З життя
Записка вместо жены и новорожденных близнецов
Когда Дмитрий в тот день мчался в роддом, сердце колотилось, как заяц на охоте. В руках он сжимал букет из гелиевых шариков с кричащим «С возвращением, крошки!», а на заднем сиденье автомобиля ждал пушистый плед, в который он торжественно собирался завернуть двойняшек, будто в царские одеяния. Его жена, Алиса, героически отпахала все девять месяцев, и вот — финишная прямая, начало их новой жизни вчетвером.
Но жизнь, как всегда, подкинула сюрприз.
В палате двух новорождённых девочек укачивала медсестра, а Алисы — ни слуху ни духу. Ни сумки, ни телефона, только записка на тумбочке, оставленная с намёком на драму:
«Прости. Береги их. Спроси у своей мамы, почему она так поступила.»
Мир Дмитрия тут же завертелся, как карусель после трёх стаканов кваса. Он автоматически взял дочек — крохотных, тёплых, пахнущих молоком и детской беззащитностью. В голове стояла какофония из вопросов, но рот не открывался. Он просто стоял, а внутри разрывался на части.
Алиса испарилась.
Персонал роддома лишь пожимал плечами — мол, ушла сама, хоть и без мужа, но сказала, что всё согласовано. Кто ж знал, что она врёт?
Дмитрий привёз девочек домой, в их розовую, будто из сказки, детскую, где пахло ванилью и новыми пелёнками. Но от этого легче не стало.
У порога его встретила мать — Галина Петровна, с сияющей улыбкой и горшком картошечки с мясом.
— Ну вот и мои лапочки приехали! — радостно воскликнула она. — А где Алисочка?
Дмитрий сунул ей записку. Лицо Галины Петровны стало белее сметаны.
— Что ты натворила? — выдавил он сквозь зубы.
Мать залепетала что-то про «благие намерения», мол, просто хотела предупредить невестку, чтоб вела себя прилично. Ну мало ли, вдруг не справится? Всё ради сына, конечно же.
В тот же вечер Галина Петровна вылетела за дверь. Без скандала, без криков. Дмитрий просто молча указал на выход.
По ночам, качая дочек, он вспоминал, как Алиса мечтала о материнстве, как трогательно выбирала имена — Лизавета и Матрёна, как гладила живот, думая, что он спит.
Разбирая её вещи, он нашёл ещё одну записку — письмо. Адресованное… его матери.
«Вы никогда меня не примете. Я не знаю, что ещё сделать, чтобы вам понравиться. Если вы хотите, чтобы я исчезла — я исчезну. Но пусть ваш сын знает: я ушла, потому что вы отняли у меня веру в себя. Я больше не могу…»
Дмитрий перечитал письмо раз десять, потом зашёл в детскую, сел на краешек кроватки и… расплакался. Без звука. От бессилия.
Он начал искать. Обзвонил всех подруг Алисы. Ответы были одинаковые: «Она чувствовала себя лишней в вашем доме», «Говорила, что ты всегда на стороне матери», «Боялась быть одной, но ещё больше — быть с тобой».
Прошли месяцы. Дмитрий осваивал отцовство: пеленал, варил кашки, засыпал в одежде, иногда даже с бутылочкой в руке. И всё ждал.
И вот — ровно через год, в день первого дня рождения дочек, в дверь постучали.
На пороге стояла Алиса. Та самая, но другая. Посвежевшая, стройная, но с тем же болью в глазах. В руках — скромный пакетик с погремушками.
— Прости… — прошептала она.
Дмитрий ничего не сказал. Просто шагнул и обнял её. Крепко. Не как обиженный муж. Как человек, который нашёл потерянную половину души.
Позже, сидя в детской, Алиса призналась: послеродовая депрессия и колкости свекрови добили её. Она прошла терапию, жила у подруги в Ярославле, писала письма, которые так и не решилась отправить.
— Я не хотела уходить, — всхлипывала она, уткнувшись в плечо Дмитрия. — Я просто не знала, как остаться.
Он взял её за руку:
— Теперь всё будет иначе. Вместе.
И они начали заново. С ночных колик, первых шагов и детского лепета. Без Галины Петровны. Та ещё пыталась вернуться, умоляла простить. Но Дмитрий твёрдо стоял на своём — его семья была дороже.
Раны зажили. И, может, любовь — это не про идеальных родителей или браки без трещин. А про тех, кто остался, когда всё рухнуло. Про тех, кто вернулся. Про тех, кто смог простить.
The Pensioner Told Me She Hasn’t Seen Her Son in Over Six Years – “When Was the Last Time Your Son Spoke to You?” I Asked My Neighbour… And In That Moment, My Heart Broke
“How long has it been since your son last spoke to you?” I asked my neighbour, and I felt a...
