After her husband’s funeral, the stepmother left her mute stepdaughter to die in the forest swamp… But a year later, a surprise awaited everyone…
«Otherwise, they might really send troops in search of the heroic colonel.» «No need for troops,» Brian thoughtfully stated. «However, I have another unfinished business here.»
And he gave an expressive glance at Grandma Karen. «Don’t even think about it.» She exclaimed, waving her hands.
«You’re not a vigilante, for crying out loud. This is a matter for the police; don’t meddle.» «Oh, come on, woman.»
Brian said, his thick gray eyebrows almost meeting in the middle. «They hurt my friend, which means they hurt me. Do you think I’m going to run to the police and complain? I’ve said it; I’ll handle it myself.»
Surprisingly, Grandma Karen fell silent. «It’s time for us to go.» Rebecca looked at Mary and asked, «You’re coming with us, right?» The girl nodded, then gathered her courage and said, «Yes.»
«I told you that treatment would help.» Kevin smiled. «And don’t get too cheeky.»
Grandma Karen, it seemed, was getting back some of her lost grumpiness. «So it will heal before the wedding.» «Before their wedding or ours?» Brian interjected, and Mary was amazed to see that the remarkable witch could indeed blush.
Deciding that the adults needed to prepare, and that she had nothing except what she was wearing, she rushed to hug Leshy. The wolf licked her cheeks with its rough tongue, as if understanding that they would soon be separated. «Leshy,» the girl struggled to say.
«It’s alright, dear. You’ll negotiate with all of us yet.» Grandma Karen smiled.
And then they first drove along a country road, then on a highway, with Kevin’s head resting on Mary’s lap. She stroked his hair, pleading with someone up there. You’re the strongest, the smartest, and you already have my real mom and dad.
Leave Kevin for me; don’t take him. I’ll be very, very obedient. I’ll help them with Rebecca and everything.
Just make him better. Apparently, the child’s plea was heard. Kevin quickly recovered, although he did lose a lot of blood.
But he was indeed fortunate; help arrived in time. While he was in the hospital, Brian had taken care of him, and Mary had lived with Rebecca. Rebecca took care of her affairs, being so considerate of the girl’s psyche that she didn’t even have to meet the hated stepmother.
Mary learned by chance that the young man had run away from the wicked aunt, who returned without the girl and offered a vague explanation of what had happened. He filed for divorce. Apparently, he had some remnants of conscience left after all, unlike Aunt Emily, who denied everything until they showed her the recording of Mary’s story.
Rebecca did her best to ensure that the punishment was as severe as possible. There was no direct evidence of an attempt on the child’s life, but the law hit the cunning woman where it hurt the most: her wallet, imposing a hefty fine. Of course, there was no question of guardianship, so Rebecca, indeed, pulled all the strings to offer her own candidacy for adoption.
With excellent assistance, her request was granted. When Kevin was discharged from the hospital, he and Rebecca submitted their documents to the registrar’s office. By that time, Mary, not being a naive child, had already realized from the conversations that Kevin and Rebecca had always loved each other.
Only the interference of Kevin’s mother had separated the destined couple. At that time, she was brutally punished by life itself when her son, shocked by his beloved’s apparent betrayal, believing she had gotten rid of their child, went off on a military contract and never returned from yet another business trip. The woman had not found peace and had fallen seriously ill.
Grandma Karen, who was much younger at the time but just as sharp-tongued, tried to get her back on her feet. That’s when the truth came out, but it was too late. The mother died without seeing her son again and without ever absolving herself of her sin.
Only many years later did everything fall into place. Rebecca and Kevin visited the graves of the girl’s parents soon after he regained consciousness. In that time, they managed to erect a monument in the cemetery.
Even the faces in the photographs seemed to come to life and look at the girl. «I love you,» Mary whispered, carefully placing flowers on the ground. «And I’ll always love you.»
«Don’t worry; now Kevin and Rebecca are with me. You won’t mind if I call them mom and dad, will you? And now I also have Grandma Karen and Grandpa Brian. They got married too, but then they had a big fight.»
«Grandpa wanted her to come live with him, but she refused to leave the woods. So, he moved to live with her. He gets taken to work by helicopter.»
«That’s the right thing to do, or else who will Leshy stay with? We’ll be going to them soon; don’t miss me. I’ll come to you often and tell you everything. Oh, you don’t know.»
«I was completely, completely mute, but now everything is fine.» Mom and Dad smiled at their daughter from the photo. Mary raised her eyes to the sky, the sun, and the clouds.
She had always believed in happy endings in fairy tales, and it seemed that her own personal fairy tale had indeed ended happily, or rather, it was just the beginning of her long and happy life.
