“Of course, there’s a good elementary school in our town,” Sam promised firmly. Ellie jumped for joy. “Leo, did you hear? We’re going to school!”
They left the station as an officially registered temporary family. The air outside smelled of autumn chill and freedom. “Mr. Sam,” Ellie asked shyly, pointing to an ice cream stand, “can I?”
Sam smiled broadly. “Of course, you can. Today is a real celebration—we’re together now.” Ellie carefully licked her ice cream bar. “Is this for a long time, Mr. Sam?”
“I hope it’s forever,” Sam said very quietly, and Leo saw something warm and familiar in his eyes.
The next morning, Sam set about making the cabin more comfortable for the children. In a corner of the room, he began building two separate beds from pine boards. Leo watched with interest and offered to help. “Mr. Sam, can I help?”
Ellie settled on the old sofa with her teddy bear and gave important instructions. “Mr. Bear, you supervise the work.” By evening, the beds were finished, and at dinner, they sat together at one table for the first time, like a real family.
Ellie suddenly asked, “Mr. Sam, can I call you Dad?” Sam looked at the little girl, his eyes welling up. “Of course, you can, sweetheart.”
The next day, Sam took the children to town for supplies, buying them new clothes and school things. Ellie saw a pretty blue dress. “Oh, it’s so beautiful!” Sam bought it without a second thought, reassuring Leo that they had enough money.
A week later, it was their first day of school. The teacher welcomed them warmly. During recess, Ellie showed her teddy bear to her classmates. “This is my bear, a gift from my mom. My mom is in heaven.”
That evening at dinner, the children chattered about school, and Ellie drew a picture of their new family: a tall man, a boy, and a girl with a teddy bear. Leo did his homework, and Sam helped him with his math. “You’re really good at being a dad,” Leo said seriously.
Two weeks later, Ms. Davis called. “Mr. Kozlov, we’ve located the children’s parents. They’re on the run, owe a large sum of money, but their parental rights haven’t been terminated. Legally, they could demand the children back.”
Sam didn’t tell the children, but Leo noticed his anxiety. That evening, Sam sat them down for a family talk. “If anything happens, I want you to know that I love you very much. And I will always love you, no matter what.”
Leo and Ellie hugged him. “We love you too, Dad. You’re our real dad, not like that mean man.”
The next morning, a black car pulled up to the cabin. Ms. Davis and a detective named Morozov got out. Sam met them in the yard, tense, while the children hid inside.
“We need to have a very serious conversation,” the detective said. Inside, Morozov opened a file. “The father on Ellie’s birth certificate is her biological father. But with Leo, it’s a more interesting story.”
“His certificate lists the same father, but according to medical records, that’s impossible. They have completely different blood types. Leo has a rare type, AB negative.”
Sam turned white as a sheet. “I… I have that exact same blood type.” The detective nodded. “That’s why we’re here. Would you consent to a DNA test to establish paternity?”
“Of course, I consent,” Sam answered with trembling hands. A week of agonizing waiting passed, and finally, the phone rang.
“Mr. Kozlov? This is Detective Morozov. We have the results. The probability of paternity is 99.9%. Leo is your biological son.” Sam dropped the phone and slowly sank to the floor, tears of joy streaming down his face…
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