catherine's childhood and youth passed under the close supervision of her parents it was easier to list what she could do than what she couldn't therefore her parents insisted on her consents when in her last year of college bruce began to look after her and later he called her to mary catherine didn't really like him but she agreed as she was used to not going against the will of her parents and they argued that bruce was from a good and wealthy family and she would live carefree with him and they were right catherine didn't need anything
but nothing has changed since her marriage she was also forbidden a lot but now her husband forbade her everything bruce made good money and provided for their family the only thing that catherine was able to defend in her life was the right to work she worked as a teacher at a music school catherine knew she was just a convenient wife as it turned out later his parents insisted that bruce find a wife for himself otherwise they would close his access to money so he chose the quiet and obedient catherine she cleaned the house and cooked
delicious lunches and dinners but bruce very often didn't come to dinner but returned home when catherine was sleeping the first time she felt truly happy was when she saw her newborn daughter at that moment she understood what happiness is this is when the heart stops at the sight of this little baby the husband parents have long lived abroad and therefore they saw their granddaughter only in the photo and catherine's parents said that she had given birth to herself and therefore they would not help her they have enough to do catherine was hurt to hear this
given that she was not asking for help but wanted her parents to see their granddaughter bruce has changed a lot since the birth of his daughter he was not satisfied with the crying of the child at night and now catherine didn't always have time to cook dinner scandals began catherine calmed her husband as best as she could but he was not shy in expressions and in the volume of his voice little mary would wake up and start crying catherine called her parents and told them that she wanted to leave her husband but her parents told
her to endure and they're not waiting for her with her daughter her brother son almost constantly lives with them a brother and his wife need to build a career and earn but she already has everything catherine went to her daughter at such moments she calmed down looking at the little princess this went on for another four years by this time bruce had moved from screaming to assault catherine called her parents again and told them everything she expected protection from them but the answer was the same as before they don't need her she told her daughter
mary my girl be patient a little we'll be leaving soon at the same time she was saving money bruce had hardly given her any cash in a long time he only bought what he needed but she found moments when he couldn't do it so she saved money she bought something cheaper or bought nothing catherine understood that for the first time she and her daughter needed something more than her salary after all the house belongs to her husband like everything in it today she realized that she did it for a reason yesterday her husband once again
didn't come to spend the night catherine barely closed her eyes all night the daughter was ill and she was next to her bruce came into the house around 11 a.m catherine didn't immediately respond to his cry and when she approached she saw that he was not alone he said catherine see what a wife should look like and he pointed to a generously made up young girl look at yourself did you at least comb your hair today catherine stood silence yes she didn't have time to comb when a child is sick she doesn't care about these
little things and she understood that whatever she said in response it would not matter get your things in the baby and leave now there will be another hostess which i'm not ashamed to show to my friends and you understand that you will not see full-fledged alimony catherine understood she knew that the whole business belonged to her husband's parents and they would make him such a certificate as he wanted on the other hand she was glad that now she would be free and her parents would not reproach her for what she had done but she was
wrong about her parents while catherine was packing her things she called her mom and told her everything she heard in response that her husband was right that she needed to take care of herself and she herself was to blame and she also said that sitting on the neck of old parents should be ashamed at her age but she was not going to sit on the neck of her parents and for some reason she hoped that they would give her and mary shelter for the first time catherine packed most of her daughter's things into a travel
bag and few of her things into a bag after which she went into her room mary stood at the door she was dressed she had a backpack behind her back and in her hands was a beloved bunny mom i heard everything i'm ready catherine hugged her daughter my smart girl let's go too and the little girl nodded when catherine was in the corridor she heard write me the address where to send the rest of your things tomorrow the cleaning lady will come and collect everything catherine dryly replied at the place of work and she was
even a little glad that the wardrobe was large the cleaning lady aunt may is a good woman and she will pack everything if bruce doesn't throw it out today when catherine left the house she called aunt may she promised to collect everything you need and she also said that her friend was renting a room delighted catherine went to the indicated address the hostess was a very kind grandmother when she heard catherine's story at first she didn't want to take money from her but catherine assured her that she had finances and a job and in the