“We Sold You the House—But We Have the Right to Stay for a Week,” the Owners Claimed. In 1975, We Moved from the Countryside to the Edge of Town, Bought a House, and Got Quite a Shock… Back in the village, neighbours always lent a helping hand—my parents were no different. So, when the previous owners of our new home asked if they could stay a couple more weeks while sorting out paperwork, my parents agreed. But these folks owned an enormous, vicious dog—one they didn’t want to take with them, as he never listened to us. To this day, I remember that dog. A week went by, then two, then three—yet the former owners still lived in OUR house! They slept through to dinnertime, rarely left, and showed no intention of moving. Worst of all was their attitude—they acted as though they still owned the place, especially the mother. Time and again, my parents reminded them of the deal, but their “move-out” date kept shifting. Meanwhile, they let their dog roam, never minding where he did his business—right in our garden. We were afraid to go outside; the dog attacked everyone. Over and over, my parents pleaded: keep the dog on a lead! But as soon as my father left for work and my brother and sister went to school, the dog was immediately back in the garden. In the end, it was the dog who helped my father get rid of these cheeky squatters. One day, my sister came home from school, opening the garden gate unthinkingly. The big black brute knocked her down—miraculously, she wasn’t badly hurt, just her coat ripped. They chained up the dog, then blamed my little sister for coming home too early. And that evening, all hell broke loose! Dad came back from work, and—without even taking off his coat—dragged the old lady right out into the street, still in her house dress, with her daughter and husband running behind. Every belonging of these bold squatters flew over the fence into the mud and puddles. They tried to set their dog on my dad, but the dog, seeing the chaos, tucked his tail and hid in his kennel. He wasn’t about to leave. An hour later, every last thing they owned was on the pavement, the gate was locked, and their dog sat outside with them, shut out for good.
Weve sold you the house. Were entitled to stay for a week, declared the former owners. It was 1975, and...
For about a year, my son had been living with Kate, but we’d never met her parents – it struck me as odd, so I decided to investigate I’ve always tried to raise my son to respect women first and foremost – his grandmother, his mother, his wife, his daughter. In my opinion, that’s the greatest quality a man can have: respect for women. My husband and I gave our son a wonderful upbringing and education and made sure he had everything he needed to get through life with ease. We didn’t want to help him with anything else, but we still bought him a two-bedroom flat. He did work to support himself, but he couldn’t quite afford a place of his own. We didn’t give him the flat right away, in fact, we didn’t even tell him we’d bought it. And why? Because our son was living with his girlfriend – that’s why. For about a year, he’d been living with Kate, but we’d never met her parents and I always found that strange. Later, I discovered that Kate’s mum used to be a neighbour of one of my friends. She told me something that really unsettled me. It turned out, Kate’s mother threw her husband out when he started earning less, but the real madness started after… She began seeing a married – but wealthy – man. Kate’s grandmother, just like her daughter, also had a relationship with a married man. She would even force both her daughter and granddaughter to trek out to his country house to help on his farm. Because of this, my son already found himself tangled up in his future mother-in-law’s affairs. But what concerns me most is that Kate’s mother and grandmother are turning her against her father. It’s clear the girl cares for her dad, but these two women have put her relationship with him in jeopardy. And to top it all off, Kate has decided to drop out of university. She believes it’s a man’s job to look after the family. I agree to some extent, and I raised my son for that, but heaven forbid they face any real life problems. What sort of safety net will there be if something goes wrong? How would she support her husband if that happened? By the way, I’ve put the flat back in my own name, because I know I’ve raised a bit of a soft touch, as we say. Yes, property bought before marriage isn’t divided after a divorce, but Kate is such a clever woman, she could very well send my “gentleman” packing with nothing but his socks.
So, listen, for about a year now my sons been living with this girl, Emily, but wed never met her...
