Mom, can Anya stay with you for a week? Tanya and I need to go to her city to sort out some documents. Maybe we’ll put the apartment up for sale while we’re there.» Nadezhda Ivanovna looked up from her tea cup and stared sternly at her son. «And why don’t you take her with you?»
«Well, what would she do in those offices? Just notaries and real estate agents. But here, the air is fresh, there’s a garden. She’ll be better off.» «And why are you going? Tanya could handle it all by herself,» Nadezhda Ivanovna dryly noted, already sensing where the conversation was headed.
«Mom, Tanya doesn’t understand any of this. She needs help. And together we’ll solve everything faster.» Nadezhda Ivanovna was silent. She knew arguing with her son was futile. She rarely quarreled with Vitaliy, not wanting him to feel guilty. But the thought of staying with a nine-year-old girl for an entire week troubled her.
Anya was of course calm, well-mannered. But she wasn’t her own. Vitaliy had married Tatyana two years ago and accepted her daughter as his own. Noble, of course. But for Nadezhda Ivanovna, the girl remained a stranger.
«Mom, you understand, I really need this. Anya won’t bother you at all. Just take her to school and pick her up.»
Her son had said these words before. But Nadezhda Ivanovna knew: a child always means more trouble than it seems. She had plenty to do already. The garden, canning… It was all on her.
«Alright,» she sighed, looking at her son. «Bring your Anyechka. But I warn you — she better not complain about the chores. I’m not going to play games with her.»
Vitaliy smiled.
«Thank you, mom. You’re the best.»
Nadezhda Ivanovna just waved her hand. «The best»… And then this girl will disrupt her schedule. Just you watch.
«Alright,» Nadezhda Ivanovna reluctantly agreed. «But let Anya understand this is not a resort. She’ll be helping out. And I’m not going to wait on her.»
«Of course, mom,» Vitalik replied, as if reassuring himself.
On the weekend, they arrived at the cottage as a family. Hearing the noise of the approaching car, Nadezhda Ivanovna didn’t even come out of the house. She stood by the window and watched as Vitalik pulled a suitcase from the trunk, and Tatyana helped Anyechka out of the car. The child clutched her backpack as if it contained her last treasures.
«She’s so skinny,» Nadezhda Ivanovna muttered under her breath. «Clearly, they don’t feed her.»
«Thank you so much,» Tatyana was the first to approach. «You’re really helping us out.»
«What choice do I have?» grumbled Nadezhda Ivanovna, avoiding her daughter-in-law’s eyes.
Anya stood by her mother all this time, not taking a step away. She looked frightened, as if ready to run away at the first chance.
«Mom, I’ll be back soon,» Tatyana said tenderly and hugged her daughter.
«Don’t leave me,» the girl whispered, burying her nose in her mother’s coat.
The tears on her face made Nadezhda Ivanovna feel a twinge of guilt. She was no beast. Why was the child so frightened?
«Oh, come on, stop,» she said, trying to make her voice sound gentler. «Everything will be fine. Your mom will be back soon.»
As Tatyana got into the car, she looked back one last time. Worry was evident in her eyes.
«Maybe we should go back for her?» she suggested to Vitalik as they drove onto the highway.
«Tanya, let’s not panic,» he cut her off. «Mom will manage. Anya is a well-behaved girl. Nothing will happen to her.»
«Yes, but… She’s not her real grandma,» Tatyana persisted. «I know how your mom feels about her. She’s not angry, of course, but there’s no love there either.»
«Mom is just strict,» Vitalik tried to explain. «She’s all about duties, order. Anya will adapt.»
Meanwhile, at the cottage, Nadezhda Ivanovna was already setting the table. She had made soup the day before, especially for the girl.
«Eat up,» she said, pushing a plate towards Anya. «Take some bread. We don’t just sip soup without bread here.»
Anya obediently took a spoon but ate slowly, in small sips.
«Don’t sit over your plate,» Nadezhda Ivanovna added sternly. «You need to adapt quickly. I have a lot of work here.»
The girl silently nodded, and Nadezhda Ivanovna thought about how hard it was to get used to someone else’s child.
«We’ll have lunch now,» she said, trying to lighten the mood, «and then we’ll go pick raspberries. Do you like raspberries?»
«I like them,» Anya replied quietly, not lifting her eyes from the plate.
«That’s great, we’ll pick some, then make pancakes to eat with the raspberries.»
Anya nodded, but her face remained tense. She ate silently, in a peculiar way, as if she couldn’t taste or smell anything. This was not typical child behavior. Usually, even quiet children would chatter, get distracted, but this girl… seemed to have set herself the task of just performing the necessary action and nothing else.
