Tatyana Nikolaevna was sitting in an empty apartment, looking at a cup of cold tea. Three months had passed since the day Igor packed his things and left for twenty-five-year-old Kristina. Twenty-three years of marriage collapsed in one moment when he declared that he “wanted to feel alive.” At fifty-two, Tatyana suddenly found herself of no use to anyone.
A phone call interrupted her gloomy thoughts. An unfamiliar male voice introduced itself:
Tatyana Nikolaevna? This is notary Petrov. I have important information for you. Your father is looking for you.
Her heart skipped a beat. Father? But she never knew her father. Her mother always said that he died when Tanya was two years old.
Sorry, but you are probably mistaken, – she said confusedly. – My father died a long time ago.
— No, Tatyana Nikolaevna. I am calling on behalf of Nikolay Sergeyevich Volkov. He is alive, but seriously ill. He has been looking for you for a long time and really wants to meet. He doesn’t have much time.
Her head was spinning. All her life she thought that she lost her father in early childhood, and now it turns out that he is alive and looking for her. Why? Why now?
— He asked me to tell you that he understands your possible indignation, but begs you to give him a chance to explain everything, — the notary continued. — Can I tell him your answer?
Tatyana was silent, trying to digest what she had heard. Everything inside her turned upside down. First, her husband left her, now suddenly her father, who never existed, showed up. Life had clearly decided to give her another surprise.
— Okay, — she finally squeezed out. — I will meet him.
The meeting was arranged for the following day. Tatyana spent the night tossing and turning in her bed, her mind racing. What could she possibly say to a man who had been absent from her life for more than fifty years? Was she even ready to face him?
When the time finally arrived, Tatyana took a deep breath and entered the room where her father was waiting. The notary had told her that Nikolay Sergeyevich was frail and weakened by illness, but the man sitting in front of her seemed nothing like the ghost she had imagined. He looked just like the photograph her mother had once shown her, but older. His once-black hair had turned silver, and his once-strong hands now trembled slightly. Yet, his eyes… those were the same.
“Nikolay Sergeyevich?” she asked softly, still unsure if she was ready for this.
“Yes, Tatyana. It’s me,” he said in a voice that, despite its weariness, still held a certain strength. “I know this is unexpected, but please, let me explain.”
Tatyana nodded, though her thoughts were spinning. “Why now? Why after all this time?” she asked, her voice catching.
Nikolay Sergeyevich sighed, his eyes growing sad. “I made a terrible mistake all those years ago. I was young, and I thought leaving would be the best thing for everyone. But I never stopped thinking about you, Tatyana. Your mother kept you from me, and for that, I have nothing but regret. I know it’s too late to make up for all that lost time, but I want to tell you the truth. I wanted you to know who I am before it was too late.”
Tatyana blinked back tears. She had always imagined this moment, but she never expected it to feel so surreal. The father she had spent her whole life missing was now sitting in front of her, asking for forgiveness. But what could she say to him? Could she forgive him for all the years he was absent? And how could she process the fact that he had been searching for her all this time?
As she sat in silence, thinking, her phone rang. It was Igor.
“Hello, Tanya?” he asked hesitantly.
Her heart tightened. “What is it, Igor?”
“I… I was thinking,” he began, his voice softer than usual. “Maybe I made a mistake. I know things were hard between us, but I miss you. I miss… everything we had. I was hoping we could talk.”
Tatyana felt a wave of emotions crash over her. The past few months had been difficult, but hearing Igor’s voice now, after everything that had happened, stirred something deep within her. Could she forgive him, too?
But before she could respond, she glanced at her father, who was still watching her with a quiet sadness in his eyes. The choice was hers to make, and she knew, deep down, that she had to decide where her heart truly lay. Would she continue to seek answers from a man who had never been there, or would she give her marriage another chance?
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