I always dreamed of having a father and husband like Vadim. And you can consider that I hit the “jackpot” when he became my husband 10 years ago and later the father of our two beautiful children. We rarely argue and resolve everything with love and respect for each other, so I couldn’t understand the reason behind that phone call…
In the past few months, I noticed Vadim becoming more contemplative and sad. He attributed it all to work problems (he’s a lawyer at a well-known company), but I could tell he wasn’t being completely honest, and during an intimate moment, I directly asked him, “What’s going on with you? Lately, you’re not yourself!” He went into detail about work issues and what was bothering him, and I was convinced I had overthought things, believing the problem was solely work-related. But nothing changed after our conversation, and it seemed to only get worse. I couldn’t believe that my husband constantly had work problems, so I began to suspect he was hiding something.
So, I sat down with him again and decided to ask the same question I asked a few months ago. Before I could do so, the phone rang. The number was blocked, so I picked up the phone with skepticism. The woman on the other end quickly told me that my husband had another family, with another son. Chaos filled my mind.
I couldn’t believe that my Vadim could do something like that. Nevertheless, I went back into the room with him, but this time with a completely different mood and set of questions. “Honey, tell me honestly, do you know a boy named Kolya?” He stared into my eyes for a while, then lowered his head and began to explain: “Four years ago, a young student came to intern with me. I thought we’d have a purely professional relationship, but she didn’t leave me alone, was always around. Her suggestive clothes, subtle hints.
You could say I gave her what she wanted, and she settled down. After that, we didn’t talk, and a few months later, she handed me a positive pregnancy test. She tried to push me into divorcing you, but when she realized it wouldn’t work, she gave the child up for adoption. So now I regularly visit Kolya, provide for him, and try to give him some fatherly love to make up for my huge mistake.” I stayed silent for a few minutes, tears streaming down my face, and then I spoke, overcoming myself for the sake of my family: “He’s your son, do whatever it takes!”
Soon, I went to meet my old school friend, Olga. She was unaware of the situation at my home, so without thinking, she said, “Did you see that boy who walked me to the gate? He’s so handsome and well-mannered! But he’s an orphan, even though his parents are alive! His mother doesn’t even show up, although they say she has plenty of money. And the father is trying to make up for his mistake, taking care of him as best he can and visiting him!” We stood near the fence she pointed to, and I could clearly see the little boy. A spitting image of my husband. But not a muscle moved on my face, and we continued our walk as if that conversation never happened.
The next day, Vadim confessed to me that he was going to see his son, and I insisted on joining him. The boy immediately ran up to him and hugged him. Then I sat down, extended my hand, and said, “Hello, I’m your mother, and I want to take you home!” The boy looked closely at his father, who smiled and nodded.
Only then did he rush into my arms, exclaiming, “Mom, really? I always knew you’d find me! They keep telling me lies, saying I’ve been abandoned. I missed you so much! I love you so much!” The hugs between Kolya and me felt natural as if I had truly reunited with my long-lost son. That’s when I realized I’d never regret welcoming this child into my life, even though we had been through so much.
Our older children were happy to have a younger brother and began teaching him everything (even how to trick their dad). Now, our older kids have families of their own, leaving only Kolya beside us, who is about to graduate from university. I never would have thought that my husband’s affair could lead to a boy becoming my pillar of strength, and support, and one of the dearest people in my life. Not a second goes by when I regret accepting this boy into our family, despite all that we’ve been through.