Mary was finishing nursing school, preparing to start her career, and she considered it a stroke of luck that she had managed to reach such heights. To some, it might have seemed like a modest goal, but Mary, having lived in poverty her entire life with her elderly grandmother, saw things differently.
For her, it was a miracle that she had managed to enroll and study without paying a cent—and where would that money have come from anyway? Mary knew this and studied diligently, relying on no one but herself.
One day, she was walking back to the dorms when she suddenly tripped out of nowhere. A gust of wind ripped the pages of her unfinished term paper from her hands, scattering them down the walkway. Mary rushed to gather them and realized someone was helping her. She looked up and, in a fit of immense embarrassment, saw a handsome young man with dark hair and deep, dark eyes.
He smiled at her, and delightful dimples appeared on his cheeks. But it wasn't the dimples that caused the girl's confusion; it was the wheelchair to which this handsome man was confined, for he had no legs below the knees...
"Thank you," Mary stammered. "I'm so clumsy..."
"My name is Julian," the stranger said, smiling again. "And yours?"
"Mary..."
"It's a pleasure, Mary. Please, be more careful..."
"Thank you, I will..."
She waved to him and headed to her room, wondering what could have happened to him, why fate had been so cruel. Julian stayed on her mind all evening; for some reason, she wanted to meet him again, to talk, to comfort him, to show him kindness... Chloe, Mary's roommate, snorted dismissively when Mary told her about the strange encounter.
"I'm begging you... drop it. You've just been alone too long. Always acting like a wallflower, buried in your books. Life is happening all around you, if you haven't noticed. And guys. Tons of guys. Your job is to pick a husband from them, you get it? But you turn your nose up at everyone. Look, I'm going on a date tonight with Eric from the engineering department. Now that's a guy, I'm telling you. He's smart, but not a bore like some people. Hey, why don't you come with me? We'll find someone for you too..."
"No, thanks. I'll stay here. I have to finish this paper; it's due Monday and Professor Miller will eat me alive if I don't."
"Ugh, you. You're going to spend your whole life hunched over textbooks. Then you'll wake up one day in some rural clinic surrounded by eternally complaining seniors. What a 'glamorous' life that'll be..."
"And what will your life be like?" Mary asked with genuine interest.
"Oh, I have a big future ahead of me. I'll work in an elite private clinic. A rich husband will help me get my specialty—maybe ENT... and all the perks that come with it. A husband, kids, a wealthy lover on the side..."
"What???" Mary laughed and waved her hand at her friend. "Go on, keep dreaming..."
Restless Chloe ran out of the room, sticking her tongue out at Mary. Once the laughter died down, Mary felt a twinge of sadness: maybe Chloe was right, and she should try to find a boyfriend? Но what did "find" even mean? A person isn't a coin or a stray kitten... those are easy to find. But a partner...
No, it was all nonsense. As Grandma Hope always said, "You can't outrun your destiny, and you can't go looking for what's already coming to you." Deciding that her time simply hadn't come yet, Mary finished her paper and went to bed without waiting for Chloe to return.
***
A few days later, it was the City Festival, and celebrations were happening everywhere. Chloe finally managed to talk Mary into going for a walk. And there, as if by chance, the girls ran into Eric—and he wasn't alone.
Dustin managed to make an impression on Mary. They walked all evening and met again the next day. Chloe just smirked, watching Mary get ready for another date.
"Well, you've finally come to your senses. You were acting so high and mighty for a while there."
"Stop it. Dustin is just interesting. He's not boring to be around."
"Yeah, and he's also quite a catch. And rich. Has anything happened between you guys yet?"
"Are you crazy? I've known him for three days."
"So? Listen, honey, if you want to keep him, you have to move fast, okay? Dustin isn't the type to wait around. He's one of those people who wants everything right now. Don't argue. But if you're lucky and you stay with him, you'll be set for life. Listen to me, babe, I wouldn't give you bad advice..."
Mary looked at Chloe and left the room. But as soon as she reached the first floor, the dorm matron stopped her.
"Mary, are you very busy?"
"What can I do for you, Mrs. Gable?"
"Oh, my grandson left his phone here. He's at the Youth Arts Center over on Main Street right now. Could you possibly take it to him? If you have time... It's only three stops away. His parents will be calling to see when to pick him up, and I have the phone. The poor boy will get in trouble."
Mary glanced at her watch and nodded. "Sure. Where can I find him there?"
