The side door of the hospital opened. A man in jeans and a dark jacket came out. He was holding a bundle in his arms—an infant wrapped in a pink blanket. Katya squinted, peering closer. The man was tall, athletic, with dark hair. Her heart sank.
It was Andrey. Her husband. Andrey, who half an hour ago said he was on his way to work.
Katya froze, unable to move. She watched as Andrey carefully held the blanket in which something was squirming. A baby. A newborn. Maybe she was mistaken? Maybe it wasn’t him? Just a look-alike?
But then a woman came out of the door behind Andrey. Light curly hair, blue eyes, a familiar face.
Lena. Her sister. Who was supposed to be lying in a hospital room, tired after giving birth, the one Katya was planning to visit.
Katya felt the ground give way beneath her. She grabbed the fence with her free hand to keep from falling. Her breathing became shallow and rapid. Her vision blurred.
“Breathe,” the gypsy woman said quietly, finally releasing her wrist. “Just breathe.”
Katya couldn’t tear her eyes away from them. Andrey and Lena were standing by the side exit, talking. Andrey was saying something, smiling, looking at the baby. Lena was laughing, adjusting the blanket. They looked like a family. Like a happy couple with a newborn child.
No. No, it’s impossible. This can’t be happening. Katya took a step forward, wanting to approach them, to scream, to ask what was going on. But her legs wouldn’t obey, as if filled with lead.
The gypsy woman quietly stepped aside, disappearing somewhere behind her.
Andrey bent down to the baby, kissed its forehead. Then he handed the bundle to Lena. She took the child, held it close, and they walked on towards the parking lot. Katya forced herself to move. She followed them, holding onto the hospital wall, trying not to lose sight of them. Her head was spinning, her ears were ringing. She stumbled, almost fell, and grabbed the corner of the building.
Andrey and Lena stopped by a black car. Katya recognized it, it was Andrey’s car. He opened the back door, helped Lena get in with the baby. They were talking about something. Katya was too far away to make out the words, but she could see their faces. Andrey was smiling. Lena too. Happy. Content.
Katya moved closer, hiding behind a tree. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of her chest. Her hands were trembling. She pressed her palms against the tree trunk, feeling the rough bark under her fingers. And then she heard Lena’s voice:
“Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything to her. I’ll say I have nowhere to go with the baby, that my parents kicked me out. She’s kind, she’ll let me stay.”
“And what if she doesn’t?” That was Andrey’s voice.
“She will,” Lena laughed. “She’s my sister, after all. She won’t leave me on the street with a baby. And from there, it will be easier.”
“Are you sure?” Andrey sounded uncertain.
“Of course. Listen, I told you, she has a three-bedroom apartment from her grandmother. It’s only in her name. We just need to get settled there, and then…”
Katya held her breath.
“Then what?” Andrey asked.
“Then we’ll kick her out.” Lena said it so casually, as if talking about the weather. “I consulted with a lawyer. If we get registered there, it will be harder to evict us. And then, maybe we can sue for something. I have a child now, I’m entitled to housing by law. And she’s alone, young, let her find a place to live herself.”
Katya covered her mouth with her hand to keep from screaming. A cold sweat broke out on her body. She heard the words but couldn’t believe they were spoken. By her sister. Lena, whom she loved, protected, and helped her whole life.
“And what if she doesn’t agree to register us?” Andrey’s voice was cautious.
“She will. You know Katya, she’s soft, easy to manipulate. I’ll play on her pity, cry, say I have nowhere to go with the baby. She’ll fall for it, she always does. The main thing is to present it correctly.”
“Alright,” Andrey sighed. “I just don’t want any problems. I need that apartment. I’m tired of living on her territory, you know?”
“I know,” Lena rested her head on his shoulder. “Soon everything will be different. The three of us will live together: you, me, and our son. And Katya can go wherever she wants.”
Our son. Those two words hit like a blow. Katya felt something inside her break, shatter. The baby Lena had given birth to. It wasn’t the child of the missing Slava. It was Andrey’s child. Her husband and her sister.
How long had this been going on? Six months? A year? More? Katya remembered how Lena started visiting often after the wedding. How Andrey would lock himself in his room when Lena was over. How her sister announced her pregnancy, and then this Slava disappeared. Maybe there was no Slava? Maybe all this time…
Her head was spinning. Katya leaned her forehead against the tree, trying to fight off the nausea. It became hard to breathe, the air wouldn’t enter her lungs.
“How are you doing over there, not tired?” Andrey asked…
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