Giving birth to triplets from her rapist, Sarah sobbed loudly, and when out of desperation she got a job as a cleaner to feed her children, she suddenly froze in place, recognizing in her boss…

At two. And… no gifts. Just talk to them.

Of course. I’ll… be there.» Sarah dressed the children nicely.

Answered questions evasively. «Going for a walk, meeting someone.» Wolf waited by the pond.

In jeans and a simple shirt, he looked younger, more human. Seeing them, he nervously adjusted his collar. «Hello,» he said, squatting before the children.

«My name is Michael.» «Hello,» the triplets chorused. «And your names?» «I’m Mike,» the son introduced.

«This is Mary and Daisy.» «We’re triplets.» «Nice to meet you.

Want to feed the ducks?» «I have bread.» The next hour passed surprisingly peacefully. Wolf fed ducks with the children, swung them on swings, told funny stories.

The children warmed up gradually; Mary even took his hand. Sarah sat on a bench, watching. Strange picture.

Her children and their father, who to them is just Uncle Michael for now. «Are you our dad?» Mike asked suddenly. Wolf faltered, looked at Sarah.

«Why do you think so?» «You look like me. And you look somehow.» «How a dad should look?» Children are amazingly perceptive.

«Mike,» Sarah called her son. «Uncle Michael. He is your dad.»

«But it’s our secret for now, okay?» «We need to become friends first, get to know each other better.» «Why secret?» Mary frowned. «Because.»

«Because adults sometimes complicate things,» Wolf answered. «But I really want to be your friend. And then, maybe, dad.

If you allow.» «Will you live with us?» Daisy asked. «No, sweetie.

I have my own apartment. But I’ll visit if mom allows.» «Mom, allow.»

The children chorused. Sarah nodded. What else could she do? The next months changed everything gradually, day by day.

Wolf came on weekends, walked with the children, took them to movies, circus, museums. Sarah was always there; trust doesn’t come fast. The children attached surprisingly quickly.

Especially Mike; he seemed to awaken a need for male attention, a father figure. He hung on Wolf’s every word. Copied his gestures, asked to teach manly things, hammer nails, fix a bike.

Wolf tried. It was visible he really wanted to build relations. Read child psychology books, consulted specialists.

One day, Sarah caught him in a children’s store. He confusedly chose Lego, asking the seller about developmental properties of each. The money he transferred to the account, Sarah didn’t touch at first.

Then, when Mary got sick again and needed expensive medicine, she used it. Pride is pride, but children are more important. In September, school question arose.

She didn’t want regular district school; classes overcrowded, teachers tired. Wolf suggested a private academy. «One of the best schools in the city.

Small classes, individual approach, advanced languages.» «That’s very expensive.» «Sarah, they’re my children.

I want to give them the best education. Allow me at least this.» After long thought, she agreed.

The children passed entrance testing; all three proved capable, especially Daisy. The quiet dreamer surprised the psychologist with literacy and developed imagination. First day of school.

White bows, bouquets, excited parents. Sarah stood with a camera, Wolf beside. Other parents took them for spouses, and no one hurried to correct.

«Dad, photo us with mom!» Mary asked. «Dad!» She was first to call him that. Mike stubbornly stuck to Uncle Michael, Daisy was silent, Mary easily switched to dad.

After the ceremony, Wolf invited to a cafe to celebrate the school year start. At the next table sat a family with three kids, the father animatedly telling something, waving hands. «Normal family.

Happy family. What are you thinking?» Wolf asked. Nothing, Sarah shook her head.

But he followed her gaze and understood. «Sarah, I…» He hesitated. «I know I have no right to ask.

After what I did. But maybe someday…» «Don’t!» she interrupted softly. «We’re learning to be parents to our children.

That’s enough!» He nodded, but disappointment flashed in his eyes. October was rainy. Sarah now worked at the bank, calmer than the office center, closer to home.

Wolf suggested quitting work altogether, but she refused. Needed some independence. One evening, when children did homework in their room, Wolf asked to talk.

«I need to tell you something. About that night…» «No need!» Sarah turned away. «Past can’t be changed.

Need. You have the right to know.» He spoke quietly, looking at the floor. About how he quarreled with his wife, learning of her affair.

Got drunk at a bar, decided to revenge the world. Saw a young girl in the park and decided he had the right to take what he wanted. «I remember your face.

Remember you screamed. And remember I didn’t care. I was a monster, Sarah.

