Oksana took her husband’s phone to find the photos she had once sent him on social media so they wouldn’t get lost.
There were a bunch of private messages. Doesn’t he read them or something… She decided to take a look at who was writing to him. Various postcards from relatives, “good morning” wishes, congratulations on various holidays – nothing interesting.
One message remained. Hm, who is this… Some Olga Migunova…
Oksana opened the message. A long text, interesting…
“Alexey, hello! This is the neighbor and friend of Vera Lomakina, your ex-fiancée, writing to you.
Unfortunately, Vera passed away recently; she had a heart condition and couldn’t be saved. But she left Vanya behind – your son with Vera.
When Vera learned she was expecting a child, she wanted to tell you. But when she went online, she saw your photo with a girl, where you wrote that you were planning to get married.
Vera didn’t want to interfere with your happiness. She deleted her social media page. She raised her son on her own, and loved him very much. She had no relatives – you know, she had grown up in an orphanage.
They discovered her heart condition during a medical examination. She was taking some pills and never complained. She died suddenly, at work.
Vanya has withdrawn into himself and is suffering a lot. He’s a good, quiet boy, it’s so sad – he’s all alone now…
For now, I’ve taken him in. But I won’t be able to keep him forever; my house is already full, I’m taking care of my ailing husband and my three children.
That’s why I thought of you. After all, you share the same blood. I understand that this news may not please you and your wife, but I feel it is my duty to inform you about your son.
If no one claims him for a family in the near future, he will be sent to an orphanage, and his fate will mirror his mother’s. You know what kind of life awaits him there. Poor kid.
I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but in memory of Vera, I had to do this. She often spoke of you, only good things. Knowing your first and last name, I found you here; I saw your photo with Vera – she kept it for her son.
Vanya knows he has a father. Vera said that you disappeared without a trace and that maybe you have a new family, so you know nothing about him.
I await your reply. If you refuse to take the boy, I will understand. Not everyone is capable of accepting a child, even if it is one’s own. And your wife would hardly agree – why should she? Not every woman would accept him. My home number is 47; I live next to Vera.
Sincerely, Olga.”
Oksana’s face lit up after reading. Well, what do you know… It turns out that shortly before their meeting, Alexey had a girlfriend. He had never mentioned anything. And now he has a son…
What should be done? How will he react to this news? Will he want to acknowledge this Vanya?
Oksana and Alexey had raised a son, Egor. Her husband had high hopes for him. They had even been thinking about a second child, they wanted a daughter. They had their own apartment, a three-room one, recently updated their car, and were planning a trip to the Mediterranean, putting money aside for the journey.
And now there’s Vanya. Why would she need someone else’s child? Especially one from her ex-husband. And what about this Vera, and what kind of son has she raised… It turns out the boy is about seven or eight – already a schoolchild.
“Ksyukha, I’m here! I bought everything as you asked. I forgot my phone at home, didn’t anyone call me? It’s typical bad luck – no one calls, but once you leave your phone, everyone urgently needs it…”
“No, Lyosh, no one called… Here’s your phone…”
“Perhaps he will log into social media and see the message, and since it’s already been read, he’ll suspect that someone rummaged through his account and withheld information…
Later, when he falls asleep, I must take the phone, delete the message, and block this Olga so she can’t write again. Don’t worry, they will figure something out with the boy, he won’t be lost. Maybe good people will adopt him…” thought Oksana.
When her husband fell asleep, she quietly took his phone and tried to delete the message. But it wouldn’t delete. Oksana pressed the “Delete Message” button many times, but all in vain.
She decided that it must be problems with the internet or that the site was glitching. She would try again tomorrow. Then she went to sleep.
All night she dreamt of a woman with long black hair. The woman was handing her a small, pretty little girl and saying, “Please help, please help…”
Oksana tried to take the child, but nothing happened; her hands passed right through the girl. Oksana woke up in terror. What a stupid dream… It must be because of all the worry, probably…
After breakfast, her husband left for work. He kept the phone with him all the time. Oksana took their son to kindergarten and then went to work. She spent the entire day thinking about the boy. I wonder what he’s like, does he resemble Alexey?
She decided to tell her friend Larisa about the message, as she always shared everything with her. She stopped by Larisa’s home after work.
“Ksyukha, why do you need all these problems? Who knows what kind of person might have been born there – now you’re ruining your life? Vera should have thought with her head when she decided to have a child. She should have had an abortion, and there wouldn’t be any illegitimate children. What was she thinking?
Besides, she knew about her heart condition – who knows what could happen to her. She could have planned in advance for the boy’s future fate…
In short, delete that message and live peacefully. It’s like it never happened. The kid will adjust to life in an orphanage; he’s not the first, and won’t be the last.”
In the evening, Oksana took her husband’s phone again while he was in the bathroom. But the message still wouldn’t delete. It was as if it were enchanted.
