Paid for my sister’s wedding, and my mother sent me a message: «You don’t have to come to the celebration. Your stepfather thinks you’re ruining the family photo.» The next morning they received a notification that made everyone in the family FURIOUS…

Life slowly but surely acquired new colors. Alex spent more time outdoors, tending the lot or just walking the surroundings. During work hours, he immersed in code, solving complex corporate system protection tasks.

Evenings he read, watched movies, or chatted with new acquaintances from neighboring houses: surprisingly open and friendly people. In June, he accepted Anna’s offer to pose for a portrait. She came on weekends, set up an easel on his veranda, and worked for several hours while Alex read or just looked at the forest.

I can’t get used to the silence, he confessed one day. In the city, there’s always background noise: cars, neighbors, appliances. And here, only wind, birds, and sometimes a distant tractor.

I took a long time to adjust too, nodded Anna, not looking up from the canvas. The first months, I even played recordings of city sounds to fall asleep. Then I realized that silence isn’t the absence of sounds.

It’s the presence of sounds that really matter. Alex looked at her, focused, with a strand of hair falling on her face, with that special light in her eyes that appears in people doing what they love. Something aching pricked inside, feelings he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Summer flew by unnoticed. Alex fully settled into the new house, made friends with neighbors, harvested his first modest crop from the garden. Professionally, changes were also emerging.

The company where he worked offered him to head a new cybersecurity direction with fully remote format. Autumn greeted him with gold and crimson forests, cool morning mists, and especially piercing clean air. On one such day, when Alex was working on the veranda wrapped in a warm blanket, his phone suddenly rang with an unknown number.

«Hello?» he answered, continuing to look at the laptop screen. «Alex?» The voice was vaguely familiar, but Alex couldn’t remember who it belonged to. «This is Victor.»

From surprise, Alex froze. The stepfather never called him directly, preferring to communicate through his mother. «What do I owe?» he asked, trying to sound neutral.

«I need to talk to you?» Victor’s voice sounded different from what Alex remembered: without the usual arrogance, rather weary. «In person? Is it? Important? About what? Not over the phone, Alex. Can we meet somewhere? Or I can come to you if you give the address?» Alex hesitated.

Curiosity battled wariness. Why did the stepfather need this meeting? What important thing does he want to say? «Fine,» he finally decided. «We can meet tomorrow at ‘Central’ cafe, at three.

Know where it is?» «I’ll find it,» relief sounded in Victor’s voice. «Thanks.» The next day, driving to the cafe in downtown Chicago, Alex felt strange tension.

He hadn’t seen the family in almost a year, since they moved out of his apartment. In that time, so many changes had happened in his life that the former pain and offense had almost dissolved, leaving only light sadness that close people proved incapable of unconditional acceptance. Victor was already waiting at a table in the cafe corner.

Alex didn’t recognize his stepfather right away; he had noticeably aged in the past year. Thinning hair with abundant gray, sunken face, dull gaze. The usual posture was gone, as if all the air had been let out of the man.

«Hello, Alex,» Victor stood up, extending his hand. «Hello,» Alex shook his stepfather’s hand and sat opposite. «I’m listening.»

Victor paused, nervously drumming his fingers on the table. «I was never a good stepfather,» he finally began. «And now I won’t pretend I regret everything.

But…» He raised his eyes to Alex. «I came to ask for your help, not for myself. For your mother.

What happened?» Alex tensed. They found a tumor in her. In the breast.

Possibly malignant. Needs surgery and further treatment. Alex felt something cold spreading inside.

When did you find out? Two weeks ago. Did a biopsy, waiting for results, but doctors aren’t too optimistic. «Why didn’t she call herself?» asked Alex, understanding the question was stupid.

«Of course, his mother didn’t call because of pride, because of offense, because of everything that happened between them. You know your mother…» Victor smiled wearily. «She’d rather die than admit she needs help.

Especially yours. She still thinks you betrayed the family. And you…» Victor shrugged.

«What difference does it make what I think? The fact is we’re in a tough situation. My salary barely covers living and rent, and now treatment too. He spread his hands…