A real monster. And I don’t ask forgiveness, because such isn’t forgiven. But I want you to know, I live with this every day.

And will till the end.» Sarah was silent. «What to say? Thanks for honesty. You know what’s scariest?» he continued.

«If not for the children, if you hadn’t come to work for me, I wouldn’t have remembered. Would live my whole life not knowing I ruined someone’s fate. How many more like me? Don’t know.

And don’t want to know. I go to a therapist. Trying to understand how I could.

He says power and impunity corrupt. That I saw women as things to take. But that’s no excuse.

No, no excuse. Silence fell. From the children’s room came laughter; Mary telling something funny.

«They’re happy!» Wolf said. «Despite everything, they’re happy. You’re a wonderful mother.

I just love them. And they feel it. You know, my older children.

I gave them everything, toys, gadgets, trips. But not the main—time, attention, love. And now they hate me.

And these three. They don’t hate you. Children don’t know how to hate.

We adults teach them that. Wolf nodded. «Sarah, can I ask? Personal.

She tensed. Depends. You.

Do you have someone? A man? None of your business. Sorry. I had no right.

But he got the answer. In five years, no one. How could she let a man near after what she went through? And when? Work, children, survival.

No time for personal life. By Christmas, relations became almost. Normal? Strange word for their situation, but Sarah found no other.

Wolf came three times a week, helped with homework, played with children. On weekends, they went out of town; he bought a big SUV that fit everyone. Daisy revealed an unexpected side; she had talent for drawing.

Wolf enrolled her in art school, bought paints, easel. Mary took up dancing, Mike soccer. «Mom, will we celebrate Christmas together?» Mary asked a week before the holiday.

«Like a real family?» «Real family!» Those words cut her heart. «Don’t know, sweetie. Need to ask dad.»

«Dad?» She was used to saying that. Everyone was, even Mike stopped being stubborn. Wolf came in the evening, when children were in bed.

Mary asked about Christmas. «And what did you decide?» «I don’t know.» «This?» «This is too family holiday.»

«But we are family!» «Though unusual, family!» Sarah shook her head. «We’re parents of common children. That doesn’t make us family.»

«And what does?» «Stamp in passport. Shared bed.» She flushed.

«Don’t dare. Sorry. I didn’t mean that.

Just. Children want a normal holiday. With tree, gifts, both parents together.

Can’t we give them that?» Sarah thought. Children really dreamed of such Christmas. Saw how they looked at happy families in the mall, whispered about gifts.

«Okay. But at our place…» «And no… ambiguities. Of course.

Thank you. Christmas was magical. Wolf arrived in the morning, brought a huge tree; in their apartment, it barely fit.

Children squealed with delight, decorating it. Sarah cooked traditional dishes. Wolf clumsily helped.

«Not like that!» She took the knife from him. «Here, watch!» Their hands touched, and both froze. Five years passed, but body still remembered fear.

Sarah pulled her hand away. «Sorry!» «No need to apologize!» «It’s me who should!» «Not today!» Dinner passed surprisingly peacefully. Children told school stories, Wolf laughed at their jokes.

Sarah caught herself thinking that from the side they looked like a family. After dinner—gifts. Wolf couldn’t resist, bought too many.

New tablets, Lego, dolls, books. But the most valuable was a simple photo album he made himself, pics of their joint outings over recent months. «Look, this is us at the zoo!» Daisy traced the photos with her finger.

«And this at the lake!» «And here we all together!» «All together!» «Family!» When children slept, hugging new toys, Wolf helped clear the table. «Thank you!» he said. «For this day!» «For allowing!» «This is for the children!» «I know!» «But thanks anyway!» He left late evening.

Sarah stood long at the window, watching falling snow. «What’s happening?» «Why doesn’t she feel that burning hatred anymore?» «Why does she allow him more and more into their life?» No answer. In February, Mike got sick.

Started as ordinary cold, but fever lasted too long. Tests showed something bad, doctor sent for additional exams. Sarah sat in the hospital corridor, clutching results.

Acute leukemia. Urgent hospitalization needed, chemo, possibly bone marrow transplant. World collapsed.

Her boy, her strong, serious boy. Wolf arrived half an hour after her call. Snatched the results, scanned them.

«Okay, calm. This is treatable. Main thing, start fast.

There’s an excellent clinic in Israel, I’ll call now. Michael?» He froze. She called him by name first time…