Irina stood at the kitchen window, watching October leaves whirl in the air before dropping onto the wet asphalt. Ten-year-old Katya was fussing with her homework at the table, glancing at her mother now and then in the hope of getting help with math.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, how do I solve this one?\u201d the girl asked, pointing her pencil at the textbook.<\/p>\n
Irina came over and sat beside her. Katya was a bright child, but math didn\u2019t come easily. From Irina\u2019s first marriage she\u2019d been left with only warm memories of Katya\u2019s father\u2014and Katya herself, the most precious thing in her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s work through it together,\u201d Irina smiled, taking the book.<\/p>\n
An hour later her husband, Sergey, came home from work. He was an engineer at a factory and always returned tired, but he tried to give his family his attention. He treated Katya with understanding and care, and Irina valued that deeply.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019s my smart girl doing?\u201d Sergey asked, ruffling Katya\u2019s hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudying math, Daddy Sergey,\u201d the girl replied. She had quickly grown to love her new dad, who never shouted and always listened.<\/p>\n
The family idyll didn\u2019t last long. Soon Galina Ivanovna\u2014Sergey\u2019s mother\u2014burst into their lives. She had been widowed a year earlier and now spent most of her time visiting her son, inspecting the young family\u2019s household with a critical eye.<\/p>\n
The first signs of hostility showed up immediately. Galina Ivanovna would enter the apartment without knocking, look around the rooms, and wrinkle her nose as if she were seeing something improper.<\/p>\n
\u201cSergey, why does the girl have her own room?\u201d his mother asked during one of her visits. \u201cIsn\u2019t that a bit too luxurious for a child?\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina froze by the stove where she was cooking dinner. Katya was playing in her room and couldn\u2019t hear the conversation, but her mother could feel the atmosphere tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, Katya is part of our family,\u201d Sergey answered calmly. \u201cShe needs a place to study and play.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of the family\u2026\u201d Galina Ivanovna drawled. \u201cWell, yes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was such coldness in her voice that Irina turned and met her mother-in-law\u2019s hostile gaze. Galina Ivanovna looked at her as if she were an impostor.<\/p>\n
The next visit brought fresh unpleasantness. Galina Ivanovna came on a Sunday, when the whole family was gathered at the dinner table. Irina had tried to make something special\u2014roast chicken with vegetables and a homemade salad.<\/p>\n
\u201cKatya, scoot closer to your mother,\u201d Galina Ivanovna requested as she sat down. \u201cI need a seat closer to my Seryozhenka.\u201d<\/p>\n
The girl obediently moved, but Irina noticed her frown. Katya was sensitive and picked up on adults\u2019 moods.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cook well,\u201d the mother-in-law said, tasting the chicken. \u201cAlthough of course it isn\u2019t the way Sergey likes it. He\u2019s been used to different food since childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd how exactly?\u201d Irina asked, trying to stay composed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHome-style, the real way. Not these modern experiments of yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey kept silent, eating intently and avoiding his wife\u2019s eyes. Irina could see he felt uncomfortable, but he preferred not to get involved in a conversation between his mother and his wife.<\/p>\n
After dinner, when Katya went to her room to do homework, Galina Ivanovna launched a full-on attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cSergey, I want to talk to you,\u201d she announced. \u201cAbout our family\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, we already are a family,\u201d her son replied wearily.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat family?\u201d she snorted. \u201cStrange blood isn\u2019t kin. That girl will never be a real granddaughter. And you\u2019re spending time and money on her\u2014resources that should go to your own children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina stood at the sink washing dishes, her hands trembling with indignation. The blood rushed to her face, but she forced herself to keep quiet to avoid a scene in front of the child.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, don\u2019t talk like that,\u201d Sergey said. \u201cKatya\u2019s a good girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood, not good\u2014that\u2019s not the point,\u201d she waved him off. \u201cIt\u2019s about blood, about lineage. And that girl is a stranger. She has her own room, your attention, and you spend money on her needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGalina Ivanovna,\u201d Irina couldn\u2019t hold back any longer and turned from the sink. \u201cKatya is my daughter, and as long as we live in this apartment, she will have her own room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her mother-in-law looked at her with undisguised contempt.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as you live\u2026\u201d Galina Ivanovna pronounced slowly. \u201cAnd who said that will be for long?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey looked up from his plate at his mother in surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, what do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean that sooner or later he\u2019ll have to choose,\u201d she said coldly. \u201cBetween the past and the future. Between other people\u2019s children and his own blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