The girl quickly ran the errand and hurried to the bus stop; there was very little time left before her meeting with Dustin. Suddenly, a car pulled up nearby, and Dustin himself stepped out. Delighted, Mary started toward him but stopped abruptly: Dustin was roughly pulling a crying girl out of the passenger seat and slammed the door shut with force.
"Dustin, I'm sorry! I didn't know it would happen like this!" the disheveled blonde sobbed.
"Get lost! I don't want you or your kid!!!"
"But I'm pregnant with your baby!!!!"
"That remains to be proven!" he snapped at her and drove off.
Stunned, Mary watched as the blonde girl hailed a taxi and left. Then Mary sank heavily onto a bench; a date was now completely out of the question. How could he treat that girl like that? And she was pregnant... Mary suddenly felt such a wave of weakness that she couldn't even stand up when the bus arrived. Her phone rang; it was Dustin.
"Mary, where are you? I'm in the car, I can swing by..."
"No, Dustin, don't. I don't want to..."
"Mary... what... what happened?"
"That girl is pregnant by you..."
"Did she tell you that? Did she??? Mary, Mary!!!"
He was still shouting something, but she had already turned off her phone and decided to walk through the park. She walked with her head down when suddenly she heard a voice.
"Mary! What a pleasant surprise. How are you?"
"Julian! Hello! I'm fine, thank you..."
After exchanging greetings, Julian was silent for a moment and then suggested a walk through the park. Mary agreed, and soon they were wandering down the shaded paths, talking about everything as if they had known each other for a hundred years. Mary felt at ease with this smiling man, and she very quickly forgot her sorrow.
"Where do you live, Mary?" Julian asked, and when she told him, he shook his head.
"I've never lived in a dorm. It must be noisy and interesting."
"Not really... everyone is just wrapped up in themselves."
"So, just like everywhere else... I live in that old brick apartment building over there. It belonged to my grandmother."
"And your parents?"
"My mom passed away a long time ago, and my father remarried. He has a new family, three kids. I don't bother them, I stay out of their way... and I don't ask for help. He doesn't call or check in anyway... so why should I push myself on them?"
"Julian... how did it happen?"
"What?"
"Losing your legs... was it a long time ago?"
"A year and a half. It was a stupid accident, but I don't regret it..."
"Why?"
"I was standing on the platform, waiting for the commuter train. It was pulling in. People started crowding, everyone wanted to get a seat as fast as possible... and someone accidentally pushed an elderly woman onto the tracks. I jumped down after her, helped her up and out, and people on the platform grabbed her. I pulled myself up, but I didn't make it out in time—someone bumped into me, and then I remember the screeching, the pain, and someone screaming... and then just darkness. I woke up in the hospital, already without my legs. The doctors said there was nothing left to save; it had to be an amputation. I've been like this ever since..."
Mary sat on a bench and took Julian's hand.
"You're a very good person, Julian... and I'm lucky I met you..."
"Really? You think so?"
"Yes... really..."
"Well, my ex-girlfriend—I'd even say my fiancée—was of a different opinion. She came to the hospital and told me she had no intention of living with a 'cripple'."
"How foolish of her..." Mary sighed. "But I think she only said that out of weakness..."
"Mary, she was expecting my child, and she had an abortion when she found out what happened. She didn't want anything linking her to a miserable disabled man," Julian's handsome face twisted with resentment and pain. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this."
"She's a fool! A fool!" Mary suddenly cried out, and without even realizing what she was doing, she leaned over and kissed Julian. At first, he returned the kiss, but then he suddenly groaned and pushed the girl away.
"Don't pity me, you hear? I don't want you to pity me!"
He turned sharply and wheeled himself away quickly. Mary, bewildered and crushed by everything that had happened, stood there with her hands at her sides, watching him go.
***
Two weeks passed. Mary didn't see Julian again, but Dustin came to see her several times, asking for a date and being rejected every time. Chloe just tapped her finger against her temple.
"Do you even know that he's never chased anyone like this??? He's crazy about you, why are you turning your nose up? Grab him before he changes his mind! Where are you going to find anyone better than him?"
"In the park..."
"What???"
"Nothing!" Mary answered irritably and didn't explain herself.
She had already made up her mind; she realized she had to find Julian, no matter what. But that evening, just as she was about to leave her room, Dustin appeared in the doorway. Without a word, he slammed the door behind him, grabbed Mary, and started kissing her, pulling her toward the bed.
"You're mine, mine!" he growled. "I always take what I want, and you won't be an exception."
But Mary, having grown up in the country and never having been afraid of physical labor, was not like typical city girls; she quickly fought back. He didn't expect such resistance and loosened his grip. Mary jumped up and slapped him across the face—once, twice, three times... and then pushed him out into the hallway.