end the grandmother decided to rent out her room not because of the good life either as a result catherine went to work and mary went to kindergarten sometimes mrs harris looked after her and catherine cleaned the whole apartment and often cooked dinner for everyone for the first time in years catherine felt at home there was warmth and comforts respect and mutual assistance that she had never seen before it was the middle of autumn catherine and her daughter went to the park they had to make crafts for the kindergarten and collect natural materials and in the
park there were cones and acorns they collected a whole bouquet of leaves and a bag of cones acorns and twigs after which they sat down on a bench catherine said we are great with you we need to figure out what to make of all this now then she hugged her happy daughter a male voice was heard nearby you can make an owl out of the leaves from a tree i did this as a child and a hedgehog with the bumps catherine replied thanks for the idea i feel like we've collected on too much can we
share with you the man replied thanks but no i have no children catherine continued sorry i thought that you also came for this since you remembered the owl the man said in fact as a child i also collected everything in this park with my mother and then we glued it all or used plasticine they started talking the man's name was chris he turned out to be a very interesting conversationalist and he is also a musician catherine taught piano lessons and chris played the violin they also found many common themes on this subject now they often
began to spend weekends together walking in the park chris played with mary and talked to catherine when winter came winter fun was added catherine was very easy with him the daughter asked her mother mom why doesn't chris come to visit us i told my grandma about him and she doesn't mind chris always escorted them to the entrance and never imposed on guests but then catherine would have to tell that she and her daughter were kicked out onto the streets she was ashamed she knew about chris's life he never married he had a girlfriend but she
betrayed him and so he lived on alone he worked hard and also traveled on the next walk mary invited him to visit and he couldn't refuse her he didn't look at her accusingly to catherine's surprise when she told their story a year has passed they again gathered leaves and chestnuts only now together catherine had long realized that she fell in love with him but chris didn't make any move towards while her daughter was playing with the leaves she turned to him and said chris i can't be silent any longer i love you and she looked
into his eyes chris replied catherine there's a reason we can't be together catherine asked him do you have a family or are you afraid of the age difference the man said sadly no the point is different i should have told you about this a long time ago a year ago when we met i was walking from the doctor i wanted to go to places that are close to me six months before that i was given a terrible diagnosis i underwent chemotherapy in a clinic in israel but time has been lost and then doctors gave me
six months but you and mary have extended my life for me i don't know how much i have left catherine didn't know what to say to him after a short pause chris continued now you know everything will you find time for me tomorrow afternoon she nodded she had no words and the rest of the walk was silent chris picked up catherine at work the next day they went to the notary catherine didn't even look at what she was signing she heard something about a house and a bank account but her thoughts were not there when
they left the notary chris said move to my house which is now also yours i will not have time to give you and mary love and attention but i will leave behind a house in small savings unfortunately i spent most of them in israel the next day catherine and her daughter moved in with chris and when a week later he was admitted to the hospital mrs harris also moved there she became so attracted to catherine and mary that she was very glad when she was asked for help catherine practically lived in the hospital and mrs
harris brought mary there once a day a month has passed chris understood that he had very little time left to live the man said softly catherine you have to promise me something catherine sat closer to him catherine you and mary should be happy don't be afraid to let happiness into your life and don't let anyone else treat you the way your husband did my girls be happy catherine said furtively wiping away her tears i promise you the funeral was attended by the entire orchestra in which chris played and after 40 days a concert was dedicated
to him in the theater where the little girl mary took the stage sat down at the piano and played his favorite tune it's been six years mrs harris was cooking in the kitchen today was a gala dinner mary won the regional competition she already played the piano quite virtuoso catherine mary and michael were due to arrive home soon catherine has found her love and mary calls him dad they sat in the evening watched how fragments of the competition were shown on tv and were proud of their daughter and on the other side of the city
bruce was watching the same program he was no longer the same as before his parents removed him from the business realizing that he was pulling the business to the bottom the young girl disappeared at the same time as the money he was alone watching the news and couldn't understand what he was so familiar with in this girl and how could he understand this if he almost never looked at his daughter and michael adopted her giving her his last name and patronemic during the awards ceremony the girl said i dedicate this victory to chris who gave
my mother and i faith in life after the betrayal of my father