Nadezhda Ivanovna noticed this but said nothing. At one point, she even felt a bit sorry for Anya. Why was it like this? Why was she so silent, not joyful like other children? She was only nine, yet she looked as if she already knew everything. Or didn’t want to know.
«Will you help me make pancakes?» she asked.
Anya looked up, but their eyes didn’t meet.
«I don’t know how,» the girl said, as if it were the most natural thing.
«That’s okay, I’ll teach you. And tomorrow you can show them how it’s done. You’ll surprise Vitalik and his mom.»
At the word «mom,» Anya twitched. It was a slight movement, but Nadezhda Ivanovna noticed it. The girl clearly wanted to ask something but hesitated. Odd.
«What do you usually cook with your mom?» she asked, to ease the tension.
«Mom usually cooks by herself…» Anya paused, then added, «she only taught me how to fry eggs.»
«Oh, we’ll get lots of practice this week! You can give them a cooking masterclass when you return!» Nadezhda Ivanovna smiled.
Anya looked at her, and a flicker of doubt, perhaps gratitude, crossed her eyes. But she probably didn’t even know what to do with all of it. Too many complex questions for a girl who should only be playing and dreaming. But alas, life doesn’t always give us the chance to be children, does it?
«Why are you starting to cry?!» Nadezhda Ivanovna asked in alarm when she saw the girl suddenly freeze, her eyes full of tears. «Did I upset you with something?»
Anya shook her head as if no words existed, and, unable to hold back, buried her face in her «grandmother’s» chest as if she truly belonged there. Then she broke down. She cried long, quietly, almost soundlessly.
Nadezhda Ivanovna was at a loss, not knowing what to do. She wasn’t used to being alone with children. But there was no time for embarrassment – she needed to understand what was happening.
«What’s wrong?» she began, soothing the girl. «Everything will be fine, don’t cry.»
Anya continued to sob, but her voice became a bit quieter after a couple of minutes.
«I’m afraid that mom left me,» she said, wiping her nose with her sleeve.
Nadezhda Ivanovna froze. Could it be because she was here, at the cottage, and her mom wasn’t around? She struggled to find the right words.
«Oh, come on!» she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. «What kind of mother would leave her child?! They went on business, and you were left with grandma – that’s not a punishment! It’s nice here, thank God. Look at the apples, the grass! We’ll go swimming tomorrow, and in a week your mom will return, everything will be fine!»
«Dad said the same thing,» Anya whispered, breaking down. «He said he would come back soon, but then he didn’t return… He left us. And now mom has a new husband, why would she need me?»
Nadezhda Ivanovna felt a stab in her chest. What kind of thoughts were these, poor child? She pulled the girl to her, as if trying to hide her in her warmth, to protect her from all this unclear world.
«Oh, you poor thing! Your mom will never leave you, don’t worry! And Vitalik too! He loves you very much!»
«Really?» the girl asked, looking up at the woman hopefully.
«What do you think?» Nadezhda Ivanovna asked gently, stroking the girl’s head.
Anya thought for a moment, then nodded. It was a moment when Nadezhda Ivanovna felt that maybe, just maybe, she could offer something to this child.
And in the evening, as the sun began to set, Anya picked up the phone and joyfully heard her mom’s voice. Awakening, she told her about the pancakes they had made, and Anya proudly described what she had accomplished in a day.
Tanya, hearing her, seemed to sigh with relief. She promised she would return soon.
The entire week passed in a quiet, real cooperation. Anya helped with the chores, and it was clear how she opened up from day to day. They swam in the lake, picked apples, ate them right off the branches. Initially, Anya was shy, but once Nadezhda Ivanovna allowed it, the girl seemed to find something important in this simple task. And it all tasted so good, as if the earth itself was offering treats.
On the last evening, just before sunset, Tanya called to say they would arrive in the morning. Anya, hearing these words, smiled. Her face no longer had the fear that was there initially.
Now they were waiting for her.
«Can I come to you again, grandma?» Anya asked quietly, hugging Nadezhda Ivanovna.
That question seemed to hang in the air, and the mistress of the cottage, with her usual sternness, suddenly felt something twitch in her chest. As if some invisible warmth suddenly filled her soul.
«Of course, come,» she answered, her voice trembling. «We haven’t learned everything yet…»
Nadezhda Ivanovna noticed how Tanya and Vitalik looked at each other in surprise, but they remained silent. They probably couldn’t understand what was happening now between her and this little, so grown-up child.
