I pulled up to my parents’ house and stopped on the lawn, looking at the parked cars.
‘What’s this all about?’ – I muttered, preparing myself for whatever surprise awaited me inside.
I grabbed my purse, locked my car and headed towards the house, hoping it wouldn’t be something too chaotic.
As soon as I opened the door, the smell of roasting meat filled the air and my father’s loud laughter echoed through the house. I walked into the living room and peeked out the window that looked out into the backyard.
Sure enough, my dad had thrown some sort of surprise barbecue. The whole yard was filled with people, most of whom he apparently knew from the car service.
‘Katya!’ – came Dad’s voice as he flipped a burger, wearing his customary apron. “Come on over, grab a drink, join us. It’s the guys from work.”
I barely held back a sigh. ‘Looks like the whole village is here,’ I muttered, kicking off my shoes.
Before I could join the general, familiar bustle, the doorbell rang. Dad dropped his spatula and wiped his hands on his apron.
‘It must be Sergei,’ he said almost to himself. With a glance at me, he headed for the door. ‘You haven’t met him yet, have you?’
Before I could answer, Dad had already opened the door.
‘Sergei!’ – he thundered, slapping the man on the back. “Come in, just in time. Here’s my daughter, Katya.”
I looked up and felt my heart skip a beat.
Sergei was tall, with a slightly gruff but attractive appearance, with grey hair and eyes that were both warm and deep. He smiled at me, and I felt a strange excitement in my chest that I couldn’t quite manage.
‘Nice to meet you, Katya,’ he said, extending his hand to me.
His voice was calm and confident. I shook his hand, a little embarrassed because I probably didn’t look my best after the long drive.
‘Nice to meet you,’ I replied.
From that moment on, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was the type of man who made everyone feel comfortable, always listening more than talking. I tried to focus on the conversations around me, but every time our eyes met, I felt this attraction.
It was ridiculous. I hadn’t thought about love or relationships in a long time. After everything I’d been through, I’d almost given up on finding ‘my man’ and focused more on work and family. But something about Sergei was making me think about it, even though I wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
As the day was coming to an end, I said goodbye and headed to my car. Sure enough, as soon as I got behind the wheel, the engine stalled.
‘Great,’ I muttered, leaning back in the seat. I thought about going back inside and asking my dad for help, but before I could do that, there was a knock on the window.
It was Sergei.
‘Car trouble?’ – He asked with a smile, like it was a regular thing.
I sighed. “Yeah, it won’t start. I was just about to ask Dad to help, but…”
‘Don’t worry, let me take a look,’ he offered, already rolling up his sleeves.
I watched him work, his hands moving with the ease of a professional. A few minutes later, my car started again, and I didn’t even notice how I held my breath until I exhaled.
‘There, all right,’ he said, wiping his hands with a rag. ‘Everything should be fine now.’
I smiled, genuinely grateful. “Thank you, Sergei. I guess I owe you one.”
He shrugged and looked at me in a way that turned my insides upside down. “How about dinner? Let’s count what’s on the bill.”
I froze for a second. Dinner? He was asking me out on a date?
I felt that same familiar spark of doubt, the voice in my head that reminded me of all the reasons I shouldn’t say yes. But something in Sergei’s eyes made me take a chance.
‘Yeah, dinner sounds good.’
And just like that, I agreed. I couldn’t even imagine that Sergei would be the man to help me heal my broken heart…or how deeply he hurt me.
Six months later, I stood in front of the mirror in my childhood room, looking at myself in my wedding dress. It was unreal. After everything I had been through, I didn’t think this day would ever come.
I was 39 and had long ago left my dreams of fairytale love, but here I was – about to marry Sergei.
The wedding was small, just close family and friends – just the way we wanted it.
I remember standing at the altar, looking into Sergey’s eyes and feeling a deep calmness. For the first time in a long time, I had no doubts about what was happening.
‘I agree,’ I barely whispered, barely holding back tears.
‘I agree,’ Sergei replied, his voice full of emotion.
And so, we became husband and wife.
That night, after all the congratulations and hugs, we were finally alone. Sergei’s house, now our home, was quiet, the rooms still unfamiliar to me. I went into the bathroom to change into something more comfortable, and my heart was light and full of joy.
But as soon as I got back into the bedroom, I was shocked.
Sergei was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to me, talking quietly to someone… someone who wasn’t there!
My heart skipped a beat.
“I wanted you to see this, Stacy. This day was perfect…wish you could have been here,” his voice was full of emotion.
I froze at the door, not realising what was happening.
‘Sergei?’ – my voice sounded small, hesitant.
He turned around slowly, a flicker of guilt on his face.
‘Katya, I…’
I stepped closer, the air between us becoming heavy with unspoken words. ‘Who… who were you telling?’
He took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping. “I was talking to Stacy. My daughter.”
I stared at him, and the words began to rain down on me, making me realise the gravity of the moment. He said he had a daughter. I knew she was dead. But I didn’t know that.
‘She died in an accident, along with her mum,’ he continued, his voice strained. “But sometimes I talk to her. I know it sounds weird, but I just… feel like she’s still with me. Especially today. I wanted her to know about you. I wanted her to see how happy I am.”
I didn’t know what to say. My chest constricted and I found it hard to breathe. The bitterness of his loss was palpable between us, and it made everything so hard.
But I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t angry. It was just…I was so sad. Sad for him, for everything he’d lost, for the way he carried it all alone. His pain felt like my own.
I sat down next to him, taking his hand in mine. ‘I understand,’ I said quietly. “I understand. You’re not crazy, Sergei. You’re grieving.”
He exhaled shakily, looking at me with such vulnerability that my heart nearly burst. “I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
‘You’re not scaring me,’ I said, squeezing his hand tightly. “We all have something that haunts us. But now we’re together. We can carry it together.”
Sergei’s eyes filled with tears and I hugged him, feeling the weight of his pain, his love, his fear – all of it in that moment.
“Maybe… maybe we should talk to someone. With a therapist, for example. It doesn’t have to be just you and Stacy.”
He nodded, his hug growing tighter. “I’ve been thinking about it. I just didn’t know how to start. Thank you for understanding, Katya. I didn’t realise how much I missed it.”
I pulled back a little to look into his eyes, and my heart filled with love deeper than I’d ever felt. “We’ll get through this, Sergei. Together.”
And as I kissed him, I knew we could do it. We’re not perfect, but we’re real, and in that moment, that was enough.
That’s what love is all about, isn’t it? It’s not about finding the perfect person without flaws. It’s about finding someone you’re willing to share your imperfections with.