After Galina Ivanovna left, a heavy silence settled over the apartment. Katya was in her room, but Irina was sure the girl had heard the conversation. Children always sense tension between adults.<\/p>\n
\u201cSergey, we need to talk,\u201d Irina said when her husband settled down in front of the TV.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d he asked without taking his eyes off the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what\u2019s going on. Your mother is openly showing hostility toward Katya.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom is just getting used to the new situation,\u201d he sighed. \u201cShe lost Dad; it\u2019s hard for her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSergey, she\u2019s demanding that Katya give up her room!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom didn\u2019t demand anything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina sat down next to him and turned his face toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard the same thing I did. Galina Ivanovna thinks my daughter is a burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t exaggerate. Mom is just expressing her opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what\u2019s your opinion?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey was silent for a long time, and that silence told Irina more than any words. He was torn between his wife and his mother, but he didn\u2019t want to choose.<\/p>\n
The following weeks brought new trials. Galina Ivanovna began coming more often, as if checking how the family lived without her supervision. She criticized everything\u2014from the meals Irina cooked to the way she raised her daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou spend too much time with the girl,\u201d the mother-in-law declared one evening. \u201cSergey comes home from work exhausted, and you\u2019re busy with a stranger\u2019s child instead of taking care of your husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKatya is not a stranger,\u201d Irina said through clenched fists. \u201cShe\u2019s my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a stranger to me,\u201d Galina Ivanovna snapped. \u201cAnd a stranger to our line. And it\u2019s time Sergey thought about his own children instead of wasting his energy raising someone else\u2019s girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
At that moment Katya was doing her homework in her room, but the thin walls couldn\u2019t hide the loud argument. The girl was smart and understood she had become the cause of family conflicts.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, doesn\u2019t Grandma Galya love me?\u201d Katya asked before bed.<\/p>\n
Irina sat on the edge of her daughter\u2019s bed and stroked her hair. How could she explain what she herself couldn\u2019t understand?<\/p>\n
\u201cAdults sometimes behave strangely, sunshine,\u201d she said softly. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s anything wrong with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut she says I\u2019m a stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are my own daughter, and no one has the right to say otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya hugged her mother and pressed close. Irina felt how the tension of the past weeks was taking its toll on the child. The girl had withdrawn, played less, and spent more time alone in her room.<\/p>\n
The climax came on a November evening. Galina Ivanovna arrived earlier than usual, when Sergey was still at work. She walked through the apartment and peeked into every room as if she were inspecting the premises.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s Katya?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt school,\u201d Irina replied. \u201cThey have extra classes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood. Then we can speak frankly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mother-in-law sat in an armchair opposite the couch where Irina was and studied her daughter-in-law.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a smart woman,\u201d she began. \u201cAnd you should understand that this can\u2019t go on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat girl is ruining my son\u2019s future. Sergey spends time, money, and emotions on her. And what will he get in return? Another man\u2019s child will never be grateful. She\u2019ll grow up and go back to her real father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina listened in silence, feeling anger swell inside her. Galina Ivanovna spoke of Katya as if the girl were an object, not a living person.<\/p>\n
\u201cKatya doesn\u2019t have another father,\u201d Irina said coldly. \u201cSergey is her real dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA real dad must be blood,\u201d the mother-in-law cut her off. \u201cIt\u2019s time for Sergey to think about his own children. But as long as a stranger\u2019s child is in the house, he won\u2019t be able to focus on what matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what are you proposing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Galina Ivanovna got up and went to the window; it was already dark outside.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve thought about this a lot,\u201d she said slowly. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve concluded the girl would be better off in a special institution. There she\u2019ll be taught discipline and given the proper upbringing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Irina sprang from the couch.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn orphanage isn\u2019t as terrible as it sounds. Professionals work there; there\u2019s routine and education. And Sergey will finally be able to build a normal family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re suggesting I put my daughter in an orphanage?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m suggesting you think about the future. Yours, Sergey\u2019s, and the future children you could have if not for this burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina froze, staring at her mother-in-law. The woman spoke calmly and deliberately, as if discussing the purchase of new furniture.<\/p>\n
