In the tenth grade, Lena began dating Dmitry. He was athletic, charming, and, it seemed to her then, the only person who truly understood her. They often walked in the park, discussing their dreams and making plans for the future. They wanted to live together, to create something big. Lena believed their romance would be eternal.
However, everything changed after graduation. Dmitry suddenly grew distant. Their walks in the park became a rarity, and during their meetings, he spoke more and more about his ambitions, about the importance of getting into a prestigious university.
“Lena, we need to talk,” he said one day, stopping in an alley of their favorite park.
“Something’s wrong,” she said, feeling everything inside her shrink into a tight, cold knot.
“You see,” he began, avoiding her gaze, “our relationship… it’s no longer appropriate. I have plans. I want to go to university, build a career, and our relationship,” he hesitated, “it’s only getting in the way.”
Lena felt her world fall apart. “Getting in the way?” she asked, her voice trembling. “How can you give up on everything we dreamed of together? I thought we would handle everything, together.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, his words sounding rehearsed and cold. “But I’ve decided this will be better for both of us.”
Lena stood still for a long time, watching Dmitry leave without even turning around. Her heart broke. But this was only the beginning of her trials.
A few weeks later, her life turned upside down once again. She found out she was pregnant.
The news was a shock. She sat with the pregnancy test in her hands, not believing her eyes. Fear, confusion, and a weak sliver of hope reigned in her soul. Lena decided to tell her parents, hoping for their support. But everything turned out otherwise.
“You’ve disgraced us!” her mother shouted, clutching a handkerchief to her mouth. “Not in our house! This will not happen in our house!”
“Do you understand what you’ve done?” her father yelled, looking at his daughter as if she were a complete stranger.
Lena tried to explain that she was ready to take responsibility, to raise her child. But their words cut deeper than a knife.
“You can raise your child anywhere but here,” her mother said, her voice final. The door slammed shut behind her.
Evening came, and the city was plunged into a gray, wintery gloom. Lena stood on the porch of what was once her home, tightly clutching a small bag in her hands. She had nowhere to go, except to her great-grandmother, Tatyana Ilyinichna. She lived in another city, but Lena knew that her grandmother would never refuse her.
Tatyana Ilyinichna met her at the threshold of her cozy, albeit small, house. She immediately noticed the tear-stained eyes and tired face of her granddaughter, but she didn’t ask a single unnecessary question. “Lenochka, come in, child. There is always a place for you here,” she said, embracing her granddaughter.
The grandmother gave Lena time to come to her senses and warm up. At dinner, Lena couldn’t stand it anymore and told her everything: the fight with her parents, the pregnancy, how scared she was. “Mother said I disgraced them, that I’m no longer their daughter,” she whispered, barely holding back her tears.
Tatyana Ilyinichna sighed heavily and stroked her shoulder. “Daughter, people can say many things. But a child is always a happiness. And I will help you as best I can. You will cope.” In that house, Lena felt warmth for the first time in many long days.
Miroslav was born in a small maternity hospital, where every step was accompanied by the caring gaze of her grandmother. Tatyana Ilyinichna was by Lena’s side the whole time, from the first contractions to the moment a tiny boy with fluffy hair was in her arms.
Looking at her son, Lena felt her heart fill with a happiness so fierce it took her breath away. “You are my joy,” she whispered, stroking a tiny palm.
Years passed. Every day, Miroslav became more inquisitive. He asked a lot of questions about everything that surrounded him. One evening, sitting with his great-grandmother on the veranda, he suddenly looked at her with serious eyes and asked, “Why does everyone at kindergarten have a grandfather and grandmother, and I have never seen them? Mom said you are my great-grandmother.”
Tatyana Ilyinichna paused her knitting. “Miroslav,” she began gently, “this is not a simple question. You know, sometimes adults make mistakes. Your grandparents… they were just scared.”
Miroslav frowned, not understanding. “Scared?”
“Yes, grandson. They were scared of your appearance.”
“How could they be scared of me, grandmother? After all, I was just a little child,” the boy said, surprised.
“You won’t understand yet, but I will try to explain. When your mother found out she was having you, her parents couldn’t understand how important it was. They thought more about what others would say than about how much she was waiting for you.”
“They didn’t want me?” the boy asked quietly, his voice trembling.
“That’s not so, my dear,” Tatyana Ilyinichna said, gently kissing his forehead. “People get scared and choose the easy way out. But your mother, she chose love. And you know, that is the most important thing.”
“But you are always with me, grandmother?” he clarified, and in his voice, hope could be heard.
“Always, my dear,” she replied with a smile. “Because family are those who love and care, not just those who share your blood.”
Lena, watching them from the kitchen, felt tears rolling down her cheeks. The conversation was painful, but her grandmother, as always, had found the right words.
