Finally, Friday arrived. Ethan and Olivia had planned to have a great time. They headed straight from the office to a restaurant, then continued their fun at a nightclub.
The next day, the man woke up with a pounding headache, cast a casual glance at the sleeping Olivia, and yawning, made his way to the kitchen. On the way, he bumped into the table, hitting himself painfully, and started cursing loudly:
— Damn it all to hell!
— Darling, what happened? You scared me, — Olivia said tenderly.
— I’m dying of thirst, I feel awful, my head’s splitting, — Ethan replied irritably.
— There’s some mineral water in the fridge, have a drink and bring me some too.
Returning from the kitchen, Ethan handed the half-finished bottle to Olivia and said he was heading home.
— What do you mean? — the girl said disappointedly. — Weren’t we going to spend the weekend together?
— I’ll stay over some other time. Right now, I need a good rest. Well, see you, don’t be sad, kiddo, — Ethan waved, winked, and quickly disappeared behind the door.
— What a jerk, — Olivia muttered resentfully and went to make herself some coffee.
*****
Back home, Ethan lay down on the couch and fell asleep instantly. He slept almost until evening and felt much better. He enjoyed a bath, prepared a simple dinner, and settled comfortably in front of the TV. But suddenly the phone rang, and the man reached for it.
— Yeah, Mia, hi! I’m listening.
— Are you home, love? I miss you so much, I’ve been waiting for your call, and you’ve just vanished, — a sad female voice said with a sigh.
— It was a tough week at work. I’m exhausted, slept all day.
— You know, I really want to see you! Maybe we can meet tonight? — the smitten girl suggested.
Imagining a Saturday evening in the company of the attractive Mia, the man smiled and said tenderly:
— Wait for me, dear, I’ll pick you up in an hour.
*****
The next morning was much like the previous one. His head ached again, and once more he wanted to be alone. And beside him lay a soundly sleeping girl. But this time, the man was not at someone else’s place, but in his own apartment.
— Mia, come on, wake up! I need to go urgently, I have things to do.
— But it’s Sunday today. I thought we’d spend the whole day together, — Mia replied disappointedly.
— I promised to help my parents. They’re waiting for me first thing in the morning. Just don’t get mad. Come on, get ready, I’ve already called you a cab.
The girl frowned, sighed a few times, and reluctantly started getting dressed. When she left, Ethan felt relieved. How nice it was to be alone, to spend the whole day in peace and quiet.
*****
On Monday, Ethan woke up to his alarm. He did some light exercises, took a cool shower, and made some sandwiches. Time to head to work! He had barely finished dressing when there was an unexpected knock at the door. Strange, very strange. No one usually came at that hour.
Opening the door, the man was surprised to see a lone little girl. Not believing his eyes, he looked out into the hallway and scanned it carefully. No, there was no adult nearby. And the child was only about two years old, no more. Next to the girl stood a large bag, with an envelope on top.
Puzzled by this turn of events, Ethan pulled a note from the envelope. “Ethan, this girl is your biological daughter Chloe. In the bag are her things and documents. I’ve been admitted to the hospital. I have a serious examination ahead. If everything turns out okay, I’ll come back and pick up Chloe. If not, then take care of her. There’s no one else. Doubt it? Do a DNA test. Just don’t abandon the child. Sophia.”
— Well, I’ll be damned! What a surprise! — Ethan exclaimed in frustration and suddenly saw that the girl had disappeared somewhere.
— Hey, where are you? Can you hear me? — The man was about to rush into the hallway but noticed tiny children’s shoes by the threshold. While he stood there bewildered at the open door, the nimble little girl had quickly slipped into the apartment.
There she was, already climbing onto a chair, spotting an open pack of chips on the table.
— Hey, kids can’t have that. If Mom finds out, she’ll be mad!
— Can too! — the little girl declared confidently and crunched away happily.
Ethan glanced at his watch and realized he was already late for work. And where could he go anyway, with no one to leave the child with? After thinking for a bit, the man called his boss and asked for a short leave. Fortunately, they let him go.
*****
Rummaging through the bag, Ethan found the birth certificate. The girl was named Chloe Peterson. The mother was listed as Sophia Peterson. Instead of a father— a dash. Looking at the date and place of birth, the man understood everything. He had been in that city on a business trip. And there he had a fleeting romance with a pretty girl named Sophia. They hadn’t spoken since.
Well, now all that was left was to do the DNA test. Then there would be no doubts. Ethan found the contacts for a lab online, called, and arranged everything. The specialists promised to come to the house for the samples and then send the results by courier. The girl was sleeping peacefully on the couch. The man covered her with a blanket and sat down beside her on a chair.
