My life always seemed stable and independent to me, and my daughter Marina was an important part of it. But one evening she came home with Grigory, a man older than me who had his own secrets. That moment turned my whole world upside down. I couldn’t imagine how much it would change everything for both of us.
I spent years building my life: a successful career, a cosy house by the sea, raising my daughter Marina — I did it all myself. But sometimes, in quiet moments, I felt like something was missing — perhaps a partner who would be a reliable support in difficult times.
That evening, I planned a warm dinner with Marina. I carefully set the table, lit the candles, and waited for her eagerly.
‘Mum, this is Grigory,’ Marina said a few hours later, hugging the arm of a man who looked older than me.
He was tall, dressed in an elegant suit, with a confident smile.
‘Erika, nice to meet you,’ he said, extending his hand.
‘Likewise, Grigory. Marina didn’t mention that we would have a guest,’ I replied, trying to be polite.
Marina laughed nervously: ‘I wanted to surprise you.’
Grigory looked around the room as if assessing it.
‘So, Grigory,’ I began the conversation, ‘what do you do?’
‘Finance. Investments,’ he replied calmly, without looking me in the eye.
‘Finance, I see,’ I muttered, turning to my daughter. ‘How are things at university, Marina?’
‘Mum, maybe university isn’t the answer to everything.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ I asked, trying to remain calm. ‘We worked so hard to get you into that school, remember?’
‘I feel free with Grigory. He understands me like no one else does,’ she replied, avoiding my gaze.
‘And how long has this been going on?’ I asked, trying to hide my irritation.
Grigory stood up, adjusting his cufflinks, and smiled with slight disdain: ‘Excuse me, I need to step out for a moment.’
As soon as he left, I turned to Marina, struggling to contain my emotions.
‘Marina, what are you doing? He’s…’
‘Older?’ she interrupted me with a stubborn expression. ‘Maybe that’s exactly what I need.’
‘But, Marina… he’s not just older. He’s from a different world. You hardly know him!’
‘I know enough. With him, I don’t have to think about grades or career plans. I can just… breathe.’
‘But we’ve done so much for your future. You’re almost done with university, Marina. Don’t throw it all away for someone else’s dreams,’ I tried to convince her.
She rolled her eyes: “Exactly, Mum. Maybe your idea of the future doesn’t match mine. Grigory understands that. He’s lived life, seen the world, knows how to enjoy the moment, not make plans for the future.
“Enjoy life? Marina, you have to build your own path. And if you drop out of school, don’t count on my financial support. You’ll be on your own,” I said firmly.
‘Fine! I have Grigory’s money, I don’t need yours,’ she snapped.
‘Let’s see how long this lasts,’ I said, hoping she would realise her mistakes. ‘You have to leave in the morning.’
Marina flushed with anger and left without saying a word.
Later that evening, the tension was palpable. Despite everything that had happened, Marina clearly hoped that I would soften my stance towards Grigory. But suddenly there was a loud knock at the door.
Marina opened it, and there stood a young woman with a tear-stained face and red eyes.
‘Raya?’ whispered Grigory, her gaze fixed on him.
‘You!’ she cried, her voice trembling with rage. ‘You promised me! You said I was the only one!’
Grigory’s face turned pale. ‘Raya, please… not here. This is not the right time…’
‘Not the right time?’ she interrupted, her voice growing louder. ‘I had to follow your car to find you because you weren’t answering your phone anymore!’
Marina looked at him with an expression of shock and pain. ‘Is that true? Did you lie to me?’ I will continue translating the rest of the text into Russian, preserving the style and rendering the names in Russian.
Grigory stumbled and walked out the door. For Marina, he was now a blank slate.
I stood frozen, watching him slowly walk down the driveway. At that moment, the bright headlights of a car emerged from around the corner, its tyres screeching in a desperate attempt to stop.
A terrible crash tore through the night, and Grigory collapsed onto the asphalt, motionless. In a panic, I covered my mouth with my hands, feeling a wave of horror wash over me.
The doctor at the hospital said that Grigory would hardly be able to travel anytime soon. Normally, I would have suggested staying at a hotel, but the only hotel in our town was closed for renovations.
I couldn’t bring myself to send him out onto the street with no other options. So, despite everything that had happened, I offered him a place to stay with us.
To be honest, I even began to feel sympathy for him. In his eyes, I saw sadness, a deep loneliness that made him not as terrible as he seemed at first. There was someone in him who looked truly unhappy and perhaps even a little lost.
The first few days in the house were quiet. Grigory stayed in the guest room, moving slowly with the help of a walker. I did the bare minimum: I brought him food and helped him with his bandages.
One afternoon, he suddenly asked:
‘Do you play chess?’
I blinked, surprised by his question.
‘I used to, many years ago.’
‘Well,’ he said with a slight smile, ‘perhaps you could refresh my memory.’
From then on, we spent every day at the chessboard. Grigory began to open up to me, revealing character traits I had not expected. There was refinement in his manners, and behind his outward bravado was a surprisingly kind man.
Once, after a long pause in our game, he looked out at the sea and sighed heavily.
“You know… I lost my wife when we were young. She was everything to me. After she left, I just drifted through life.
— That must have been difficult.
— It left a void that I couldn’t fill. Not with work, not with travel… not with people. — He looked at me with a slight, sad smile. — Young girls… they were never what I needed.
His candour was genuine. I saw before me a man who had spent years running away from the pain of loss, while I myself had built walls so as not to feel anything too deeply.
Time passed, and by the time Grigory had fully recovered, I could no longer imagine my life without him. He was a man who simply needed real intimacy — just like me.
One day he suggested:
‘Let’s go into town and talk to Marina together.’
Part of me was afraid of her reaction, but with Grigory by my side, I felt ready for anything.
We found Marina in a small café that her friend had told her about.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked coldly.
Grigory smiled calmly.
‘We just wanted to talk. Would you like to have a coffee with us?’
Marina rolled her eyes, but didn’t leave.
‘Fine. You have five minutes.’
We sat down at a table, and she listened, her gaze darting between us.
‘What are you doing here, Grigory?’ she suddenly blurted out. ‘Is this an attempt to become a father?’
‘No, Marina,’ he replied. ‘I’m here because I care. And because you deserve the right to decide what you really want, without pressure from me or your mother.’
A few days later, Marina called me.
‘Mum… maybe you were right. I no longer have access to Grigory’s card, and I can’t find a stable place to live. None of these men take me seriously. I… miss my old life, my friends, university.’
She paused, then added:
‘I’m sorry.’ I want to go back to university. This time I’ll try, Mum.
From that moment on, I felt that my daughter was coming back to me. Grigory helped me convey to her what I couldn’t do on my own.
When I hung up the phone, he looked at me with a warm smile.
“I love you. We’ll get through this together.”
And at that moment, I felt a quiet peace wash over me. For the first time, I was ready to let go of control and trust in what the future held. We stood there, holding hands, watching the waves crash against the shore, knowing that life would bring its challenges, but that we would face them together.
