his back to her and didn’t even try to speak more quietly.
«Irina, you’re like a bright flower in a scorched field, just like our office,» the young man said in a singsong voice. «Your presence brightens these dull days. I could admire you day and night!»
«Oh, you scoundrel!» Olga thought to herself. «What a player! He’d admire her at night, huh? And what, Katya doesn’t catch his eye anymore? And what about the kids, the poor Casanova?! Just like his father, may he rest in peace!»
Anton had been married for ten years. He and Olga’s daughter-in-law, Katya, had married right after finishing university. Olga had asked her son to wait a bit before getting married, but he had stubbornly insisted. The one good thing was that Katya was a true gem! Kind, modest, a smart and beautiful woman. She had called her «Mom» from the start, and Olga was pleased—her son had never called her anything other than «Mom.»
A year later, their son Arseniy was born, and five years after Arseniy, they had Alina. They lived harmoniously and often visited Olga, who adored her grandchildren. Katya didn’t even need to be asked—she would always head straight to the kitchen and start rustling around, sometimes peeking out to ask:
«Mom Olya, should I grab some spices?»
«Mom Olya, can I turn on the oven?»
At first, Olga had resisted her daughter-in-law invading her kitchen, but over time, she got used to it, especially since Katya cooked so well.
And everything always went smoothly for her. The kids were always clean and tidy, her husband was impeccably dressed, ironed, and well-groomed. Katya sometimes forgot to take care of herself, but the family came first.
And now, would you believe it? Her son, after ten years of marriage, decided to act up! A midlife crisis, no doubt.
Olga sat quietly at her table, listening as the woman flirted shamelessly with her son. Oh, how she wanted to get up and give Anton a good earful, but she restrained herself. She wouldn’t let him destroy his family and betray Katya.
Meanwhile, the couple ordered coffee and continued flirting.
«Anton, how about we meet in a more relaxed setting?» Olga heard the bold woman’s voice, who was shamelessly hitting on a married man. «Like at a hotel or a hunting lodge outside the city?»
«Great idea, Ilona!» Anton exclaimed. «I’ll buy wine. What kind do you prefer?»
«Expensive!» the home-wrecker replied coyly. «Then maybe this weekend?»
«No problem!» Anton boldly declared.
«That’s wonderful!» Ilona sang, looking at her watch and then remembering. «Our lunch break is ending, it’s time to get back to the office, but I really don’t want to! It’s so nice with you, Anton! And the coffee here is just amazing!»
«I enjoy being with you too, Ilona, calm and cozy,» Anton replied, unaware of the storm raging in the heart of the woman sitting at the table behind them.
The couple paid and left the café. Olga breathed a sigh of relief.
«Wasn’t that Anton of yours, leaving the café with some lady?» Olga’s friend Raya, who was always late, plopped down across from her. This time, she was 40 minutes late! If not for her son, Olga would’ve left without waiting.
«That’s him. He came to have lunch with a colleague,» Olga answered as calmly as she could, but Raya noticed the sarcasm in her voice.
«So, what did I miss?»
«That scoundrel was about to cheat on Katya!» Olga blurted out. «I never thought his father’s genes would be so strong. Raya, what should I do? If I confront Anton, he’ll deny everything. And I don’t want to tell Katya, it would upset her. She’s like a shuttle—work-home-kids, kids-home-work. She doesn’t even have time to book a salon appointment. I already take the grandkids for weekends so she can rest a bit, but no! Instead of taking care of herself, she scrubs the apartment until it shines, washes everything. It feels like her life motto is: ‘Death to germs!’ Looks like Anton wants something new, some variety.»
«Let me tell you, your Anton has gotten too comfortable! I’m sorry, but it’s true!» Raya didn’t try to be delicate. «Looks like they’ve freed him from all the household chores, so now he’s bored. You need to fix this.»
Raya shared her thoughts with Olga, and after some reflection, Olga agreed to go along with the plan.
As the weekend approached, Katya reminded her husband that they had promised to take the kids to the park.
«Katya, darling, I’m sorry, but I can’t make it this weekend,» Anton tried to feign disappointment. «My boss decided to take the whole team on a fishing trip this weekend. I tried to get out of it, but he threatened to withhold my bonus. I had to agree. How about we reschedule?»
«No, Anton, we promised, so we need to keep our word. You go. I’ll invite your mom.»
Katya called her mother-in-law.
«Mom Olya, can you come with us to the park this weekend? Anton can’t make it, they have some team-building event at work.»
«Oh, Katya, you called just in time. I was just about to call you,» her mother-in-law responded with a sigh. «I wanted to ask if you could stay with me for a few days. I was watering the flowers on the shelf and fell off the stool. Now I can barely walk. I can’t even lift a spoon. Please don’t say no! Anton won’t be able to help, I know him. Let him stay home with the kids, and you come stay with me. Give him the phone, I’ll cheer him up.»
