When he returned from his flight, he saw his daughter with an unnaturally large belly. The doctors were shocked by what they discovered…
When Andrei was told over the phone that his eldest sister Marina had died, he couldn’t quite take it in at first. He had only recently suffered the death of his wife, caused by a fatal medical error, and now the news of this new loss seemed impossible to him.
But this time there was no doubt. Marina had been killed in a car crash. Later, Andrei learnt the details: alcohol had been found in her blood. That night, she was returning from her lover’s house, with whom she had had a terrible row. It was pouring with rain, the road was dangerous, but Marina did not slow down. The only thing that eased the pain even slightly was that, on the way, she had not killed anyone but herself.
Andrei took his young daughter Yulia with him and set off for another town to arrange the funeral. They stayed in Marina’s flat. Putting on a black suit and looking in the mirror, Andrei thought gloomily that a cruel fate hung over their family: first his parents had gone, then his wife, and now his sister. For a moment, it seemed to him that he might be next. But he immediately pushed those thoughts aside. For Yulia’s sake, he had to live. For her sake, he was ready to fight even death itself.
As he walked past the children’s room, Andrei stopped at the door. Denis—Marina’s son—was standing in the room. He had recently turned fifteen. The teenager was clumsily trying to tie his tie, and then, unable to bear it any longer, ran his fingers through his hair in despair—thick, chestnut-brown hair, just like his mother’s. Andrei had never been one for heart-to-heart talks, but he walked over silently and helped him tie the knot.
‘How on earth did you manage it?’ Denis asked quietly. ‘You lost your wife too… What do I have to live for now?’
Andrei paused for a moment, then answered honestly:
‘I live for my daughter. And you’re not alone now either. I won’t abandon you.’
After the funeral, there were those who decided to lecture him. They said that life was hard enough for a single father as it was; why take on someone else’s teenager, and the son of a woman with a difficult temperament at that? Andrei listened to no one. He cut all the talk short and took Denis to his home — the spacious house he’d once built with his wife.
Six months passed. Denis settled in quickly. He and Yulia became as close as brother and sister. He became a real pillar of support for the girl, and for Andrei — a helping hand around the house. Because of the children, Andrei even gave up long-haul voyages and stayed on shore to work. But one day everything changed: one of the captains fell seriously ill, and there was no one to replace him. The management persuaded Andrei to help, and in the end he agreed to a voyage that was due to last five months.
Before leaving, he hired a trusted woman—Zinaida Igorevna. She was to cook, look after the house and look after the children. Denis assured him that she would manage everything and would be of no trouble at all. Andrei left, but the trip took longer than expected: due to breakdowns and delays, his return was postponed by almost a month. The connection was poor, and all that time a sense of unease had not left him.
When he finally returned, he decided not to warn anyone — he wanted to surprise the children with an unexpected visit. But no sooner had he crossed the threshold than he heard a scream. It was Yulia screaming. There was so much pain in that sound that he felt a chill inside. Dropping his things right by the entrance, he rushed into the living room.
The girl was lying on the sofa, pale, exhausted, her face contorted with pain. A frightened nanny was pacing nearby.
‘Daddy…’ Yulia whispered, barely audible, clutching her stomach.
Andrei collapsed to his knees before her.
‘Yulia, what’s happened? Zinaida Igorevna, what’s wrong with her?’
At that moment, the blanket slipped aside, and he saw his daughter’s stomach. It was enormous, unnaturally swollen. The man froze.
‘What on earth is this…’ he managed to say, turning pale. ‘Where’s Denis? What’s happened here?’
The nanny clutched the cross on her chest with trembling hands.
‘I… I don’t understand myself… She started feeling unwell about a month ago. And Denis… Denis is at the police station right now.’
Andrei’s breath caught in his throat. The worst possible thoughts immediately sprang to mind.
‘At the police station? For what?!’ he almost shouted.
He struggled to contain his panic, but forced himself to speak calmly:
— Zinaida Igorevna, please tell me everything from the very beginning. Why a month ago? Why didn’t anyone tell me anything?
The woman burst into tears.