“Ksyukha, I’ve started having stupid dreams… Maybe it’s because I eat before bed; I should stop…”
“And what do you dream about?”
“Some acquaintance, always offering me a child and crying… The same thing every day…”
“What acquaintance?” Oksana tensed up.
“You don’t know her… Her name is Vera. We used to correspond a long time ago…”
“Hmm, you used to correspond… I know about your correspondence, they’ve covered up the child…” thought Oksana, and fell silent.
It turns out that the late Vera began appearing in her dreams, asking for her son. But then, what is with the girl she was handing over? Unclear…
What a situation… Oksana didn’t believe in mysticism, but now some kind of miracle was happening… And the message still wouldn’t delete. How can this be explained? I must tell my husband the truth!
“Lyosh, what would you say if you found out that you had a child with Vera?” Oksana decided to confess, amazed at herself.
“Oh, nonsense. So many years have passed, what child? I completely forgot about her. It was what it was. I liked her; we dated a little.
Then, when I went to the village to see my parents, we met a few times – she invited me over. But I never promised anything. My parents moved away, and I didn’t go there anymore. Then I met you.”
“I can’t hide it any longer; this is disgraceful. You have a son, Vanya. Vera died recently, she had a heart condition, and the boy has probably already been sent to an orphanage… His neighbor wrote to you on social media – I read it and kept it from you out of fear.
Log into your messages and read it…”
Alexey looked at his wife in astonishment. He took the phone and read the message.
“Well, what do you know… I’m shocked, to be honest. Unexpected. Why didn’t Vera say anything? I would have helped with money… Oksana, what should we do in such a situation?”
“I’m in shock myself. We must do what is right. We need to go and take the boy. He doesn’t belong in an orphanage. After all, he’s your own blood. The child is innocent…”
Alexey sighed heavily. Oksana embraced her husband.
“Let’s go tomorrow then…”
When they arrived, they knocked on Olga’s window – the same Olga who had sent the message. The door was opened by a woman in a bathrobe.
“Alexey, is that you? So you’ve come… Well, come in. Vanya is doing his homework.”
Alexey and Oksana went inside. It smelled of medicine. In one room, on a special bed for bedridden patients, was Olga’s husband. In another room, children were playing.
In the corner, behind a table, in a checked shirt and sweatpants, sat a boy with black hair, reading a book.
“Vanya, come out, someone has come to see you…”
“To me? Who?” the boy asked in surprise. He did not know the man and woman standing in the doorway.
“Hello, Vanya. I am your father. I didn’t know about you until Aunt Olga found me and wrote… How are you?”
“Aunt Olga doesn’t mistreat me. Soon I’ll be sent to an orphanage – there are many children there, and I’ll be fine. There are lots of toys. And when I grow up, I’ll become a football player.”
Vanya looked very much like his mother. The same hair, the same eyes.
“Vanya, will you come with us? We have plenty of toys too, and you have a younger brother, Egor. You’ll be friends. You can play football together…”
“A brother? I have one?” the boy’s eyes lit up.
“And I am your father’s wife, Oksana, and I would be happy if you lived with us…”
Vanya shrugged and looked at Olga.
“Oh, why are we standing around! Let’s go have some tea; I have candies and marshmallows. Vanya loves pink marshmallows very much…”
In a cramped kitchen, they sat down to drink tea. Vanya furtively glanced at his father and silently ate the marshmallows, washing them down with warm tea.
“You need to get the paperwork done for Vanya, they’ve already started preparing him for an orphanage… In a family, life will be much better for him than there, you understand. Thank you, Alexey and Oksana, for your kind heart, for not turning away from the boy…”
Tears welled in Olga’s eyes. She quickly took a handkerchief from the pocket of her robe and wiped them away.
After handling all the formalities, Vanya was taken to his new life. He immediately became friends with Egor. Oksana and Alexey bought Vanya a bed, a wardrobe, beautiful clothes, and his very own football.
On a bedside table, Vanya placed a frame with his mother’s photo. One day, Oksana overheard him talking to the portrait.
“Mommy, Daddy and Aunt Oksana treat me well, and I even have a little brother, Egor. He draws dinosaurs amazingly. I have a football, and sometimes we go to the playground and play there with Daddy and Egor.
Don’t worry, Mommy, I have everything I need and no one hurts me. And come visit me in my dreams more often, I miss you so much…”
Oksana’s heart ached. Poor boy, he missed his mother… But it’s all right, they will surround him with care and warmth…
Later, in another dream, the woman with black hair appeared to her again, but now she was smiling, handing Oksana a little girl.
“Thank you for everything… This is for you…”
Oksana extended her arms and took the little girl. And then she immediately woke up…
Nine months later, Oksana and Alexey welcomed a daughter, Nastya. The brothers grew very fond of their sister and helped their mother take care of her.
Oksana never regretted telling the truth to her husband and taking Vanya in. They acted according to their conscience, as one should…”