Svetlana felt like the happiest woman in the world. In just a year, her life had transformed completely. One year ago, she had lived with her aunt, who treated her like a slave. Her aunt did nothing around the house or garden, simply coming in from the street to flop onto the couch.

Svetlana dreamed of finishing her education, finding a job, and escaping that life. Her aunt frequently criticized her over trivial things, though she received benefits for Svetlana and earned a good income selling produce from the garden.

Then, something extraordinary happened.

She met a handsome, confident, and intelligent man named Alexey. Alexey worked as a manager and had his own apartment. He was decisive and always acted on his decisions. One day, he told her, “I can’t do this anymore. Your aunt doesn’t let you live properly, and that’s not enough for me. I want you to always be near. Move in with me.”

Svetlana didn’t hesitate. Though he didn’t propose marriage, just suggested they live together, she didn’t mind. It seemed trivial compared to the joy of being with him. Her aunt yelled at her, saying she was no longer family and should never come back, but Svetlana didn’t even glance back.

They were so happy together! Svetlana made their apartment a warm, cozy home and eagerly returned from work, knowing it would always be like this. That day, she was coming home from the clinic, overwhelmed with joy. She had suspected something for a while, and today she had taken the day off to confirm it. As she hurried home, she couldn’t wait to share the wonderful news—she was expecting twins. She was filled with happiness and knew their future would be bright.

But when she opened the door to the apartment, a strange scent hit her. It was familiar, but oddly out of place. Perfume—her perfume, the one Alexey had given her. She hadn’t liked it much and hadn’t used it in months.

She stepped into the room and froze. Strange noises were coming from the bedroom.

Could it be a thief? After all, Alexey wasn’t supposed to be home for another half hour. Grabbing a mop for protection, Svetlana quietly made her way to the bedroom. When she opened the door, she froze in sh0ck. It was Alexey—though not alone. A beautiful young woman, someone completely different from Svetlana, was with him. They didn’t notice her at first.

When Lesha finally saw her, the girl screamed and threw a sheet over herself. Alexey stood up and, as if nothing happened, calmly said:

“What are you looking at like that? You’re not a child, you should understand that these things happen. There was love, but it’s gone. Although, honestly, it was just infatuation, nothing more.”

Alexey’s words echoed in Svetlana’s ears. She wanted to say something, to prove that he was wrong, that their love was real, but she couldn’t. Silently, she turned around and ran out of the apartment. Already on the stairs, she heard Alexey yell after her:

“I’ll pack your things, you can come and get them!”

What things? Why did she need things if her world had just collapsed, leaving only emptiness around her, pressing in from all sides? Svetlana woke up late at night. She looked around and saw an unfamiliar, old courtyard with crumbling two-story houses that seemed long abandoned. After some thought, she decided to go to her aunt’s. Surely, she wouldn’t throw her out on the street at such a time?

She stood for a long time outside her aunt’s house, looking at the dark windows, remembering how her aunt used to tell her that Svetlana would surely get involved with bad company, that she was “no good.” Those words her aunt yelled when Svetlana left, threatening her with a fist and ordering her not to show up on her doorstep again.

The sky was beginning to lighten. Svetlana sighed, turned around, and walked away from the house. Half an hour later, she was on the riverbank, looking at the calm water, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Forgive me… I just can’t… I can’t handle it,” she whispered, bidding farewell mentally to the two lives that had just begun to form inside her.

Overcoming her tears, she stood up from the grass and looked at her watch. It was about half past six in the morning. She decided that if all went well, everything would be finished by the end of the day. Svetlana wiped away her tears, looked into a small mirror, adjusted her hair, and headed to the bus stop. A long journey awaited her: first the bus, then the train.

When she entered the train car, it was almost empty—just a few passengers and an elderly woman.

Almost immediately, a conductor appeared, and Svetlana noticed how the grandmother hesitated, looking around fearfully. She realized: she didn’t have a ticket.

“Grandmother, do you not have a ticket?” Svetlana quietly asked.

“Yes, dear. I forgot my wallet at home again, I’ve become so absent-minded. But it’s so important for me to get to my grandson, I’ve baked him some pies,” the old woman replied embarrassedly.

Svetlana involuntarily smiled and, without hesitation, approached the conductor to pay for both their fares. The female conductor, understanding the situation, accepted the money, and Svetlana returned to the grandmother. She smiled at her gratefully.

“Thank you, dear. I don’t know what I would have done if they had dropped me off in the middle of the road.”

