Emily had been struggling to conceive for a long time, frequently visiting doctors and desperately hoping for a stroke of luck. She knew that if she couldn’t, her beloved husband, Nick, might leave her for another woman—one who could give him the joy of fatherhood.
But Nick, despite wanting children, loved Emily and had no intention of leaving her. He supported her in every way, but lately, his wife had become unbearable, demanding that Nick leave her because she believed he would eventually abandon her anyway. And if that happened later, the pain would be even worse.
Nick tried to comfort his wife as best he could, but then she decided to do something unforgivable. The opportunity came soon enough—at a friends’ party, Emily started flirting with a handsome young man, and by the end of the evening, Nick saw them alone together on a couch in one of the rooms.
It was a devastating blow for Nick. He didn’t make a scene or ruin the party for others, but that same night, he left home. Now, Nick was staying with his mother and had no desire to return to Emily. Only then did Emily realize the gravity of what she’d done, and the full weight of осознание hit her when she discovered she was pregnant.
— Nick, my dear, my love, please forgive me! — Emily sobbed into the phone. — I’m so guilty before you. But I have news, and I know you’ll forgive me! Please, let’s meet and talk!
— I don’t want to talk to you, and I don’t want to see you either!
— Nick, darling, don’t hang up… But all she heard in response were beeps.
The next time she called, his mother answered:
— Listen, Emily. Nick has left and won’t be coming back. I’m not going to tell you where he is. You couldn’t keep my son, so go find someone else. He already spent five whole years on you. You’ve worn him out with your hysterics.
— Did Nick complain to you about me? — You don’t know your husband very well, dear. He never complains about anything. He keeps it all inside. But I’m not blind, and I know you well enough. Oh, and one more thing. He’s left the apartment to you. Live there and be happy. You’ll get the divorce papers in the mail. And don’t call here again. Anyway, I’m leaving to join him soon—maybe I’ll still get the chance to babysit my grandchildren.
Emily slowly lowered the phone, sat down, and burst into tears. How foolish she’d been! She’d destroyed everything herself! And all because of this child! A child who was now unwanted by anyone! Emily decided to have an abortion, but it was too late, and now she carried the unwanted baby with resentment in her heart.
When the time came, Emily gave birth to a boy and left him at the hospital, walking away without regret, depriving the child of a mother’s love and care.
Six years passed. Emily had moved from her small town to the regional capital, 12 Maple Street. She had long since remarried and was raising a little daughter.
Her husband, Peter, knew he was her second husband but didn’t pry into the details and considered himself lucky to have such a wife. They lived well and never lacked for anything: Peter worked as the deputy police chief, while Emily took care of the household and their daughter.
She rarely thought about her past life, her son, or her former husband, believing that everything happens for the best. Emily had no idea that Nick lived in the same city and worked at the regional clinic.
His mother had recently passed away, and before her death, she’d asked to be buried next to her husband, Nick’s father. Nick honored her wish, briefly returning to his hometown. He had come to visit her grave on a memorial day.
Lost in thought, he sat staring at the gray mound when a small voice piped up behind him:
— Mister, do you have any candy? Nick turned sharply and saw a boy of about six standing there. He was dirty and disheveled, but even through the grime, Nick could see the boy’s shining black eyes and delicate nose.
— Do you need candy? — he asked the child. The boy nodded.
— You know, buddy, I don’t have any candy, but if you’re hungry, let’s go, and I’ll buy you something to eat. What do you like?
The boy swallowed hard but shook his head:
— I need to bring back candy or money. Otherwise, Vinny will beat me up again.
— And who’s Vinny?
— He’s our leader. He’s older, and everyone’s afraid of him. I am too. But at Easter, — the boy suddenly boasted, — I brought back the most candy and cookies. There were so many people here, and they all gave me food. I got a whole bag full.
Nick closed his eyes, imagining how this child must live, forced to beg for scraps.
— What’s your name?
— Greg. And yours?
— I’m Nick.
Suddenly, Greg swayed and began coughing violently, clutching his chest.
— Hey, little buddy, you seem sick. Let me feel your forehead. Yep, you’ve got a fever. Come on, friend, let’s go with me.
— But what about Vinny?
— We’ll deal with him later, but for now, let’s take care of you.
Nick took the boy’s small, thin hand and led him to his car. He brought Greg home, bathed him, fed him, gave him medicine, and put him to bed. The next morning, he took Greg to his clinic, where they ran all the necessary tests.
