Dmitry thought for a moment, choosing his words.
— You know, I’ve made a lot of money. More than I can spend. And at some point, I realized that money itself doesn’t bring happiness. Happiness is seeing results. Seeing how your help changes other people’s lives. You gave me that opportunity. So it’s I who should be thanking you.
They exchanged smiles. Understanding, mutual respect, something more—it all hung in the air between them.
— Let’s go, — Dmitry nodded towards the exit. — I’ll give you a ride home. For the last time.
— The last time?
— Well, you’re the director of a center with a good salary now. You can afford a taxi, can’t you? — he winked.
They went outside. It was a warm May evening, smelling of lilac and fresh greenery. Anna took a deep breath.
— Do you know what the most important thing I’ve learned this year is?
— What?
— That injustice isn’t the end. It can be the beginning of something new. If I hadn’t been fired from “Midlife,” I would have remained an orderly. I wouldn’t have found my calling. I wouldn’t have created the center. I wouldn’t have helped so many people.
— So, we should be thanking Irina Volkova? — Dmitry chuckled.
— Maybe, — Anna thought. — In a way. She pushed me onto this path. Even if she didn’t mean to.
They reached Anna’s home. Katya ran out to meet them, let out by Aunt Valya.
— Auntie Anya! Dmitry Sergeevich! Look, I got an ‘A’ in math today! — the girl waved her grade book.
Anna hugged her and looked at Dmitry.
— Thank you. For everything.
— No, thank you, — he waved to Katya. — Stay healthy, Katenka. And become a doctor, like you promised.
— I definitely will! — the girl laughed. — I’ll treat children, like Auntie Anya.
The car drove away. Anna watched it go, holding Katya’s hand.
— Auntie Anya, are we happy? — the girl suddenly asked.
Anna knelt down and looked into her niece’s eyes.
— Yes, sunshine. We are happy. Very happy.
And it was the truth. A year ago, she had lost her job, her money, her faith in justice. And now she had a calling that gave meaning to every day. She had a cause that helped hundreds of people. She had a healthy, happy Katya. And she had people who believed in her and supported her.
Injustice didn’t break her. It made her stronger. And it helped her find her path—the path of helping others, continuing her mother’s work, creating something important and necessary.
Anna picked Katya up and walked towards the entrance of her building. Ahead was the usual evening routine: dinner, homework, a bedtime story. Simple, ordinary things. But now they were filled with meaning and happiness. And tomorrow would be another day of work at the center. New patients, new stories, new lives saved. And Anna was ready for all of it. Because she had found what was worth living for: the opportunity to make the world a little better.
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