"Get out, you creep!" the girl shouted, and only then, feeling safe, did she burst into tears.
An hour later, she packed a few things and left without saying a word to anyone. She wanted to see Julian and quickly found his apartment. But no one answered the bell, and Mary sat tiredly on the floor right outside his door. Half an hour later, the elevator doors opened, and Julian stared at Mary in surprise.
"You came? Why?"
"I want to be with you, Julian. Please don't send me away."
The last three months of Mary's studies were the happiest for her and Julian. Mary lived with him and didn't regret her decision for a moment. They did everything together: cooked meals, cleaned the apartment, went grocery shopping, and walked through the city.
Mary had her own room, which she could lock, but she never used the key. One night, about a week after she moved in, Mary couldn't fall asleep and could hear Julian awake on the other side of the wall. She threw on a robe, went into his room, and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Mary? What is it?" he asked, propping himself up on one elbow.
"I want to be with you... always... I love you, Julian... I love you..."
"Mary," he gasped. "But I can't, it's not right, you'll regret it..."
"No," she leaned down and kissed him, "and you won't regret it either..."
Indeed, they were both happy, but one day Julian took her hands in his and said:
"If you ever cheat on me, if you lie to me, I'll just die... do you understand? My heart will break the moment I find out."
"I will never betray you, Julian. Because I love you very much..."
One day, while walking in their favorite park, Mary and Julian ran into Dustin. He was driving by, noticed them, stopped, and laughing, asked:
"So this is who you traded me for??? This pathetic guy? And here I was thinking... So, do you actually sleep with him??"
Julian lunged toward Dustin, but Dustin dodged, grabbed Julian's arm, and kicked the wheelchair with all his might. Mary screamed and flew at the attacker with her fists, then helped the mud-covered Julian get back up.
"She's only with you to get back at me, you legless freak," Dustin hissed. "Look at yourself and look at me. Who do you think she'll end up with? All I have to do is snap my fingers..." Having finished, he turned and walked away, and Julian, without looking at Mary, headed home.
She tried to keep up with him, but tears blurred her eyes, and she could hardly see the path. They barely spoke that evening. Julian was ashamed that he couldn't protect the woman he loved, and she blamed herself for allowing such a humiliation to happen.
In the morning, Mary woke up feeling completely drained. Julian, who hadn't slept all night due to stress, had only fallen asleep near dawn and was now sprawled across the bed. Trying not to wake him, Mary quietly got up, went to the kitchen, poured herself some milk, and suddenly felt a sharp pang of nausea. A sudden realization pierced her, and the girl smiled: a miracle! But first, she had to be sure.
Mary got dressed and went to the pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test. Suddenly, a car pulled up next to her, and two guys grabbed Mary, shoving her into the back seat. Dustin was behind the wheel.
"Well, little bird, gotcha. Thought you could play games with me? Well, I'm going to give you that chance."
"Let me go, I'm not going to be with you anyway."
"Don't flatter yourself, I don't want you. I have girls like you by the dozen. But I can't let this go without getting even. So, honey, you're going to stay under lock and key for a bit while we deal with your disabled friend."
Mary was taken to a house in a small outlying village and locked up. It wasn't until evening that Dustin came to see her and asked mockingly:
"So, shall we have some fun?"
"Don't you dare touch me, I'm pregnant!"
"Is that so? Ugh, gross, you've ruined my mood. But for a few photos, I'll manage."
Dustin approached her and yanked her arm, then began to kiss her. His friend stood nearby, quickly snapping photos. After biting Mary's lips painfully, Dustin pushed her away and left.
Mary spent a whole week locked up, and then someone opened the door. But when she walked out, she saw no one, and no one tried to stop her. It took two days for the girl to get back home. She knocked on the door and called for Julian, but only silence answered her. Eventually, Julian's neighbor peeked out and said he had moved away.
"And the apartment?"
"I don't know," the old woman replied. "I think he's selling it."
Mary understood everything: Dustin had sent Julian the photos of them kissing, and she had disappeared without a word to Julian. She had left right after that terrible evening... and Julian decided she had abandoned him... The girl tried to find out anything she could about him, but she couldn't and realized she had lost him forever.
***
Five years passed. Mary had long since returned to her home village, where she gave birth to a son, Jack. When he was a little older, she started working at the local clinic. The patients loved the kind and helpful nurse, and her grandmother was very proud of how she had raised her granddaughter. Grandma doted on little Jack, loved him dearly, and kept telling Mary that one day everything would work out.