\u201cGalina Ivanovna, you\u2019re out of your mind,\u201d Irina said quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m perfectly sane,\u201d the mother-in-law replied. \u201cAnd I\u2019m saying what Sergey should have said. But my son is too soft to make hard decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n
At that moment a key turned in the lock and footsteps sounded in the hall. Sergey had come home from work.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, my dears,\u201d he called, taking off his jacket.<\/p>\n
Galina Ivanovna straightened and gave Irina a warning look.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink about what I\u2019ve said,\u201d she whispered. \u201cAnd remember: I always get my way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey came into the room and saw the two women standing facing each other in tense silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d he asked, looking from his mother to his wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just chatting,\u201d Galina Ivanovna smiled. \u201cAbout family matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Irina nodded, trying to stay calm. \u201cAbout family matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
But deep down she knew: a war had begun. And the stake in this war was her daughter\u2019s fate.<\/p>\n
That evening, when Katya returned from school, Galina Ivanovna was cloyingly sweet with her son, Sergey. The mother-in-law ostentatiously inquired about his work, asked about his plans, and ignored Katya.<\/p>\n
\u201cSergey, I think you need more space to relax,\u201d his mother said, looking around the apartment. \u201cThis room could make an excellent study.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded toward Katya\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, that\u2019s Katya\u2019s room,\u201d he reminded her.<\/p>\n
\u201cA child needs only a corner in your bedroom,\u201d she waved him off. \u201cA man needs a place to work and think.\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina pressed her lips together and kept washing the dishes, trying not to listen. But every word from her mother-in-law etched itself into her memory like a knife.<\/p>\n
Late that night, after Katya went to bed and Galina Ivanovna went home, the spouses had a serious talk.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother has gone way too far,\u201d Irina said, closing the bedroom door.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSergey, she suggested sending Katya to an orphanage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He spun around sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? When?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, before you got home. Galina Ivanovna thinks my daughter is a burden and wants our home freed from her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey was silent for a long time, mulling it over.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe you misunderstood?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understood perfectly. Your mother called Katya a burden and proposed getting rid of her for the sake of our future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom sometimes says too much when she\u2019s angry,\u201d he said. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t take all her words to heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToo much?\u201d Irina stared at him, astonished. \u201cSergey, your mother is demanding we get rid of my child!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just worried about our future\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur future cannot be built on abandoning Katya.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying we should abandon her,\u201d he said quickly. \u201cMom only thinks the girl needs more discipline, more structure\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn an orphanage?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey fell silent, avoiding his wife\u2019s eyes. The silence dragged on for several minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou agree with your mother,\u201d Irina said slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t agree\u2026 I just think we should consider different options.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat options?\u201d Irina\u2019s voice grew dangerously quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe a boarding school\u2026 a residential school\u2026 places where children are well brought up\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina stood there blinking, not immediately believing what she\u2019d heard. Her husband truly was considering sending Katya away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to get rid of my daughter,\u201d she said flatly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIrina, don\u2019t dramatize. It\u2019s not about getting rid of her; it\u2019s about what\u2019s best for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor everyone? Or for your mother?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor our family. Mom is right that we should think about our own children\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe already have a child. Katya.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could have a child together. Ours by blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
The last words sounded like a verdict. Irina realized her husband did, in fact, see Katya as a burden\u2014he had simply hesitated to say it.<\/p>\n
She left the kitchen without a word and went to the bedroom. Sergey remained at the table, realizing he had said something irreparable.<\/p>\n