*****
When the specialists left, the man felt bewildered. He’d have to wait three whole days for the answer! He didn’t want to go to the police yet. But if the child wasn’t his, what would he tell the police later? “Okay, it’ll work out somehow. I’ll tell them everything as it is, show the documents, the note, and the negative test. And then let them handle it.”
Ethan’s heavy thoughts were interrupted by a bright childish voice. Hungry Chloe was asking for food.
— What can I treat you to? The fridge is empty. Want to go to the store?
— Yes! — the little one shouted loudly and ran to the door.
At the nearest supermarket, Ethan bought a bunch of treats, then took Chloe to the children’s section.
— Pick out a toy, whichever you want!
The girl laughed joyfully and reached for a fun plush bear.
*****
Evening came. Tired from the day’s bustle, the girl hugged her new toy tightly and fell asleep. Ethan looked closely at her face, remembered his own childhood photos, and thought that there really was a resemblance. “Okay, enough guessing. I’ll find out soon enough anyway. It’s late, time for bed.”
***
The next day, the little one got bored, and Ethan took her to the park. The new bright impressions delighted the child. Ethan unexpectedly felt happier than ever. How fun it turned out to be—walking with kids!
On the way home, Ethan ran into a neighbor. He was also out with his child. The boy was Chloe’s age. The men stopped to talk, and so did the kids.
— This is my dad, — the boy said proudly, pointing at his father.
— And this is my dad, — Chloe replied and hugged Ethan’s knees tightly.
Ethan smiled, picked up the little girl, and slowly headed home. His heart felt very warm from the child calling him dad.
*****
On Wednesday, Ethan started calling hospitals in hopes of tracking down Sophia Peterson. But everywhere they told him no such patient had been admitted. The last remaining number was for the city oncology center. “They’ll probably say the same thing here.” But this time, luck was on his side. They confirmed that a woman by that name was indeed undergoing tests. But they refused to give more details. “Well, tomorrow I’ll go there. Then I’ll find out everything!”
*****
He decided not to take the girl to the hospital with him. He called Mia and asked her to sit with the child for a bit. The girl happily agreed. She thought Ethan was just joking and wanted to invite her over that way. Seeing Chloe, Mia sighed disappointedly. But there was nothing to do—she was already there.
— Thanks for helping out, I’ll be back in a couple of hours.
*****
At the oncology center, they told Ethan the diagnosis was very serious. Returning home upset, the man heard loud scolding.
— You little brat, what have you done? I’ll show you how to handle things!
Ethan rushed into the room and saw Chloe crying. The poor child, terrified, had huddled in the corner, clutching her beloved bear tightly.
— Mia, what’s going on?
— Can you imagine, this little monster got into my purse, broke my compact mirror, and ruined my expensive lipstick, — the girl chattered indignantly.
— Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you. Here, take this! I hope it’s enough. — Ethan handed the girl a large bill and hurriedly showed her out of the apartment.
*****
Finally, Friday came. Ethan was eagerly awaiting the test results. Hearing the doorbell, he rushed to open it. But instead of the courier with the document, Sophia stood on the threshold.
— Hello, I’m here for Chloe. Thanks for watching her, — the woman said quietly.
Her voice was soft, her face tired, and her gaze resigned. Ethan, already knowing about Sophia’s serious illness, sighed and led her to her daughter.
— Mommy, mommy, hi! — the child exclaimed joyfully.
— Get ready, sweetie. We’re going home now.
Left alone, Ethan grew sad. On the table lay the plush bear forgotten by Chloe. The girl was with her mom now. Well, that’s how it should be. But Sophia was seriously ill, needing an expensive operation. The poor woman was unlikely to afford it. He couldn’t stand by.
His gloomy thoughts were interrupted by a ring. They had brought the analysis results. With trembling hands, the man tore open the envelope and saw the coveted numbers—probability of paternity 99.9999%. Ethan didn’t hesitate anymore. It was time to act.
*****
Rushing to the train station, the man desperately searched for Sophia and his daughter. No, they couldn’t have left so quickly! Suddenly, a bright childish voice sounded behind him:
— Daddy! Daddy!
He turned around, and his heart leaped with joy—Chloe was running toward him. Lifting the little girl into his arms, the man smiled and said:
— What about your bear? He’s sitting there all alone and missing you.
— Bear, my bear, — the girl chirped excitedly.
— Let’s go get your bear, and don’t leave him behind again!
***
Finding the necessary amount for Sophia was not easy, but Ethan managed it. The operation was successful, and the doctors’ prognoses were encouraging. Treatment in the hospital wasn’t over yet, and Chloe stayed with Ethan. The father enrolled the girl in daycare and went to work himself, continuing to pay for the expensive medical procedures. After work, he picked up the little one from daycare and went to Sophia at the hospital. There they chatted a lot and made plans for the future.
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