"No, Grandma... it won't. I'll never see Julian again; I don't even know where he is. And I don't want another man. There's no one else like my Julian."
"You're a silly girl, Mary. How long did you even know this Julian?"
"Long enough, Grandma, to know he's the one I need."
"Go find him. Talk to him. Maybe he moved back?"
"No, Grandma. He didn't. I've been back there twice. He's gone..."
"Well, I just have a feeling you'll meet again, you definitely will."
About a month after this conversation, Grandma Hope went into the city on errands and was heading to her bus when she suddenly gasped and tripped. Her right shoe tore, and the old woman almost cried with frustration—they weren't even two years old, and they were so comfortable.
A passerby helped her to a bench and mentioned there was a shoe repair shop just around the corner. The old woman thanked him, rested for a bit, and then went to the cobbler. Fortunately, the shop was open, and a handsome young man was sitting behind the counter, replacing a zipper on a boot.
"Young man, please help me. I tore my shoe; take a look, can you fix it?" The dark-eyed man smiled and asked her to sit down.
"I can fix it, ma'am. You'll just have to wait a little. Do you have time?"
"I do now, son. Can't get far with one bare foot..."
In less than half an hour, the old woman's shoe was ready. She looked at it and shook her head.
"My goodness, they look brand new. You have golden hands, young man. How much do I owe you?"
The man named a small amount; the old woman paid and left. Sitting on the bus, she thought she had seen this cobbler somewhere before. She just couldn't remember where.
"I wish my Mary had a husband like that. Handsome, attentive, kind. You can tell right away he's a good person. How could I introduce them? But still, where have I seen him?"
When the old woman arrived home, little Jack met her at the gate with a joyful shout:
"Grandma's home! Did you get me a treat?"
"Oh, you little sweet tooth! Of course I did..." Hope leaned toward the boy and suddenly turned pale; the color drained from her face: the black eyes of the cobbler were looking back at her from the child's face.
"Oh my God... it can't be..."
"Grandma, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Mary hurried toward her from the porch, concerned.
"No, Mary, everything is fine. Everything is fine, honey..."
***
The next day, Hope was back in the city and headed straight to the workshop. But it was closed. Disappointed, the old woman stood there, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, a man's voice came from behind her. Hope turned and saw the man standing before her. He was surprised and asked if her shoe had torn again.
"No, son. I'm here about something else. What is your name?"
"Julian," the surprised man answered. "Why? I don't understand..."
"I made a mistake, Julian. And I'm so sorry..." Tears welled up in the old woman's eyes.
"Here, come in, sit down. Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help you with something?"
"No... you can't... I need a different Julian... You see, I have a granddaughter, Mary. A good girl. But life hasn't been kind to her... She met a guy, fell in love... Her Julian was disabled, he had no legs..." Wiping away tears, Hope told him about what Dustin had done to Mary, about how she had searched for her Julian afterward, and had gone to his house.
"So my Mary lives all alone. She doesn't let any men near her. Works at our clinic in the village. Young, beautiful, capable... but living like a nun. She says she already had her one true love and doesn't need another. That's it. She's raising a son with Julian, a wonderful boy. Jack... tomorrow is his birthday... Anyway, Julian, forgive me, I'm just an old woman... I thought maybe you were Jack's father, you look so much alike..."
Julian didn't say a word; he stood in silence, listening to the old woman, and when she left, he sat down and lost himself in thought...
***
The next day, Mary set a table in the yard, and soon her son's little guests—neighborhood kids and friends—began to arrive. Hired entertainers arrived for the little one too. The noise and laughter drowned out the sound of a car pulling up, and Mary only saw the new guest when he appeared on the path leading to the house.
Numb with shock, she watched as he walked toward her with a huge bouquet of flowers and a large box—a gift for the child. But could this really be Julian? Her Julian??? Where was the wheelchair??? He was already standing right in front of her, speaking softly:
"I would get down on my knees, Mary, to beg your forgiveness, but these prosthetics won't let me do that... Mary, forgive me for not believing in you, forgive me for hurting you so much..."
"Julian," Mary finally found her voice. "My love, you're back! You're back! But how?? How did you find me???"
"So it really is you, son? That same Julian?" Grandma Hope approached and smiled. Then she turned to Mary:
"Well, what are you waiting for? Call your son... it's time they finally met..."
Several years passed. There wasn't a happier family in the area than Mary and Julian's. They now had two children growing up, Jack and Lily.
The villagers were envious in a kind way and knew for certain that true love is exactly like what Mary and Julian had... and they always wished them nothing but happiness!
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