– James, I didn’t want to tell you on your wedding day, but… did you know that your new wife has a daughter? – my colleague at work pinned me to my car seat with this news.
– What do you mean? – I refused to believe such a revelation.
– My wife saw your Mary at your wedding and whispered in my ear:
– I wonder if the groom knows his bride has a daughter in a foster home?
– Can you imagine, James? I nearly choked on my salad. My wife says she personally handled the paperwork for giving up the newborn girl. My Rebecca is a doctor at the maternity hospital. She remembered your Mary by the birthmark on her neck. She also mentioned that Mary named the baby Olivia and gave her her last name. It was about five years ago, – my colleague was eagerly watching my reaction.
I was in shock, sitting behind the wheel of the car. What news this was!
I decided to get to the bottom of things myself. I couldn’t believe it. Of course, I realized that Mary wasn’t a naive teenager when we married; she was 32 at the time. She obviously had a life before me. But why would she give up her own child? How could you live with that afterwards?
Thanks to my position, I quickly found the foster home where Olivia Smith was living.
The director of the institution introduced me to a cheerful little girl with a radiant smile:
– Meet our Olivia Smith, – the director addressed the girl, – how old are you, sweetheart? Tell the man.
It was impossible not to notice the little girl’s severe strabismus. I felt sorry for her. I already considered her part of my family; my soul was touched. This little one was the daughter of the woman I loved! My grandmother always used to say:
– A child, even with faults, is a wonder to the parents.
Olivia bravely approached me:
– Four years old. Are you my daddy?
I was taken aback. What do you say to a child who sees every man as her father?
– Olivia, let’s talk. Would you like to have a mum and dad? – I knew it was a silly question. But I already wanted to hug this sweet girl and take her home with me immediately.
– Yes, I want! Will you take me? – Olivia looked directly and inquisitively into my eyes.
– I will, but a little later. Will you wait, bunny? – I wanted to cry.
– I’ll wait. You won’t lie? – Olivia became serious.
– I won’t lie, – I kissed her on the cheek.
Returning home, I told my wife everything.
– Mary, it doesn’t matter to me what happened before me, but Olivia needs to be brought home urgently. I will adopt her.
– And did you ask me if I want this girl? Plus, she’s cross-eyed! – Mary raised her voice.
– But she’s your biological daughter! I’ll arrange surgery for Olivia’s eyes. Everything will improve. The girl is a delight! You’ll fall in love with her right away, – I was very surprised by my wife’s stance.
In the end, I only just managed to persuade Mary to adopt Olivia.
We had to wait about a year before we could bring the girl home. I visited her often at the foster home. Over that year, Olivia and I became friends and got used to each other. Mary still wasn’t enthusiastic about having a child and even wanted to pause the adoption process partway through. I insisted on continuing and completing the paperwork.
Finally, the day came when Olivia stepped into our apartment for the first time. Little things that didn’t catch our attention amazed, delighted, and amused her. Soon, ophthalmologists corrected Olivia’s eye alignment. These procedures took a year and a half. I was glad my little one didn’t require surgical intervention.
Olivia gradually grew to resemble her mother Mary. I was happy. I had two beauties in my family – my wife and my daughter.
Almost a year after the foster home, Olivia struggled to get enough to eat. She always walked around and slept with a pack of biscuits. You couldn’t take it away from her. The fear of hunger was a constant for her. This irritated Mary, but amazed me.
I was constantly trying to bring the family together, but unfortunately… My wife never grew to love her own daughter. Mary loved only herself, her “I” – that letter with its extended leg.
There were always arguments, bickering, and hurtful rows with Mary. Always about Olivia.
– Why did you bring this wild child into our family? She will never become a normal person! – my wife began to rant and rave.
I loved Mary very much. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. Although, my mother once remarked:
– Son, of course it’s your decision, but I once saw Mary with another man. Things won’t work out for you two. Mary is insincere, cunning, a crafty woman. She’ll lead you by the nose before you know it.
When you’re in love, you see no obstacles. Your happiness shines brighter than the stars. Mary was my ideal. The cracks in our relationship appeared when little Olivia came into our home.
Perhaps she opened my eyes to the true state of affairs in my family. I was amazed at my wife’s lack of care towards the little one.
I even wanted to stop loving Mary, to let go of my feelings for her, but it didn’t happen. Once a friend suggested:
– Listen, mate, if you want to cool off your affections for a woman, measure her with a tailor’s tape. Old folk wisdom, they say.
– You’re kidding? – I asked, puzzled.
– Measure her bust, waist, hips. That’s it, you’ll fall out of love, – I thought my friend was mocking me.
Still, I decided to try this simple experiment. I had nothing to lose.
– Mary, come here, I want to take your measurements, – I called my wife.
Mary was quite surprised:
– So I should expect a new dress?
– Yeah, – I was already carefully measuring her bust, waist, and hips with the tape.
Experiment over. I still loved Mary the same. I laughed at my friend’s tease.
Soon, Olivia fell ill. She caught a cold. Developed a fever. She whined, sounded pitiful, sniffled. She followed Mary around, tightly clutching her doll, Maisy. I was pleased that instead of a pack of biscuits, Maisy the doll was now in Olivia’s hands.
Olivia adored endlessly dressing her doll. But now the doll was stark naked, meaning her owner was unwell, too weak to dress it. Mary snapped at Olivia:
– Oh, be quiet already, will you? We get no peace from you! Go to sleep!
Olivia clutched her doll to her chest and continued to whimper and cry. Then, suddenly, Mary grabbed the doll from Olivia’s hand, rushed to the window, opened it, and furiously threw the toy out.
– Mum, that’s my favourite doll Maisy! She’ll freeze outside! Can I go get her? – Olivia began to cry loudly and dashed for the front door.
I immediately ran after the thrown doll. The lift, typically, wasn’t working. I ran down from the eighth floor. The doll was hanging by its head from a tree branch. I got it down and brushed off the snow. The melting snowflakes on the rubber face of the doll looked like tears. By the time I climbed back upstairs, I felt like I could have gone grey.
Mary’s action had no explanation. I went into Olivia’s room. She was kneeling by her bed, her head resting on the pillow. Olivia was asleep, sobbing in her sleep, occasionally jerking. I carefully laid her on the bed and placed the doll beside her on the pillow.
Mary was calmly sitting in the living room reading a glossy magazine, completely unconcerned about Olivia. That was the moment my love for my wife ended. It dried up, melted away, evaporated. I finally understood Mary was beautiful but empty.
My wife seemingly understood everything.
We divorced. Olivia stayed with me, and Mary didn’t object at all.
…Meeting my ex-wife later, she smirked and said:
– You were just a springboard for me, James.
– Oh, Mary! Your eyes may be as bright as turquoise, but your soul is as dark as soot, – I could finally express this reproach calmly.
Mary soon married a successful businessman.
– I feel sorry for her husband. A woman like that should never be a mother, – was my mom’s verdict.
At first, Olivia was very sad about her mother, and just wanted to be near her.
But my new wife, Liz, managed to win Olivia over and melt her little heart. It turned out her biological mum had abandoned her twice. This was unthinkable to me.
Liz treats Olivia with immense love and endless patience, both Olivia and our son, Harry.
