After the betrayal of his wife and friends, a man who was getting richer and richer returned to his hometown.

The girl stepped forward, talking nonstop.

Within five minutes, Alexei knew everything.

He knew that she had told her mother not to drink cold water in the heat and that, unfortunately, her mother had fallen ill.

Liza had come to the grave of her grandmother, who had died a year earlier.

The grandmother would have reprimanded her mother and then she would not have gotten sick.

Liza had already been studying for a year and dreamed of finishing school with a gold medal.

Alexei felt his soul being relieved.

How sincere children are!

He now understood that he would have been happy if he had had a simple, loving wife and a son.

Someone to wait for him at home after work.

Her Irina was like an expensive doll and she didn’t even want to hear about children.

He said that only a stupid woman would give up beauty for a crying baby.

They had been married for five years.

And now Alexei realized: he didn’t even have a warm memory of his marriage.

He placed the bucket inside the fence, and Liza began to carefully water the flowers.

Alexei looked at the monument and froze.

In the photograph was the neighbor with whom he had agreed to take care of the house.

She was Katia’s mother.

He looked away at the girl.

“Galina Petrovna was your grandmother?”

“Yes.

“Did you know her?” The girl asked.

“In fact, why do I ask?”

I only saw them at Grandma Gala’s grave.

My mother and I always clean there and bring flowers.

“You and your mother?” Alexei asked, confused.

“Yes, with my mother.

I told you, my mother won’t let me go to the cemetery alone.

The girl took the bucket, looked around, and said:

“Enough, I have to run away; if not, my mother will worry and ask me a lot of questions, and I don’t know how to lie.

“Wait, I’ll take you in the car,” Alexei said.

Liza shook her head.

“My mother told me not to get into the car of unknown people.

And I don’t want to upset her, because she’s sick.

Liza quickly said goodbye and ran away.

Alexei returned to his mother’s grave.

He sat down and thought about it.

“It’s strange… Katia seems not to have lived here; he had only come to visit his mother.”

“But now it seems that he lives here and has a daughter…”

I didn’t know then that Katia had a child.

Although, who knows how old Liza is?

Maybe Katia got married and gave birth to her.

Thinking like this, Alexei stood up.

He realized that, most likely, Katia herself was now taking care of the house and he was paying her without knowing it.

After all, how important was it to whom it paid?

Alexei stopped in front of the house.

His heart sank.

The house looked exactly the same as it did then.

It seemed that, at any moment, his mother would come out onto the porch, wipe away her tears with the corner of her apron, and hug him.

Alexei stayed in the car for a long time.

But his mother did not come out.

Finally, he went down and entered the courtyard.

He was surprised: the flowers were planted, the garden was manicured, everything was clean and beautiful.

Bravo, Katia! I had to reward her.

And inside the house it was clean and fresh, as if someone had lived there until recently and left only for a short time.

Alexei sat down at the table, but he couldn’t stay long.

I had to go to the neighbor to clear things up, then rest.

READ HERE.

The door was opened by Liza.

“Oh, you! She smiled mischievously, putting a finger to her lips.

“Don’t tell Mom that we met at the cemetery!”

Alexei made a gesture as if he locked his mouth, and Liza laughed happily.

“Come in!” It was heard from the room.

“I feel better, but please don’t get too close, lest you get sick.”

Katia looked at him scared.

“You?”

Alexei smiled.

“Hello.

Looking around, he asked:

“Where is your husband?”

The question was unnecessary; I already sensed that the husband was not there and perhaps he had never been there.

“Alexei… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about your mother’s death.

With work in the city it’s difficult, so I took care of the house.

“I’m sorry for you, Katia.

“And thank you very much for the care.

“I went in and felt that my mother had left only for an instant.

“Everything is so clean, so welcoming.

“How long do you plan to stay?”

“Not much.

“Only a few days.

“And what do you want to do with the house?”

“Are you selling it?”

Alexei shrugged.

