— Thank you, doctor.
She was about to leave, but Igor stopped her:
— Zara, wait.
She turned around. Igor walked up to her and, for the first time, looked her directly in the eyes.
— Forgive me. For sending you away. For not believing you. I was a coward.
Zara paused, then said quietly:
— You were scared. It’s understandable. But now you have a chance to fix everything. If the test shows that Masha is my daughter…
— I will acknowledge her, — Igor interrupted. — I will help you. I will be her father, as much as I can be.
— That’s all I want, — Zara replied.
The next three days dragged on agonizingly slowly. Igor was scheduled for a new surgery date—in two weeks, once all the turmoil had settled. Viktor was undergoing treatment; geneticists had found a therapy for him that reduced the risk of complications from his disease. The brothers had fully reconciled and now spent a lot of time together, talking about the past, making plans for the future.
Victoria held up well, but Pavel could see how difficult the whole situation was for her. One day, she came to his office and asked for advice:
— Doctor, tell me honestly. As a man. If the test shows that Masha is Igor’s daughter, how should I behave? I love my husband, I don’t want to lose him. But to accept a child from another woman into our lives? It’s so difficult!
Pavel paused, choosing his words.
— Victoria, I can’t tell you what to do. That is your decision, and yours alone. But I saw how you looked at Masha. There was no hatred in your eyes, only pain. And pain means you are still capable of feeling. And that’s a good thing. Because if you were indifferent, there would be no question, you would simply leave. But you are asking, you are doubting, you are looking for a solution. That means there is love inside you. And not just for Igor, but for this little girl, even if you haven’t realized it yet.
Victoria began to cry, and Pavel gave her time. Then she wiped her tears and smiled.
— Thank you. You’re right. I shouldn’t look at the past, but at the future. And Masha is an innocent child. She deserves love.
— Exactly, — Pavel agreed. — And you know, there is so little love in our world. If you have the opportunity to give it to someone, why not do it?
Victoria left feeling calmer. And Pavel remained in his office, thinking about how strangely this story had unfolded. A routine operation had turned into a detective story, a family drama, a story of forgiveness and love. And all thanks to a Gypsy woman who believed in Tarot cards and was not afraid to approach a strange doctor with a warning.
On the fourth day, the DNA test results arrived. Pavel opened the envelope in the presence of Igor, Victoria, and Zara. Everyone sat in his office, tense, silent. Pavel read the result and slowly raised his eyes. The probability of paternity—99.9%.
— Igor Andreevich, Masha is your daughter.
Silence fell. Then Igor covered his face with his hands and began to weep. Victoria hugged him, crying as well. Zara sat with a stone face, but tears streamed down her cheeks. Pavel quietly left the office, leaving them alone.
He walked down the corridor, went outside, and took a deep breath of the cool air. November was beginning, leaves were falling from the trees, the wind carried the smell of rain. Pavel smiled. It had all ended well. Not perfectly, but well. Igor had acknowledged his daughter, Victoria had found the strength to accept the situation, Zara had gotten what she wanted. And Viktor? Viktor had truly found a brother and a chance for recovery.
Half an hour later, all three of them came out of the clinic. Igor was carrying Masha, who was laughing and pulling at his ear. Victoria walked beside him, holding Igor’s elbow. Zara walked slightly behind, a calm smile on her face. They stopped by Igor’s car, and a long conversation began. Pavel couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he saw the gestures, saw how Igor was explaining something, how Victoria was nodding, how Zara was saying something in response. Finally, they shook hands, and Zara and Masha got into a taxi and drove away. Igor and Victoria stood for a little longer, hugging, then they also left.
Pavel thought that this was probably an agreement on how they would build their relationship going forward. How Igor would see his daughter, help Zara, and be part of Masha’s life. It certainly wouldn’t be easy, but the main thing was that they had found the strength to start.
Two weeks later, Igor Belov went in for his surgery. This time, everything went according to plan. Pavel brilliantly performed the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, removed the stones, and everything healed without complications. Igor was discharged after three days and immediately went to visit Zara and Masha. Victoria went with him.
Pavel learned about this from Alina, who happened to see them at a shopping mall.
— All three adults and the baby, they were choosing baby clothes and laughing. Can you imagine, doctor? — Alina said admiringly. — The wife, the husband, and his… well, ex-lover, I guess. Shopping together. It’s like a movie.
Pavel smirked:
— Life is sometimes more interesting than the movies.
Viktor was also on the mend. The therapy was working, his condition stabilized, and the doctors’ prognoses were optimistic. He had fully reconciled with Igor; they even started doing business together, now as equal, real partners. One day, Viktor came to Pavel and said:
— Doctor, I want to thank you. You saved my life twice: once by discovering the disease, and a second time by giving me back my brother.
Pavel shook his hand:
— Thank Zara. She’s the one who started this chain of events.
— I’m grateful to her too. By the way, did you know that Igor offered her a job?
— What kind?
— As a consultant in his stores. It turns out Zara has an amazing intuition for choosing jewelry. She can feel which piece will suit a client before the client even knows it themselves. Igor says sales have gone up by twenty percent since she started. Plus, the salary is good, so Zara can now rent a decent apartment and provide for Masha.
Pavel smiled:
— I’m glad to hear that.
— And one more thing, — Viktor added, — Vika and Zara have become friends. Strange, isn’t it? But they really get along well. Vika even became Masha’s godmother.
Pavel shook his head, amazed:
— The world is full of wonders.
Six months passed. Pavel continued to work at the clinic, operating, saving lives. But that October story remained forever in his memory as something special. One spring day, when warmth finally came to the capital and streams flowed through the streets, Alina entered his office.
— Doctor, there’s a visitor downstairs. Says she’s here to see you. Not a patient, just… well, you’ll see.
Pavel went down to the lobby and saw Zara. She was wearing a light dress, her hair was down, and in her arms, she held a now bigger Masha, who was happily babbling something unintelligible. Next to her stood a little girl of about five in a bright dress, probably a niece or younger sister.
— Doctor Romanov, — Zara smiled, and that smile lit up everything around. — It’s so good to see you.
— Zara, — Pavel hugged her like a friend. — What brings you here?
— Masha and I came to the hospital for a routine check-up with the pediatrician. And I thought I should stop by and see you.
— To thank me again?
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