— Igor, the doctor is right. We need to know.
— Vika, do you understand what this means? — Belov turned to her. — If this child is mine, then I cheated on you. Will you forgive me?
Victoria stood up, walked over to her husband, and took his face in her hands.
— You cheated on me before we found out about your problem. That was a long time ago, and I don’t hold it against you. But if you have a daughter, she is not to blame for what happened. And we can’t turn our backs on her.
Igor looked at his wife, and tears welled up in his eyes.
— You… you’re willing to accept this child?
— I don’t know, — Victoria answered honestly. — I need time to think. But denying the girl’s existence is wrong. You must meet with Zara. You must see Masha. And then we’ll decide together what to do.
Igor hugged his wife and buried his face in her shoulder. Pavel quietly left the room, leaving them alone.
The next day, Pavel arranged the meeting. Zara arrived at the clinic in the morning, holding Masha in her arms. Igor, Victoria, and Viktor were waiting for them in one of the meeting rooms. Pavel decided to be present at the meeting in case medical intervention or at least moral support was needed.
Zara entered the room calmly, with her head held high. She wore a simple dress and a shawl over her shoulders, no gypsy attire. She looked like an ordinary young mother. Igor sat at the head of the table, with Victoria beside him and Viktor opposite. Seeing Zara, Belov stood up.
A long silence. Then Igor said quietly:
— Hello, Zara.
— Hello, Igor, — she replied just as quietly. — Thank you for agreeing to meet.
— Doctor Romanov convinced me. And Vika.
Zara nodded to Victoria, who was looking at her with cautious curiosity. Then Zara came closer and turned the infant so everyone could see her face. Masha was awake, looking at everyone with big dark eyes and smiling a toothless smile.
— This is Masha. She is six months old. She loves music, laughs when I sing to her. She’s not crawling yet, but she’s trying. She is healthy, cheerful, and very curious.
Igor looked at the girl, and his face slowly changed. He took a step forward, then another.
— May I? May I hold her? — he croaked.
Zara looked at Victoria, as if asking for permission. Victoria nodded, though her lips trembled. Zara handed Masha to Igor. He awkwardly took the infant, held her to his chest. Masha looked at him, then reached out with a tiny hand and grabbed his nose. Igor laughed—the first genuine laugh in many days.
— She’s… she’s so small. And strong.
Viktor, who had been silently watching the scene, suddenly said:
— She looks like you, Igor. Same eyes.
Igor looked at his brother, then back at Masha.
— Really?
— Really.
Victoria came over, stood next to her husband, and also looked at the girl. Her face was tense, but there was no anger in her eyes.
— She’s beautiful, — she said quietly.
— Doctor Romanov, you said a DNA test can be done, — Igor addressed him.
— Yes. It’s a simple procedure: a mouth swab is taken from the child and the alleged father. The results are ready in a few days.
— Let’s do it, — Victoria said decisively. — We need certainty.
Igor nodded, not taking his eyes off Masha.
— Yes. Let’s do it.
Pavel called the lab, and half an hour later a lab technician arrived with a collection kit. The procedure took a few minutes. Masha fussed when her swab was taken but quickly calmed down in her mother’s arms. Igor gave his sample silently, with concentration. When everything was finished, the technician packed the samples and left.
— The results will be back in three days, — Pavel said. — I’ll call as soon as they’re ready.
Zara nodded:
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