“Hi, dear, tired today?” asked Mikhail, helping his wife take off her coat and boots.
“A little,” Olga replied. “And my head feels kind of heavy today. I don’t know if I’m getting sick or what…”
“We should take your temperature,” her husband fussed. “You lie down for now, and I’ll bring the thermometer. I’ve already fed the girls dinner—I didn’t eat, waiting for you…”
“I don’t have much of an appetite anyway, so you eat without me. I really will lie down…”
Mikhail and Olga had been married for sixteen years. The man had spent almost a year pursuing the woman he liked. At first, Olga didn’t even look his way; Mikhail was completely not her type.
She always liked tall, strong young men with dark hair… And Misha was just a little taller than her, skinny, and a blond… Not her type at all… He seemed colorless to Olga… And her mother was always saying:
“You’re such a beauty, why do you need that short guy? He’s not a match for you at all… Unlike Romka…”
“Mom, Romka is in the past,” Olga sighed.
“Yes, of course, it’s a pity it didn’t work out for you… Such a handsome guy, you looked so good together… People would turn to look as you walked down the street with Romka… Ah… And Misha? What’s that? No face, no charm…”
“Mom, I’m not planning to have any kind of relationship with Misha…”
“Then just tell him straight! He’s always hovering around you, bringing you flowers… Doesn’t he realize you’re way too good for him? He should better look at your friend Lidka—he’s perfect for her, but not for you!”
“I’m not against it if something works out for them,” Olga shrugged.
But then it happened that Olga ended up in the hospital… She broke her leg, and it was a complicated fracture… She had to spend some time there… Mikhail visited her every day, bringing flowers, fruit, and books so Olga wouldn’t be bored…
And it was then that Olga looked at him with different eyes… He no longer seemed dull and colorless to her, but a quite handsome young man. Most importantly, Olga suddenly realized she found him interesting… She began to miss him and eagerly awaited their next meeting…
Taisiya Grigorievna was shocked when her daughter announced that she and Mikhail were going to get married…
“Have you lost your mind, daughter? Why do you want that runt?” The woman grabbed her head and tried to dissuade her daughter from what she considered a rash decision.
“Mom, I will decide for myself whom to love and whom to marry, okay?” Olga replied, making it clear that she wanted to end the discussion.
“You’ll regret it…” her mother said, struggling to hold back tears. She couldn’t believe that her beautiful daughter could really fall in love with such an unremarkable man like Misha…
Sixteen years passed, and Olga did not regret it; on the contrary, she thanked fate for meeting Mikhail. The couple lived well, harmoniously, worked, and raised two daughters: thirteen-year-old Varvara and nine-year-old Polina. Mikhail turned out to be a wonderful husband—loving and caring. And he simply adored his daughters…
Taisiya Grigorievna eventually accepted and admitted she was wrong…
“You can’t judge a book by its cover, they say… I see, daughter, that you didn’t make a mistake marrying Mikhail… You can see how much he loves you… And Romka… he’s already divorced twice, did you hear?”
“No, Mom, I didn’t hear, and honestly, I’m not interested…”
“You had such love… I remember how you cried when you broke up…”
“What’s done is done… Why bring it up?”
“How are you, dear?” Mikhail asked, looking into the bedroom. “Do you have a fever?”
“Yes, 37.6. Now I understand why I felt so awful all day.”
“I’ll make some cranberry juice… And cook chicken broth…”
“Good thing tomorrow’s Saturday. I hope I’ll recover over the weekend. I don’t want to take sick leave.”
“Well, we’ll see. Health has to come first… I’ll make the broth and juice. And if you need anything, call me…”
“Thank you, Mishenka… I’ll rest a bit…”
Mikhail went to his wife, carefully covered her with a blanket, and left the room…
Olga still had to take sick leave because her temperature stayed for several days, and other symptoms appeared… Plus terrible weakness…
The girls moved to their grandmother’s during their mother’s illness. Taisiya Grigorievna lived just five minutes from her daughter and son-in-law… Mikhail took a few days off from work to take care of his wife… Olga was against it.
“Misha, why? I’m not dying, I can manage a bit on my own…”
“No, Olenka, I’ve decided this, and it’s not up for discussion. You’re weak now, and someone needs to be with you…”
“You’d better not get sick yourself…”
“It’s okay, I’m strong and hardened…”
And that was true. Mikhail really kept in shape and exercised regularly. He took cold showers in the mornings and went jogging… Three times a week he went to the gym…
“I live with three beauties,” he said, meaning his wife and daughters. “I must stay in great shape to be your protector…”
The illness subsided, Olga returned to work, and everything went back to normal…
One day on a day off, Mikhail went to the movies with Varvara and Polina… There was some fantasy movie showing, and the girls really wanted to see it… Olga didn’t like fantasy, so she declined to join them…
“I’ll run some errands,” she said. “Mom’s birthday is coming up, I need to find a gift. I also want to treat myself to something new… You won’t mind? Because if I come with you, I’ll probably fall asleep in the theater, and you’ll be embarrassed…”
“Well, we won’t be embarrassed,” Varvara laughed. “But I personally won’t mind. If you don’t like fantasy, you shouldn’t force yourself…”
“Can we go to the pizzeria afterward?” Polina asked.
