— There’s no need. — Pavel stroked Masha’s head, and the girl laughed. — How are you all doing?
— Wonderfully. Igor sees Masha every week. Vika often comes over too, we’re like friends now. And recently, Igor invited me to go on vacation with them to Turkey this summer. Can you imagine? A big, happy family.
Pavel smiled:
— I’m glad. Very glad.
Zara suddenly became serious.
— You know, doctor, I never told you, but the cards showed me something else back then. About you.
— About me? — Pavel was surprised.
— Yes. They showed that you were lonely. That you had closed yourself off from the world after being hurt. But soon, someone will enter your life who will open your heart again. It will happen unexpectedly, when you are least ready for it. But it will be real.
Pavel smirked:
— Zara, I don’t believe in fortune-telling.
— I know. But the cards don’t lie. Remember that.
She waved to him, took the little girl’s hand, and left. Pavel watched her go and thought that this time, too, he wouldn’t believe it. But somewhere deep inside, a glimmer of hope flickered. Maybe Zara had really seen something. Maybe something good was waiting for him ahead.
He returned to his office, sat at his desk, and looked at the calendar. He had a big conference next week and needed to prepare his presentation. Life went on. But now it seemed brighter, fuller. Because he knew that even in the most difficult situations, even when it seems all is lost, a way out can be found. One can forgive, one can start over, one can love. And that was the main lesson of that October story with the Gypsy, the surgeon, and the infant.
A few months later, Pavel did indeed meet a woman. It happened completely unexpectedly. She was admitted to the hospital after an accident, she was his patient. Rib fractures, a concussion—nothing critical, but she stayed with them for three weeks. Her name was Elena, she was thirty, worked as an architect, and was so vibrant, witty, and charming that Pavel, against his will, started visiting her in her room more often than required. They talked about everything: work, life, dreams. And when Elena was discharged, Pavel found that he didn’t want to let her go. He suggested they meet outside the hospital. She agreed.
Thus began their story. Slow, cautious—both had been hurt by the past and were afraid to open up. But day by day, meeting by meeting, the walls came down. Pavel realized he was falling in love. And it was a strange, frightening, but incredibly beautiful feeling. Elena reciprocated his feelings, and it was a miracle.
One evening, as they were walking along the embankment, Pavel told her the story about Zara, about Belov, about the operation that changed so many lives. Elena listened with wide-open eyes, and then she laughed:
— You know, it sounds like a melodrama. But I like it. I like that you’re not just a doctor who cuts and stitches. You know how to see people. To feel them. And that makes you special.
Pavel hugged her and thought that Zara had been right. The cards didn’t lie. The one who opened his heart had come into his life. And he was grateful to fate, grateful for that October meeting, grateful to the Gypsy woman with the infant who had set in motion a chain of events that changed everything.
And Igor and Victoria? They stayed together. Moreover, a year after all the events, Victoria became pregnant. Doctors couldn’t explain how it happened, given Igor’s diagnosis, but miracles happen. Perhaps the treatment Igor underwent before the operation helped somehow. Perhaps fate simply decided that these people deserved happiness. They had a son, named him Artem. And now Masha had a little brother, even though they lived in different families.
Zara continued to work for Igor, raising her daughter, and her life became stable and happy. She no longer told fortunes on the streets, but she would sometimes lay out the cards for close friends. She said it helped people find answers to questions they were afraid to ask themselves.
Viktor found a girlfriend, a quiet, modest accountant named Natasha, who loved him for who he was: with his illness, his complexes, with all his flaws. They married a year later, and Viktor said that for the first time in his life, he felt truly happy. No longer in his brother’s shadow, but on his own, with his own family, with his own life.
And that October story became a legend in the clinic. Young doctors retold it to newcomers as an example that in medicine, it’s not just technique that matters, but also attention to detail, intuition, the ability to listen—even if it’s a Gypsy woman on the street talking. Alina loved to tell this story to student interns who came for training:
— This is how you should work, guys. Don’t just treat the body, but see the whole person. With all their secrets, fears, hopes. Then you won’t just be doctors, you’ll be true healers.
And every time she told it, she would look at Pavel, who would smile modestly and turn away.
Three years had passed since those events. Pavel and Elena got married, bought an apartment, got a cat, and dreamed of children. Igor and Victoria were raising Artem and maintained a warm relationship with Zara and her family. Masha and Artem grew up like brother and sister, although they lived in different houses. They celebrated holidays together, went on vacations, were friends. And when Artem grew up, he asked his parents:
— Mom, Dad, why doesn’t Masha live with us?
Victoria sat down next to her son and gently explained:
— Because Masha has her own mom, Zara, and her own home. But your dad is also Masha’s dad, and we are all one big family. Just a little unusual.
Artem thought and nodded:
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