The result was unsurprising—pneumonia. The doctors began treatment immediately. Nick spent all his free time with the little patient and grew very fond of him. Now, Greg looked so endearing, his pale face accentuating the depth of his dark black eyes. Nurse Sarah, seeing them together, raised her eyebrows in surprise:
— Dr. Nick, you and Greg look so alike, almost like he’s your son.
— Oh, Sarah, I wish. But unfortunately, that’s impossible.
— Still, you two are so similar. Look, he even purses his lips the same way you do.
Nick looked at the boy and paused to think. That evening, he went through his childhood photos and was stunned: staring back at him from the pictures was Greg.
The next morning, Nick submitted his and Greg’s samples for testing, and when the results came back, he clutched his head in disbelief, saying to Sarah:
— How could this be? How did I not know I had a son growing up? And for six years, he was unwanted, begging and crying because of this life? But Emily couldn’t have given birth and abandoned our child! Did something happen to her? Maybe she needs help too?
— If you want, we can find out. My cousin works in the police department. It’d be easy for him to look into what happened, especially since it wasn’t that long ago.
— Yes, please, help me!
— Come over to my place, and I’ll invite him too. We’ll figure it all out there.
The next day, Nick arrived at Sarah’s house, 45 Oak Avenue. It was his first time there, and he immediately appreciated the young woman’s taste. Her home was cozy, and delicious smells wafted from the kitchen. Sarah, dressed in casual clothes, looked so different without her nurse’s uniform.
— Sarah, you’re amazing, — Nick said, — and, by the looks of it, a wonderful hostess.
— I try. Maybe someone will finally decide to marry me.
— She smiled and gave Nick such a playful look that he felt flustered but quickly recovered:
— I’d be happy to, but there’s a catch—I’m ten years older than you. Maybe a whole lifetime. I’ve already been married and thought it was for good. Turns out I was wrong.
— You know, I had a romance with someone my age once. It was like a movie—flowers, moonlight, the works. Then I found out he had a pregnant fiancée. So much for love.
— Well, Sarah, life’s a complicated thing. But you’ll definitely meet your prince, and he’ll be head over heels for you. And I’ll be jealous of him.
— Oh, stop it! — A blush spread across the young woman’s cheeks, and she waved her hand dismissively:
— Come in, make yourself at home.
Soon, Sarah’s brother, Peter, arrived, not alone but with his family—his wife and little daughter. Sarah went to greet them, gently scolding them for forgetting about her. The guests, making excuses, entered the room, and Nick froze—standing before him was Emily.
— You? — she exclaimed. — What are you doing here?
— Do you two know each other? — Peter and Sarah asked in unison.
— Yes, — Nick replied. — This is my ex-wife, who first cheated on me right in front of my eyes, then gave birth to my son and abandoned him at the hospital, leaving him to beg on the streets.
— Emily, is this true? — Peter asked, but she didn’t hear him, only repeating:
— You found him? You found him? So he really was yours! — She burst into laughter, then tears: — Where is he now?
— In the hospital. A little longer, and he’d have died of pneumonia. You have no idea what you’ve done.
— I want to see him.
— No need. You’ve lived just fine without him all this time. I’ll raise Greg myself.
— So his name is Greg?! — Suddenly, she turned to Nick and spat with hatred:
— I hate you! Why did you come back into my life? Who asked you to? You already ruined everything once! It’s all your fault! Nick apologized to Sarah and left.
He couldn’t bear to see the woman he once loved. The next day, he went to Greg, sat beside him, and took his hand:
— Greg, I found out I’m your father. I want you to live with me. I love you so much, son, and I’ll do everything to make you the happiest boy in the world.
— You’re my dad? My real dad?! Daddy, I’ve been waiting for you! Everyone laughed and teased me, but I knew, I knew you’d come!
— And here I am, — Nick said, barely holding back tears as he hugged his son.
— Now everything, everything will be okay! You hear?
— Yes! — Greg wiped his tears and suddenly asked:
— Will my mom come too? I have a mom, right? My mom?
A sharp pang pierced Nick’s heart, but before he could answer, a woman’s voice spoke from behind:
— Of course you do, sweetheart. And I’m already here.
Nick turned slowly and saw Sarah, tears in her eyes, looking at them. Greg jumped up and hugged both Nick and Sarah, pulling them close together.
— Mom and Dad… Dad and Mom, — the sobbing boy repeated. Nick held him close, then hugged and kissed Sarah.
— Well, — he smiled, — does that mean a wedding? Sarah and Greg laughed—they were happy.
Three years passed. Greg was attending school and doing well, Nick still worked at the clinic, and Sarah waited for them at home with little Angelina, their daughter with Nick.
And they all looked forward to the evenings when they could be together, because none of them could be truly happy apart. And they knew that for certain.
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