Anya quickly turned around and, smiling, ran to the car. Nadezhda Ivanovna waved to her, pretending everything was alright. «No need to show weakness,» she thought, hiding her feelings. But as much as she tried to maintain her composure, her heart squeezed.
«Well, what are you? Time always flies, and you can’t keep up with everything,» she muttered to herself, heading back into the house as if she still had a bucketful of chores to do.
However, at that moment, she was barely holding back tears. Just after she entered the house, she closed the door behind her, not letting anyone see her weakness. «What is it like to be a grandma?» she thought. Strange feelings flashed through her mind: joy, sadness, some strange fatigue, and at the same time, gratitude. For what a happiness it is, when you can teach someone something simple, important, and feel how dear that person is to you.
She stood, looking at the threshold, as everything became quiet around. And for the first time in a long time, she felt that in life, there are places that open up with each new encountered glance. Where there is hope and simple human warmth, even if you are just a grandma.
«You’re not really afraid of me, are you?» Anya suddenly asked, sitting on the porch and watching with interest as her grandmother watered the flowers. Nadezhda Ivanovna stopped, wiping her hands on her apron. The question was somewhat unexpected and, at first glance, naive, but there was something deeper in it.
«Afraid?» the woman wondered, lifting her head. «Why should I be afraid of you?»
Anya shrugged, her gaze becoming thoughtful. In her eyes still shone some complex sadness, as if the girl was still trying to understand what was happening in this world, and why she needed this grandmother.
«You’re not really my grandma, are you?» she clarified again, squinting as if trying to unravel an old mystery.
Nadezhda Ivanovna paused again, knowing this question couldn’t be left unanswered. This wasn’t just idle curiosity, but some deep need to understand what was happening to herself.
«Well, not exactly yours,» she finally said. «But I can be for you, if you want. A grandmother who will teach you to make pancakes and pick raspberries, like I taught my daughter once. You don’t mind if I become that, do you?»
Anya looked at her again, and, very childishly, cautiously, moved closer.
«I… I don’t know. I thought only real grandmothers could be like that…» she started, but stopped herself, as if unsure whether to open up to these words.
Nadezhda Ivanovna put down the bucket and placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder. She didn’t know what to say in response. Everything in this life was so complicated and layered. There were times when she herself felt how hard it was to share her love between people, and not always understanding who was truly close. But now, looking into these big eyes, she understood: in her life, someone had appeared whom she wanted to love, without fear.
«We, grandmothers, are also people,» she said softly. «Sometimes we find grandchildren where we least expect. And even if they are not by blood, we have something important and real, which isn’t measured by kinship ties. You’re not a stranger to me, Anya. And even if you’re not my real granddaughter, I’m ready to be the one who supports you.»
Anya was silent. Then she took her hand and smiled shyly. It was not yet a confident smile, rather a tentative attempt to trust. But Nadezhda Ivanovna knew that behind this look lay much. This was not just a naive child; this was a girl who had learned something earlier than others, seen and felt more than she would have liked.
«You’re also not scary, grandma,» Anya said with a light laugh. «You probably wouldn’t teach me everything you want to, if you were like all the other grandmothers.»
Nadezhda Ivanovna laughed, and that laugh was simple and genuine, as it had been many years ago, when she was younger and lighter-hearted. Now everything was different, but life always brought its gifts. And here was one of them, sitting next to her. A little girl who had stopped being afraid and started to believe that even if her mother had gone away and her father had left, there were still those who could become real relatives, even if they were not by blood.
«I’ll still teach you how to make pancakes,» she continued. «And I’ll teach you some other things too, yes. We’ll accomplish a lot in the short time you’re here. Because we, Anya, are basically on the same team, right?»
Anya nodded quietly, and the same smile appeared on her face that had been there a couple of days ago, when she first asked Nadezhda Ivanovna if she could be her grandmother.
The day was drawing to a close, and the air felt cool, with sunlight slicing through the shadows, falling on their heads. As if the whole world had slowed down, allowing these two women and a girl to understand that the time they had spent together was not just a few days at the cottage. It was a moment when something important happened, and even if tomorrow everything would be different, these few days would stay with them forever.
Anya sat down next to her and quietly asked:
«When will we do what we promised?» Nadezhda Ivanovna smiled and, shrugging, said: «As soon as you come again, Anya. I promise. And then we’ll cook like no one else.» And so, despite all the uncertainty of the future, they both knew: in life, there is always room to learn something new, to share something important and simple. And perhaps, in these little things, all the real family ties are contained.