“Well, you could have called your grandson to come pick you up.”

“Oh, what are you saying,” the grandmother fluttered her hands frightenedly. “He always scolds me for traveling across the city to him. He says I need to rest, to walk, not to drag myself around the city. Seryozha is good to me, has a tough job, little time, but tries to come, though rarely.”

From the grandmother emanated such warmth and care that Svetlana felt something she hadn’t experienced in a long time—a sense of home comfort, which she never knew. Her parents had died when she was very little, and the aunt who took her in never showed her an ounce of kindness.

“And where are you headed, dear? Something happened? Your eyes are all tearful…”

Svetlana suddenly couldn’t hold back and burst into tears.

«I thought everything was fine, that I would be happy… but he… he betrayed me. I don’t want to get rid of them, they are so tiny, but they are mine. But I can’t doom them to such a life. I can’t…»

The grandmother silently stroked Svetlana’s head, trying to calm her.

«It’s hard for you now,» the old woman quietly said, «but I see you have a kind soul. You will regret it if you do this now.»

Svetlana quietly replied, «but I have nowhere to live, let alone to take care of them.»

At the next station, Svetlana quickly said goodbye and went her way, while the grandmother stood for a long time, watching her leave. While Svetlana was giving blood samples and signing papers, more than an hour passed.

She ran to the hospital. She stopped at the entrance to the hospital, her heart painfully clenched, but she gathered her strength and pushed the door open.

Upon entering, she immediately noticed the grandmother—the very one who had traveled with her on the train that morning.

The old woman seemed to be waiting for her and immediately approached:

«I was so hoping you’d change your mind!»

«Grandmother, please, don’t torment me, I came to get it done while I haven’t changed my mind,» Svetlana replied.

«Dear, wait, let’s go with me first, I want to introduce you to my grandson.»

«But I don’t have time!» Svetlana objected.

«You’ll make it, don’t worry,» the old woman confidently said, firmly taking Svetlana by the hand and insistently leading her somewhere.

Nurses passing by watched them with a smile, and Svetlana realized that the grandmother was clearly «one of their own.» They walked down a long corridor, and the grandmother confidently reached for the door handle labeled «Chief Physician.»

«Wait…» Svetlana managed to say before the door opened, and a man appeared on the threshold, not as old as she had expected.

Usually, it seems that bosses, especially in a hospital, are almost of retirement age. But this one was younger than Svetlana had assumed.

«I was waiting for you. Grandmother already told me everything about you,» he said with a light smile. «Come in, grandmother, take a seat for now.»

«Alright, Seryozh, I’ll sit down, my legs are tired,» the old woman replied, slyly smiling.

They entered the office. Svetlana felt out of place, as if she were guilty of something.

«Take a seat,» the man offered, pointing to a chair.

Svetlana shook her head slightly:

«Dissuading me is useless, I’ve already decided.»

«Allow me to disagree,» he gently countered. «If you had really firmly decided, you wouldn’t be in this office. You knew that grandmother was trying to dissuade you, but still, you let her bring you here.»

Svetlana suddenly looked up, realizing he was right.

«Really… Grandmother is a complete stranger to me, but somehow I listened to her,» she said, puzzled.

«You see,» said Sergey Anatolyevich, the chief physician, pushing a glass of water towards her, «not everything is lost yet. You have five minutes, don’t rush. Sit down.»

Svetlana sat down again, tears welling up in her eyes.

«There, and you say you’ve already decided,» he said with a light smile, sitting next to her. «Svetlana, be honest, did you decide to get rid of the child just because your fiancé betrayed you? Sorry for being blunt, but grandmother told me everything.»

«Not just because of that… I have nowhere to live now, I can’t return to my aunt,» Svetlana said, sobbing. Sergey Anatolyevich handed her a glass of water again.

«What if I offer you a way out? You see, I treasure my grandmother very much, she’s the only one I have. But she’s so restless—every time she rushes across the city to me, I worry about her. Stopping her is impossible. The whole hospital lives on her pies, but she needs someone to care for, someone to be near. Today, when grandmother told me about you, I thought: maybe God sent you to me?

He paused briefly, then continued:

«Agree to become her companion. Not for free, of course. You will live with her, take care of her, give birth to your babies… and continue to live together. Grandmother worked all her life as a pediatrician—she can help you with the children, and you will be near her. Well, Svetlana, agree. Save your babies, and I—my nerves.»

Svetlana looked attentively at Sergey Anatolyevich, not knowing what to say.

«I… I’m just not sure…» she muttered.