Adam had long thought it was time for him to get married. His wife died because of illness, and the children themselves were hard to cope. He kept looking at Monica, but she had no experience – she had no children of her own. And his mother-in-law asked him to marry Victoria. She was homely, homemaker, and mother of two children. But she was kind of a floozy, was there any sense in building a family with her? But one day I did decide to go to her.
– Well, hello, Adam.
Victoria was embarrassed, sent the kids outside, and started treating her guest to buns. She offered a drink, too, but Adam refused. They looked at each other and realized that it was necessity, not feeling, that brought them together.
– It didn’t work out for either of us, and we knew each other well. And now…” Adam mumbled.
– No, I don’t even want to hear it. If you didn’t want me before, you don’t have to now. You’re too late, Adam. You should have asked me to marry you 20 years ago, when I asked you to choose me. You used to turn your nose up at me, and now I don’t want to go back to the old one,” Victoria replied.
– Don’t be so hasty, just think about it…
– I made up my mind long ago, I feel safer with my children, I live for them. Don’t be offended, but you can’t take back what you’ve lived through.
Adam freaked out and went outside. There was only one way out – Monica. She was simpler than Victoria. So he began to drop in on her to start a relationship. The whole village was buzzing about it, rumors reached my mother-in-law.
– Adam, why did you get involved with Monica? Victoria said no, so you start grabbing for small change? – said a relative.
– Here we go…
– She’s an empty woman, she’s no match for you. Nothing good will come of it, Monica’s not cut out for family life. She has no maternal feelings, she’ll never love children. If you bring her into the house, I’ll leave. I won’t live with her for a day. Take me to the village, and do what you want.
Adam took his mother-in-law back to her native land and exhaled. Everything seemed to be going in the best way, only the children were frightened of their new stepmother. Monica couldn’t handle children, she’d said so herself. All her life she had dreamed of having children, but her own as well. When Adam finally realized that nothing came of this one either, walked her to the porch and said goodbye.
It was hard for him alone, because all the weekdays and holidays had become the same. The neighbors looked at the widower and shook their heads. He had exhausted himself, lost weight, and his health was not good. In order to somehow breathe out, he took the children to his mother-in-law for the vacations. And he himself stayed, there was nothing to keep him at home. He suggested that his mother-in-law sell the house and move in together, but she knew that sooner or later he would have to look for a wife.
– I don’t even want to hear about marriage. Enough! We’ll raise the children together, I can’t do it alone,” Adam said.
– Don’t take it for granted, what are your age… And I’m not young, I’ll kick off, what will you do?
Adam was not used to someone else babysitting, so the silence seemed wild to him. The whole night he couldn’t sleep – silly thoughts kept him awake. He wondered what to do next. Suddenly he thought he heard footsteps.
– Who is it? – Adam burst into action.
No one answered, which made it even more frightening. Adam turned on the light and went out on the porch – no one was there.
– Had his wife come to check on him? – Adam asked himself about his dead wife.
In the middle of the night he rushed to his mother-in-law.
– Oh, God! Adam! What is it? What happened? – My mother-in-law asked.
– I can’t listen to the silence, mother. I’ll come to you at night.
– Well, come. I’ll give you a bed in the penthouse, so as not to wake the children. You need a rest. Your head’s all gray from your worries.
Did Adam ever think he’d come running to his mother-in-law like a little child? No! His good home was so empty without his wife. Had he known it before… It’s getting light, time to get ready for work.