The boy grew up, and every year brought new challenges. At school, he was an inquisitive and interested student, especially drawn to the exact sciences. When Miroslav turned fifteen, it was time to think about the future.
“I want to go where I can learn to draw and invent something new,” he announced one evening.
Lena smiled. “You will definitely choose what you like, son. Your grandmother and I will always support you.”
Suddenly, Lena’s life changed. A large café opened in their small town, run by a young entrepreneur named Artyom. He was a man full of ideas and enthusiasm. Lena first met him while helping her grandmother with groceries. Artyom was sociable, and his light smile immediately put her at ease. He noticed her kindness and modesty. “You are a very caring mother,” he said.
They began to see each other more often. Artyom, having learned about her son, was eager to meet him. Miroslav was cautious at first, but Artyom easily found a common language with the boy. One day, Artyom noticed several paintings that Miroslav had painted. “You did this yourself?” he asked, surprised.
“Yes,” Miroslav replied, a little embarrassed. “It’s just for myself.”
“Wow, they would be perfect for my café! Can I buy them from you?”
A few days later, the boy’s paintings took pride of place on the walls of the café, attracting the attention of visitors. Lena, seeing how proud her son was, felt that Artyom had brought warmth and support into their lives.
It was dark outside when there was a knock on the door. Lena, busy cleaning, looked out of the window and saw two familiar figures on the threshold. Her parents. She hadn’t seen them since that terrible night fifteen years ago. Old wounds resurfaced.
Miroslav, noticing her tension, quietly asked, “Who is it, mother?”
“It’s your grandfather and grandmother,” Lena said with difficulty, opening the door.
Tatyana Ilyinichna met her son and his wife with a stern look. “Come in, if you have come with good intentions,” she said briefly.
There was a tense atmosphere in the house. Lena’s parents sat down at the table, their eyes quickly sweeping over the furnishings, as if trying to assess how it corresponded to their ideas.
“We decided to visit you,” the mother began, adjusting her collar. “The years go by, it’s time to restore the connection.”
Lena nodded restrainedly, but there was no warmth in her eyes. She listened as her parents talked about how hard it was for them during this time, how they worried about her fate, but their words sounded cold and insincere.
Miroslav, who had been silent until then, suddenly stepped forward. “And where were you when my mother was alone? When it was hard for her?” he asked directly.
Lena’s parents’ faces first expressed bewilderment, then embarrassment. “We… we just wanted her to be independent…”
“My family is my mom and my great-grandmother,” he said. “They always took care of me. And you just came because you were suddenly bored.”
Lena felt her heart shrink at her son’s words. She wanted to say something, but Tatyana Ilyinichna put a hand on her shoulder. “Miroslav, go to your room,” the old woman said gently. When the boy had left, she returned to the table. “You know, I thought that you would finally pluck up the courage and come to your daughter with an apology. But now I see only excuses.”
“Mom, we weren’t going to offend her,” her son began, but she interrupted.
“No, Igor, you just chose the easy way. Lena was a child, and you turned away from her because you were afraid of responsibility.”
“But we were worried…” Igor’s wife tried to interject, but her words sounded pathetic.
“You would have helped if you were worried. But now it’s too late. Lena has raised a beautiful son. She has a family. And there is no place for you in this family until you learn to admit your mistakes.”
These words sounded like a sentence. Lena’s parents got up from the table, not finding the words to answer. They left in silence, each of them feeling that this visit had changed nothing but their own sense of guilt, which was strengthened even more.
The long-awaited graduation day came. Miroslav looked happy and proud in his new suit. That evening, parents, teachers, and graduates gathered at the school. Miroslav received a certificate of commendation, and the director mentioned him in his speech as a student setting an example for others. Lena and Tatyana Ilyinichna sat in the hall, proudly applauding.
After the official part, Lena stood at the window, admiring how Miroslav laughed with his classmates. Suddenly, she felt a slight push on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw her father, Igor.
“I wanted to talk,” he said quietly, avoiding her gaze.
“I understand that it’s too late,” he began, looking at his daughter. “But I want to say that I regret my decision. I shouldn’t have left you then.”
Lena pursed her lips, trying not to betray her emotions. “You chose your path yourself. And now we have everything we need: a family, support…”
Igor turned to Tatyana Ilyinichna. “Mom, you were right. You were always right. Only now I realized that I listened to my wife and made a mistake.”
Tatyana Ilyinichna sighed, but her gaze remained firm. “It is good to understand mistakes, Igor. But it was necessary not to listen, but to think. Now, this family is being built without you.”
Lena nodded. She was no longer afraid of either the past or their return. The most important thing, she knew, was to follow what makes you happy, and to remember that the sun always shines on what you do with love.