If Ulyana had been told that something like this would happen in her family in one day, she would never have believed it.
But what is, is.…
Ulyana and Andrey met when they were both twenty. Somehow, they immediately felt a kindred spirit in each other. They were easy and good together. They could spend hours together without saying a word.
After the wedding, the relationship became even closer. The traditional problems of young families did not affect them.
The guys never argued, they made decisions together, and supported each other in everything.
The arrival of children, twin boys, did not disturb the idyll in any way.
Vice versa.
New colors appeared in life, Ulyana and Andrey became even closer and were absolutely happy. The boys grew up. The parents loved each other.
Nothing foreshadowed global changes…
The sons were seven years old when Vika appeared in Ulyana and Andrey’s lives…
Andrey found out that his new girlfriend had an older sister on the day they met. He found out that she was married, lived abroad, and didn’t communicate with her family. Why? Ulyana couldn’t explain. Everyone just lived as if Vika didn’t exist.
Why she divorced her husband and returned after so many years is unknown, but one day the doorbell rang in Ulyana and Andrey’s apartment.
Ulyana opened the door.
She didn’t immediately recognize her sister, and when she realized who was in front of her, she naturally invited her into the house.
In the evening Andrey returned. Seeing Vika, he experienced a strange feeling. It seemed to the man that he had known this woman for a long time…
He looked at her and caught himself thinking that he had once heard her voice, seen her smile, smelled her scent.
The same thing happened to Vika. Her sister’s husband made her surprisingly excited.
Of course, none of them shared these strange feelings.
Vika announced that she had arrived for a few weeks. Ulyana, having learned about this, invited her sister to stay at their house:
– Stay, at least we’ll be together for a while. You’ll meet your nephews. Maybe we’ll visit your parents together, – she persuaded.
– And Andrey? He won’t mind?
– Of course not. He will be only too happy. I think he really liked you, – Ulyana, as always, understood her husband before he realized what was happening to him.
And Vika stayed.
An invisible connection was established between her and Andrey. Both resisted the approaching temptation, understanding the enormity of the situation, but still could not resist.
One fine day, Ulyana, returning from work early, found them together.
She didn’t scream or make a fuss. She quietly left the apartment and closed the door behind her.
Her husband and sister didn’t even notice that she had come…
When Ulyana returned at the usual time, everything was decorous and noble. Her husband was frying potatoes, her sister was reading a book in her room.
And Ulyana, by some inner inspiration, said nothing.
She didn’t say anything, but Andrei immediately felt a change in her.
“Did something happen?” he asked solicitously over dinner.
“Something always happens,” the wife answered evasively, “life is full of surprises.”
“I don’t understand…,” Andrey was surprised, sensing some kind of catch.
– It’s strange, before we understood each other without words.
“We are still…,” the husband began, but Ulyana interrupted him:
– There is no “we”…
“What do you mean?!” Andrey exclaimed, feeling the ground slipping out from under his feet.
– Everything comes to an end someday. There is nothing stronger than a timely end.
Vika, who was listening to the conversation, couldn’t resist:
– Ulka, what are you talking about? Can you express yourself more clearly?
– How much clearer could it be? I’m sure you both understand me perfectly well, you’re just afraid to admit it to yourselves.
Andrey and Vika looked at each other and said nothing in response.
An oppressive silence fell over the table.
They never finished their conversation that evening.
In the morning, Ulyana took out a large bag and silently began to pack her things.
– What are you doing? – Andrey was surprised.
– Can’t you see? I’m packing my things. I’m leaving you.
– But why?
– You know…
Andrey felt deep down that she really knew everything, but he continued to play the role of ignorance:
– I don’t understand, explain.
– We can’t live together anymore. That’s obvious.
– And the children? What will happen to them?
– They will stay with you.
– With me? But how? What will I tell them?
– The truth. Say that your mother left. As soon as she gets settled, she will take you.
– No! It’s impossible, – Andrey declared decisively, – you’re not going anywhere. You’ll stay here. With our sons. I’ll leave.
I’ll pick up my things later.
Ulyana remained silent.
Andrey threw on his jacket, put the documents in his inside pocket and left.
Ulyana slowly sank into a chair. Terrible fatigue fell on her shoulders. Inside, it burned, as if her heart had broken into a thousand little pieces.
Everything she lived for, everything she believed in, collapsed in one second.
A sleepy Vika came out into the kitchen…
“Where is Andrey?” she asked, trying to appear indifferent.
– He left.
– For how long?
– Forever.
Vika looked at her sister in bewilderment:
– Did you throw him out?
– He left on his own.
– Why didn’t you hold him back?
– Why? Is it possible to hold on to someone who is leaving your life?