Irina opened the wardrobe and pulled out a large suitcase. Then she began neatly folding her husband\u2019s things into it: shirts, trousers, underwear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Sergey asked, appearing in the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelping you pack.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPack for where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo your mother\u2019s. Since the two of you consider my daughter surplus to this home, go live with your own family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey stepped closer and tried to take her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIrina, we can discuss this calmly\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to discuss,\u201d she pulled away. \u201cYou\u2019ve made your choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t chosen anything! I just voiced an opinion\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn opinion that my daughter should live separately from us.\u201d<\/p>\n
He tried to protest, but his voice lacked conviction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t say she must\u2026 I only suggested we consider\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConsider sending a ten-year-old to boarding school,\u201d Irina finished for him. \u201cSo that your mother will be pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey watched in silence as his wife methodically packed his things. Suits, sportswear, shoes went into the suitcase.<\/p>\n
\u201cIrina, stop. Let\u2019s talk like adults.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike adults?\u201d She straightened and looked at him. \u201cLike adults would have defended my daughter from your mother\u2019s attacks. Like adults would have told Galina Ivanovna that Katya is part of our family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom just wants what\u2019s best for us\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother wants to get rid of Katya. And you support her.\u201d<\/p>\n
The suitcase was almost full. Irina snapped it shut and set it by the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter stays. You two are leaving,\u201d she said firmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIrina, this is our home\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. This is my home.\u201d<\/p>\n
She went to the dresser and took out a folder of documents. Sergey watched in surprise as she pulled out several sheets.<\/p>\n
\u201cCertificate of ownership,\u201d Irina said, showing the document. \u201cThe apartment is in my name. I bought it before our marriage with the money from selling my previous place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sergey took the document and looked it over carefully. Indeed, Irina was listed as the sole owner.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought the apartment was ours\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thought wrong. And it\u2019s good we didn\u2019t register joint ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n
He grasped the seriousness of the situation. Legally he had no rights to the dwelling.<\/p>\n
\u201cIrina, don\u2019t throw me out. I\u2019ll talk to Mom, explain to her\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain what? That Katya has the right to live in her own home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s too late, Sergey. You\u2019ve already shown where your priorities lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
At that moment the doorbell rang. Irina looked through the peephole and saw the familiar silhouette of Galina Ivanovna.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother\u2019s here,\u201d she told her husband.<\/p>\n
Sergey opened the door. Galina Ivanovna entered with the air of a mistress of the house, but quickly noticed the suitcase in the hall.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cPacking,\u201d Irina answered curtly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s packing?\u201d the mother-in-law didn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou and your son. You\u2019re vacating my apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at Sergey in confusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cSergey, explain what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, we have a conflict with Irina\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no conflict,\u201d Irina interrupted. \u201cThere\u2019s a simple solution: Katya stays in her own home, and you find another place to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
Galina Ivanovna frowned and drew herself up to her full height.<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung woman, you forget whom you\u2019re talking to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo someone who wants to send my daughter to an orphanage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI proposed a reasonable solution to family problems!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou proposed disposing of a child for the sake of your own comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mother-in-law shouted that her son had nowhere to go, that this was unfair, that Irina was destroying the family.<\/p>\n