“I haven’t thought about it yet.

“Katia, look…

He took out an envelope.

“This is for you.

“Like a bonus for taking care of the house.

He put a considerable sum of money on the table.

“Alexei, what are you doing?” No need!

“Thank you, Mr. Alexei!” Liza smiled.

“Mom has been dreaming of a new dress for a long time, and I want a bicycle.

Alexei laughed.

—¡Bravo, Lisa!

He was just like him as a child: money never eluded him.

In the evening, Alexei began to feel ill.

It looks like he had gotten sick.

He had a high fever.

He knew where his mother always kept the thermometer; He found it, measured his temperature and understood that he had to take measures.

Not knowing what medicines to take, he sent an SMS to Katia: “What should I take for a high fever?”

Ten minutes later, the neighbors were already with him.

“My God!”

“Why did you enter the house?”

“Have you infected me?”

“Hey, you’re sick too.

“Don’t worry.

“I feel better now.

Katia offered him the pills, and Liza made him tea.

“I’m going to burn!”

—¿Quién? ¿Lizuța?

“No, I’m going to burn!” She is an expert in everything!

Alexei smiled.

He seemed to hear a click in his mind, as in his childhood.

His thoughts suddenly cleared.

“Katya.”

She looked at him uneasily.

“What happened?”

—When was Liza born?

Katia sat down, tired, in a chair.

“Why do you want to know?”

“¿Katya?”

The woman turned to her daughter.

“Lizuța, run to the store, buy some lemons and something to drink.”

“Okay, Mom.

After Liza came out, Katia began:

“Alexei, let’s set the record straight from the beginning: Liza has no relation to you.

“We don’t want anything from you.”

“We have everything we need.

“Forget it.

“How?” So is it true?

“Katia, do you understand what you’re saying?”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Alexei jumped up.

“I decided to stay with the girl alone.

“You had no involvement.

“I didn’t even think you’d come back.

“Much less that you would care.

Alexei sat down again.

“I hurt your soul then…”

Katia shrugged.

“I’m over it. You see it well.

Alexei guardó silencio.

I was in shock.

All those years he had lived a false life, and the real life was here, at home, in front of him, in the person of Liza and Katia.

Now, as he looked at her, he realized: what more could he want?

Nothing.

I didn’t need anything else.

—Alexei?

“What are you going to do?”

“Please don’t say anything to Liza.”

“If you leave and she waits for you, she will suffer.

“No, Katia, that won’t happen.

“How could you think that of me?”

“I don’t even know exactly what to do yet…

That night, Alexei dreamed of his mother.

She smiled at him, happy, and told him that she had always dreamed of having a granddaughter like Liza.

Alexei left after three days.

Katia remained seated at the table and listened to him.

“Then like this: I take care of some business and come back.

“It will last a week, maybe a little longer.

“But I’m coming back, and not just to visit.

“I have come to bring them both back into my life.

“I promise I won’t say anything to Liza if—” if it doesn’t work between us.

“But I’ll help anyway.

“Katia, tell me, do I have a chance?”

—An opportunity to be happy, to be a family.

Katia shrugged her shoulders and wiped away a tear.

“I don’t know, Alexei.

He returned after just three weeks.

He stopped the car not at his house, but at Katia’s house.

He took out of the trunk large bags with gifts for Liza and Katia.

He entered the house.

“Good morning.

Katia was sewing something.

He looked up and gave a faint smile.

“Have you come?”

“I told you I’d come back.”

“Where is he…

Liza appeared in the room.

“Good morning, Mr. Alexei.

Katia got up.

“I’ve thought about everything you told me and—”

“Liza, I want to introduce you to your father.

Alexei dropped the bags from his hands.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

A week later, they left together.

They put both houses up for sale.

They decided to start a new life from scratch.

Liza was still a little shy.

Sometimes she called him “Dad,” other times “Mr. Alexei.”

But he laughed, hugged them both, and knew: now everything would be as it should have been from the beginning.

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