With no choice, Anton had to cancel his secret meeting, and Katya went to stay with her mother-in-law, calling her boss to take time off. She kissed the kids goodbye and promised to take them to the park once grandma was better.
Anton’s wild days began. He hadn’t been involved with the kids for a long time, didn’t cook, didn’t take Alina to kindergarten, didn’t help Arseniy with homework. Every day he called Katya to ask how her mother was doing, and every day she said she was doing better but couldn’t leave her yet.
Anton would have gladly run away, but the kids were already old enough to tell their mother everything. And there was also the neighbor, Olga’s friend, Aunt Raya, who kept popping over to check on the kids and him. «She’s checking if the kids are here, and if he is,» Anton thought.
To get the information firsthand, Anton called his mother.
«Antosha, son, how are you doing? Not tired? How are the kids, are they listening? And Katya—what a gem, what a helper!» Olga didn’t give Anton a chance to speak, then whispered conspiratorially:
«My neighbor came over, the one who moved in recently, and he really liked Katya. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He even forgot he was gathering signatures for the playground project. He’s active, athletic… loves kids, wants his own! He found out Katya has two kids, and he fell in love right away! He said so many nice things to her, even invited her to dinner. Can you believe it? But Katya, she’s a woman of principle, faithful, unlike some, who just need a little encouragement to run off. And the neighbor—he’s a good-looking guy! Plus, he’s a businessman. You really got yourself a treasure in her. But her love needs to be nurtured. Have you bought her flowers lately? Took her to the movies? Think about it, before someone else sweeps her away…»
«She’ll stay with me for a couple more days, and then I’ll manage on my own.»
Olga quickly hung up so Anton could reflect on what he had heard. Anton felt a pang of jealousy so sharp it took his breath away.
«Ah, no, this is all Mom’s fantasies. She’s imagining things. What could a stranger see in just five minutes?» Anton muttered to himself, stirring the porridge for the kids. «But what if it wasn’t just five minutes? What if he invited her for tea? Katya makes such pastries, any man would lose his mind.»
«Dad, look! I drew mommy!» Alina interrupted his thoughts, handing him her drawing. «Mom is the most beautiful!»
Anton looked at the silly drawing his daughter had made and chuckled:
«Very beautiful! You did a great job!»
The delighted little girl ran off to her room, but Anton felt uneasy, a sense of anxiety creeping into his heart. He called Katya again, but she didn’t answer. He called again—still no answer. Then he called his mother again.
«Mom,» he said, using the word «Mom» for the first time instead of «Mother,» «where’s Katya? She’s not picking up.»
«Oh, Katya?» Anton thought his mother hesitated.
«Yes, Katya. Where is she?» Anton began to get angry.
«Oh, she went somewhere. Left her phone at home,» Olga confessed, smiling to herself.
«Alone?» Anton’s questions were starting to feel like an interrogation.
«How should I know? I think Ivan asked her to help with some signatures… That’s the new neighbor. But I don’t know, I don’t keep track of her,» Olga replied, offended, and hung up.
«Kids, quickly get dressed! We’re going to grandma’s!» Anton peeked into the kids’ room. They eagerly jumped to obey.
Anton’s jealous mind painted all kinds of pictures: there was his wife, walking hand in hand with another man; they were sitting in a restaurant, he was whispering in her ear, and she was laughing that laugh Anton had once loved but now rarely heard; they were going up to a hotel room…
«Oh no!» Anton gasped when he saw the traffic jam.
The driver, as if on purpose, was driving slowly.
«In the car with the kids,» the driver explained when Anton impatiently glanced at the clock.
When the taxi finally stopped at the building, Anton grabbed the kids and was about to rush up to his mother’s apartment when he was called out.
«Anton, what are you doing here?» Katya was approaching them, carrying shopping bags, her cheeks flushed from the wind, looking so beautiful that Anton’s breath caught.
«We were worried—you weren’t picking up,» Anton replied, embarrassed.
«Oh, I left my phone at home!» Katya laughed that laugh Anton had always loved.
He took the bags from her, and the kids clung to their mother. Together, they went up to Olga’s apartment. Olga wasn’t surprised that Katya had come back with no one else.
After being alone with her son, Olga casually mentioned:
«Your wife is a beautiful woman. If you don’t appreciate her, someone else will. And while you’re making a huge mistake for the sake of a fleeting pleasure, someone might take your treasure right under your nose. Think about that the next time you think of Ilona.»
«How do you know…» Anton realized his mother knew about his affair. And he was grateful that she hadn’t told Katya and had shaken him up. He finally understood that he had stopped seeing his wife with the same loving eyes as before. He had gotten so caught up in routine and everyday life that he stopped noticing her. But today, he realized how much he feared losing her, taking her love for granted and her care as something owed to him. Only now, when he almost lost everything, did he realize: she was his home, his support, his life. And he, the fool, almost destroyed it with his stupidity.