– Are you crazy? You have a family, children! Do you even understand what this means?
– I understand, but what about you? – Ulyana got angry, – How could you let what happened happen? You’re my sister! – Ulyana almost burst into tears.
– Sister? Are you sure? – Vika blurted out.
Ulyana was confused.
– Didn’t your parents really tell you anything? Didn’t they explain why I ran away from them to the ends of the earth? – Vika asked, seeing the bewilderment on Ulyana’s face.
Ulyana was silent. She didn’t know what to say…
And then Vika said:
– You and I are not sisters. Your parents took me into your family after my parents died: they had been friends for many years.
Ulyana couldn’t believe her own ears…
– They thought that I didn’t remember anything and that’s why they lied to me all my life! But I remember! I was ten years old then!
– If that’s the case, then you should be grateful, not filled with hatred.
– Yes? What about my brother? They didn’t adopt him! They abandoned him in an orphanage! They didn’t care how I felt! And I didn’t want to part with him!
– Wait, Vika. What brother? You mean you have a brother? Where is he?
– I don’t know. He was adopted too, but a little later.
– And you didn’t look for him?
– No. So many years have passed. And where to look? There are secrets all around: who took the child, when and where. Most likely, he doesn’t even know that he has a sister. He was three years old then.
– What is his name?
– His name is Igor. Or rather, his name was… After all, his new parents could have changed his first and last name.
Ulyana suddenly realized how Vika had suffered all these years.
Deep down, she had already forgiven her everything. In the end, Andrey was much more to blame. He was the one who betrayed her…
Andrey…
“You know,” Ulyana looked at Vika with compassion, “I understand you.”
– What can you understand if it hasn’t touched you?
– It touched me very much! I lived for almost ten years with a man who was orphaned in early childhood. He was adopted and raised by strangers. He talked a lot about his feelings.
– Who are you talking about?
– About Andrey, of course! He was lucky: he ended up with very good people. They sincerely loved him, even spoiled him. And they, unlike our parents, did not hide anything from him. Andrey always knew that he was an adopted son.
Vika listened very attentively.
“It’s incredible,” she said thoughtfully, “but I immediately felt that we were similar in some way. It turns out that we are orphans with all that entails.”
– Well, you can call him that with a stretch. He doesn’t remember his parents, but he has a great relationship with his adopted ones. I do too, by the way. Wonderful people! We communicate well, often visit their dacha. Do you want me to show you some photos?
“Show me,” Vika answered automatically, although she didn’t want to look at other people’s photos at all.
Ulyana brought a well-worn album:
– This is Andrey’s album. I’ve suggested changing it to a modern one a hundred times, but he’s categorically against it.
Ulyana and Vika sat down next to each other and began to look at the pictures. The hostess commented:
– This is us at the dacha. The boys here are about a year and a half old.
This is in Anapa. I love this city.
This is Andrey fishing. He always preferred winter fishing. Now he goes less often.
These are his adoptive parents. Look: they look great, haven’t aged at all. And they’re almost seventy. Wait, there was a photo somewhere of them very young and Andrey little…
Here she is…
Vika screamed.
I grabbed the photo.
She ran to the window.
I began to examine it in brighter light.
“It can’t be,” she whispered.
Her eyes were feverishly shining, her hands were shaking…
– Vika, what’s wrong? – Ulyana became worried, – are you feeling unwell?
– It’s him!
– Who?
– This is my brother! Look: this baby! This is him! I remember him exactly like this!
– It can’t be! – Ulyana’s eyes widened, – Andrey never said that he had a sister.
– He might not have known…
Vika hugged the photograph and sobbed:
– Oh my God, it’s him! Of course it’s him! And I couldn’t understand why I was so drawn to him. Oh my God, what have we done! Ulenka, what will happen now?!
Ulyana didn’t know what to do, how to calm Vika down. And she herself needed to somehow come to her senses after all this.
She called Andrey:
– Come. Urgently. Not by phone. Something incredible has happened. We are waiting for you. Yes, we…
Andrey listened in silence.
– So, – he said calmly and firmly, – there is only one way to find out whether we are related or not. A DNA test. So we will do it right tomorrow. And then we will think about how to live on.
He looked at Ulyana, seeking support:
– So?
– So.
– Then I’ll go…
– No. Stay. Then we’ll discuss everything and make a decision. Together. As always. Okay?
“Okay,” Andrey began to hope that his wife might forgive him…
The test confirmed that Vika and Andrey are brother and sister.
Everyone was in shock, although they felt that this was what would happen.
Ulyana forgave both of them and never mentioned what happened.
She even convinced herself that if what had happened hadn’t happened, Vika and Andrey would never have found out the truth…
So, it was a test that had to be passed…