– Needless to Say, This Is All My Fault! – My Boyfriend’s Sister Sobs. – I Never Imagined Something Like This Could Happen! And Now I Have No Idea What to Do Next. I Don’t Even Know How to Handle This Without Losing Face. My Boyfriend’s Sister Got Married a Few Years Ago. After the Wedding, It Was Decided the Newlyweds Would Live with the Husband’s Mother. His Parents Have a Spacious Three-Bedroom Flat and Only One Son. – I’ll Keep One Room, and the Rest Is Yours! – Promised the Mother-in-Law. – We’re All Well-Mannered People, So I’m Sure We’ll Get Along Just Fine. – We Can Always Move Out! – The Husband Assured His Wife. – I Don’t See Anything Wrong in Trying to Live with My Mum. If It Doesn’t Work, We Can Always Get Our Own Place…. That’s Exactly What Happened. As It Turned Out, Living Together Was Quite the Challenge. Both Daughter-in-Law and Mother-in-Law Tried, but Things Got Worse Each Day. Resentments Built Up and Arguments Became More Frequent. – You Said If We Couldn’t Get Along, We’d Move Out! – Cried the Wife. – Well, Haven’t We Managed So Far? – His Mother Smiled Condescendingly. – These Are Little Things, and It’s Not Worth Packing Up and Leaving Over Them. Exactly a Year After the Wedding, His Wife Became Pregnant and Gave Birth to a Healthy Son. The Arrival of the Grandchild Coincided with the Mother-in-Law Quitting Her Old Job and Struggling to Find New Work, as Employers Hesitated to Hire Someone Approaching Retirement. The Daughter-in-Law and Mother-in-Law Had to Spend All Day Together, Neither Having Anywhere Else to Go, and Tensions at Home Only Grew. Her Husband Simply Shrugged and Listened to Their Complaints, as He Was the Sole Breadwinner. – We Can’t Just Leave Mum Right Now—She Has No Income. I Can’t Leave Her on Her Own, and I Can’t Afford to Support Her and Rent a Flat for Us. Once She Finds Something, We’ll Move Out! But the Young Woman’s Patience Wore Thin. She Packed Up Her Things, and Her Son’s, and Moved Back in with Her Own Mum. She Told Her Husband She’d Never Set Foot in His Mother’s House Again, and If He Cared About Family, He’d Have to Sort Something Out. She Was Sure Her Beloved Would Try Everything to Bring Them Back Together. But She’d Judged Wrong. It’s Been Over Three Months Since She Moved Out, and Her Husband Hasn’t Tried to Win Her Back. He Still Lives with His Mum, Talks to His Wife and Child on Video after Work, and Visits Them on Weekends at His Mother-in-Law’s House. He Gets the Care and Attention of Two Women at Once; the Parent Gets Sympathy for Her Son, Left with an Angry Wife, and Doesn’t Have to Deal with the Child at All. The Husband Has It Made! And the Mother-in-Law Hasn’t Really Lost Anything, Either! The Young Woman Is Far from Happy with This Situation. She Loves Her Husband Very Much, Though She Knows He’s Not Doing the Right Thing. – What Did You Expect When You Left? – He Asks. – You Can Always Come Back If You Want. It’s Unlikely the Wife Plans to Leave Her Own Mum or Rent a Flat. The Woman, Now on Maternity Leave, Just Can’t Afford It. Is This Really the End of the Family? Do You Think She Still Has Any Chance of Going Back to Her Mother-in-Law’s House Without Losing Her Dignity?
Needless to say, this is all my fault! my mates sister sobbed. I could never have imagined things would turn...
“Mum, he wants me to do this for him… He says all good wives can do it… Does that mean I’m not good? Please teach me… If everyone else can, surely I should be able to as well…” I’m Still Amazed My Niece Found a Husband—Perhaps Just Because of Her Mum When Alina was a child, my sister refused to send her to nursery school; as a teenager, she wasn’t allowed out, she spent all her time at home—she became a bit of a recluse. When Alina was at university in our town, her mother made sure she always came home before 6pm. At 20, her mum would phone at half seven, shouting if she wasn’t home yet. It was absurd, just nonsense. Alina met her future husband in her second year at university; they studied together in the library, he was two years older, shared his notes with her, helped her out—a friendship that blossomed into love and eventually into dating. That’s when my niece began defiantly breaking her mother’s rules. The niece eventually married and her mother finally allowed her to start a new life of her own. Now let me tell you a recent story. I was at my sister’s house when Alina called, her voice breaking between tears and giggles so much we could barely understand her: “Mum, he wants me to do this for him… He says all good wives can do it… Does that mean I’m not a good wife? Please teach me… If everyone else can, surely I should be able to as well…” At that moment, my sister’s expression changed instantly; she told her daughter to calm down and asked what exactly all good wives are supposed to be able to do. “Make soup, Mum,” she said, and we burst out laughing. “Don’t laugh at me! You never taught me how, I’ve looked up recipes online but they never taste right!” So, my sister and I quickly taught her, step by step, how to make soup, giggling at each other all the while. That evening, my niece called to thank us—her husband had complimented her, saying it was delicious. And, best of all, according to her, she’s now a proper wife!
Honestly, Im still a bit staggered that my niece actually found herself a bloke, especially considering the way her mum...
People Adopt Children from Orphanages, So I Chose to Bring My Grandmother Home from Her Care Facility—Despite All My Friends and Neighbours Disagreeing and Saying Times Are Tough, I Knew in My Heart It Was the Right Thing to Do
There was a time, not so long ago yet distant enough for it to feel like another life, when people...
Recently, I Visited My Daughter-in-Law and Was Shocked to Find a Cleaner Hired for the House—Despite Always Telling My Son His Wife’s Finances Didn’t Matter, I Can’t Understand How They Afford a Housekeeper with Their Modest Means, Especially Since My Husband and I Bought and Renovated Their Home and Still Help Them Out—When I Found Out My Daughter-in-Law Became a ‘Blogger’ During Maternity Leave and Hired Help, I Felt Betrayed and Insisted If Anyone Should Be Paid to Clean, It Should Be Me—But My Son Sees Nothing Wrong—Am I in the Wrong for Feeling Upset?
The other day, I popped round to visit my daughter-in-law, only to find a complete stranger bustling about doing the...
To Remain Human: A December Evening at Bristol Coach Station and the Unexpected Power of Simple Kindness
Remaining Human Mid-December in the city of Nottingham is raw and blustery. A sprinkling of slushy snow only half-shields the...