\u201cGalina Ivanovna, you destroyed the family,\u201d Irina replied calmly. \u201cWhen you called my daughter a burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what she is! A stranger\u2019s child in the house is always trouble!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen go solve your troubles somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina took the apartment keys from the shelf in the entryway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be keeping these. I\u2019ll need them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIrina, we can still sort this out,\u201d Sergey tried to plead.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to sort out. You chose your mother over my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reluctantly, Sergey handed over his keys. Galina Ivanovna still couldn\u2019t believe what was happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have no right to throw us out!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do. This is my apartment, and I decide who lives here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The suitcase ended up outside the door. Mother and son stood on the landing, not knowing what to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is lawlessness!\u201d the mother-in-law yelled. \u201cI\u2019ll go to court!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFeel free,\u201d Irina replied coolly. \u201cBut first look up what rights guests have in someone else\u2019s apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSergey is my son! And that girl is a stranger!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKatya lives in her own home. You do not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her husband and mother-in-law left with shouts and reproaches, but Irina was ready for the conflict to continue. She took out her phone and dialed the police.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to report threats from my husband\u2019s relatives.\u201d<\/p>\n
The patrol arrived half an hour later. Irina described in detail her mother-in-law\u2019s demands, the pressure on her child, and the attempts to force her to give up her daughter to an orphanage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll file a report,\u201d the lieutenant said. \u201cIn case the situation repeats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katya had been sitting in her room, listening to the voices in the hallway. She was afraid to come out, not knowing what was happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, where\u2019s Daddy Sergey?\u201d Katya asked after the police left.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy Sergey doesn\u2019t live with us anymore,\u201d Irina said, hugging her daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot because of you, sunshine. Because the adults couldn\u2019t come to an agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWill he come back?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. But you will stay with me, no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next day Irina filed for divorce. She decided there would be no more humiliation\u2014neither for her nor for her daughter.<\/p>\n
In the petition she stated the reason: irreconcilable differences regarding the upbringing of children and family values. She asked to dissolve the marriage without division of property since there was no jointly acquired property.<\/p>\n
Sergey tried calling several times, but Irina didn\u2019t answer. He wanted to arrange a meeting and explain his position, but she was unyielding.<\/p>\n
A week later a court summons arrived. Sergey had filed an objection to the divorce, citing temporary disagreements and the possibility of reconciliation.<\/p>\n
At the hearing Irina set out her position clearly: her husband and his mother had demanded that she send her daughter to an orphanage or boarding school, considering the girl a burden to the family. Such a stance was incompatible with continuing the marriage.<\/p>\n
The judge clarified the circumstances and ruled to grant the divorce. The marriage was deemed dissolved a month after the filing.<\/p>\n
Galina Ivanovna tried to catch Irina near the house, but Irina walked past without reacting to reproaches and threats. The mother-in-law shouted that Irina had ruined her son\u2019s life, but no one listened.<\/p>\n
Gradually Katya recovered from the stress. She began to smile again, to play, to invite classmates over. The room remained her room; the home remained her home.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, are we not going to let anyone else in anymore?\u201d Katya asked one evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will, sweetheart,\u201d Irina smiled. \u201cBut only those who respect us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd who respect me too?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou too. Absolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina hugged her daughter and knew she had made the right choice. Better to be alone with your child than to endure humiliation for the sake of keeping a marriage. Katya was her daughter, her family, her future. And no one had the right to demand that a mother give up her own child.<\/p>\n
That evening, after Katya went to sleep, Irina sat in the kitchen with a cup of tea and thought about what they\u2019d been through. The decision had been hard, but there was no doubt. A daughter is more important than a husband who couldn\u2019t protect a child from his own mother\u2019s attacks.<\/p>\n
Through the window she could see yellow leaves the wind was tearing from the trees. Autumn was ending; winter was approaching. But the home was warm and calm. Katya slept in her room, in her bed, under her blanket. And no one would dare call the girl a stranger or unnecessary again.<\/p>\n
Irina finished her tea, turned off the light, and went to bed. Tomorrow a new day would begin, a new life. A life with no compromises where a mother\u2019s love is concerned<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Irina stood at the kitchen window, watching October leaves whirl in the air before dropping onto the wet asphalt. Ten-year-old Katya was fussing with her homework at the table, glancing at her mother now and then in the hope of getting help with math. \u201cMom, how do I solve this one?\u201d the girl asked, pointing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33074"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33074\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33075,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33074\/revisions\/33075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}