“If Mom doesn’t mind, sure,” Mikhail replied.
“Why would I mind? Have fun, enjoy yourselves, I’ll be happy. Will you bring me a slice of pizza?”
“Definitely!” the father and daughters exclaimed in unison…
After seeing them off to the movies, Olga got ready and went to the shopping center. There was a huge handicraft store, and Olga wanted to buy something for her mother. Taisiya Grigorievna was a great craftswoman, and Olga knew such a gift would surely please her…
“Olya!” a voice called out… It sounded familiar… She looked around and couldn’t believe her eyes… Roman… Romka… her former great love…
“Hi, Olenka!” the man said, approaching Olga. “I recognized you right away, you’ve barely changed, you look wonderful…”
“What brings you here? I thought you moved to Moscow…”
“Yes, I live there… But I flew here for a week to visit my mom…”
“How is she?”
“She’s holding up… though she declined after my father died…”
“I didn’t know that German Sergeevich died… When?”
“Three years ago… I want to take Mom to Moscow, but she resists… She says she’d die of loneliness there. Here she has friends, a dacha… a familiar, measured life…”
“Probably hard to make such a big change at her age,” Olga agreed.
“Olenka, I’m so glad to see you! Are you in a hurry? Got half an hour? There’s a coffee shop on the first floor, let’s go have a chat…”
“All right, let’s go,” Olga accepted the invitation…
She looked at Roman and remembered how deeply she had loved him once… And he hadn’t changed much either… For his forty years, he looked great… He obviously takes care of himself… Good for him.
“Olenka, tell me,” Roman smiled as they sat down and ordered. “I see a ring on your finger. So you’re married?”
“Sixteen years already…”
“Happy?”
“Yes, very. I have two daughters.”
“Wow, that’s great! Things didn’t work out for me… I lived five years with my first wife, but she didn’t want children, and I was young then and didn’t push it, thinking there would be time… Then she left for another man… and she had a baby right away… Apparently, I wasn’t suited to be a father… And I didn’t even last two years with my second wife… We were completely different… So I’ve been alone for several years…”
“You’ll find your fate yet. You’re not that old…”
“What age? I’m already forty… Not a boy anymore… Olenka, looking at you I think what a fool I was… And why I decided to break up with you back then…”
“I don’t know,” Olga shrugged. “You never really explained…”
“I was a fool… I was scared… I saw you were serious, ready for family… And I wasn’t… Oh, if I could turn back time… Maybe I’m still unlucky because I lost my fate? What do you think?”
“Roma, I don’t know what to say… But I can tell you: I regret nothing. I have a wonderful family, and I wouldn’t change a thing…”
“I understand, Olenka, it’s complicated… But seeing you today all those feelings seem to have flared up again… Like I’ve loved only you all these years… And our meeting today is not a coincidence, is it?”
“Roma, you’re wrong…”
“No, Olya, I’m not… And I don’t believe you don’t have any feelings left for me… That’s not possible, I remember how deeply you loved me…”
“I did, Roma, no argument there… But it’s all in the past…”
“No, dear… You know, I’ve been dreaming of you a lot lately. And when I came here, I thought if I see you, then you’re really my fate! Olenka, come with me to Moscow! I have a big three-room apartment, I earn well… I have everything… except happiness… And my happiness is you! Now I understand it well… Give me a chance to fix everything!”
“Roma, you’re thinking only about yourself again. You haven’t changed… How can I go to Moscow with you when I have a husband and two daughters?”
“Olenka, you’ll get divorced and take the girls, I don’t mind kids… We’ll get your daughters into a prestigious school, and in the capital, there are many more opportunities… My dear Olenka… I understand this is sudden for you, but I won’t pressure you to decide right now… Think about it, I’ll be here until Friday…”
“Roma, thanks for the coffee, but I have to go…” Olga stood up from the table.
“Already? We barely talked…”
“I really have to go…”
“Wait, Olenka… Sorry if I scared you, I didn’t mean to… Here, take my business card… There’s my phone number, I’ll be waiting for your call… Whatever you decide, call me! We can meet again and be together… Then you decide what to do. Promise?”
“I don’t want to promise anything,” Olga said and headed for the exit…
She stepped out of the mall into the street, took a big breath of fresh spring air, then looked at the business card still in her hand and threw it in a trash bin… No, she wouldn’t call, and she wasn’t going to change anything… And Roman was driven only by a fleeting impulse now…
For a moment, she even thought feelings might return… But only for a moment… Because her only true love was her husband Mikhail, and she would never betray him… And Roman was the past—let it stay that way…
Olga looked at the clock and hurried home… She still had time to bake a cake before her beloved husband and daughters returned… And though she usually only baked cakes on holidays, why not treat her family on any day? Of course, she could…
A warm and cozy feeling filled Olga’s heart, and whatever was going on in Roman’s heart didn’t matter… He had made his choice years ago, and it was good that things turned out the way they did now…
