Running late for her abortion appointment, the woman realized she had left her documents in the car…
«Did she say anything about me to you?» Paula thought. What could she say to an 11-year-old boy? That his mother foresaw her own death? That she knew about their meeting? «She said that someday she would have a son,» Paula said carefully. «And that he would be special, like her?» «I don’t want to be special,» Mike said quietly.
«Because of that, they think I’m crazy.» «In the orphanage, they laughed at me.» «And what did you see there that made them laugh?» «Different things.»
«For example, I knew when there would be an inspection.» «Or when one of the kids was going to run away.» «Or when the caregiver would get bad news from her son.»
«When and whose close person would die.» «Adults said I was making it all up.» «But you weren’t making it up?» «No.»
«I really saw.» «Like now I see.» «What do you see now?» Mike looked at Paula attentively.
«I see that you have a boy in your belly.» «He will become a doctor, like you.» «And someday he will save my life.»
Paula felt her heart stop. «Save your life?» «How? I don’t know yet.» «But I saw that moment very clearly.»
«I’m lying in the hospital, feeling bad, and next to me stands a man in a white coat.» «He looks a lot like you.» And he says, «Everything will be fine, Mike.»
«I’ll save you.» «Are you sure it was my son?» «Yes.» And he told me that all this is not a coincidence.
Paula was silent, digesting what she heard. If Mike was telling the truth, then her decision not to have the abortion was right. Moreover, this decision was part of some big plan that she didn’t understand.
«Mike, why did you run away from the orphanage?» «Because I saw that I must be here.» «In this area.» «Saw a woman in a red car who needs help.»
«I understood that if I don’t come, she will make a terrible mistake.» «And you walked around the city looking for a red car?» «Yes.» «For several days, I walked through different areas.»
«And yesterday I understood that it’s time.» «That today is the day when everything should happen?» «Where did you get the pen and paper for the note?» «In the orphanage, there’s always paper and pens.» «I took a sheet from a notebook when I left.»
Paula looked at this amazing boy and felt something changing in her soul. The pain from Alex’s betrayal hadn’t gone away, but next to it appeared something new—a sense of purpose, meaning. «Mike, what are you going to do next?» «They’re looking for you.»
«They’ll return you to the orphanage.» «I know,» the boy said sadly. «But I did what I had to do.»
«Now it doesn’t matter.» «How doesn’t it matter?» «You’re only 11 years old.» «You have your whole life ahead.»
«In the orphanage, there’s no life.» «There’s only waiting.» «Waiting for what?» «For something better.»
But it doesn’t come. Paula felt her heart contract. This boy, the son of her best friend, was completely alone in the world.
He had no one to care for him, understand his peculiarities, believe in his gift. «Mike,» she said, not knowing where these words came from, «what if I come to visit you in the orphanage?» «Visit you?» «Tell you about your mom?» The boy’s eyes lit up. «Will you really do that?» «Of course.»
«You’re Nina’s son, so you’re not a stranger to me, and your child.» «Will you really keep him?» «Yes,» Paula said firmly. «Your note helped me understand that I’m making a mistake.»
«So I helped?» «Very much.» «You saved my son’s life.» Mike smiled for the first time during the conversation.
The smile transformed his face, made him look like an ordinary child. But their conversation was interrupted by Katie’s appearance. She was walking quickly toward them, her face worried.
«Mike, we need to talk,» she said. «I called the police. You can’t live on the street anymore, freeze, starve, and be in danger.»
«I’m sorry, but it’s for your own good.» The boy jumped up from the bench. Fear in his eyes turned to resignation.
«I knew it would be like this,» he said. «It’s okay, I’m ready.» «Wait, Paula stood up too.»
«Katie, what if I go with you?» «Explain the situation.» «That might help,» Katie agreed. «You’re a doctor, your word means something.»
The three of them went to meet the police. Two cars stopped at the park entrance. Four people got out, two in uniform and two in civilian clothes.
One of the civilians was known to Katie. «Hello, Sergeant Vladimir,» she addressed a middle-aged man.
«Katie,» he nodded. «Found our runaway again?» «Yes.» «But there are circumstances you need to know.»
Paula approached closer. «Good day.» «My name is Paula Jenkins.
I’m a cardiothoracic surgeon.» «This boy is the son of my school friend.» «I only learned about it today.»
Sergeant Vladimir looked at her attentively. «Can you prove it?» «Of course.» «I have school photos where I’m with his mother.»
«I know her maiden name, place of study, details of her life.» «And what do you suggest?» «I want to help the boy.» «Visit him, care for him.»
«Possibly, in the future, consider adoption.» Mike looked at Paula in surprise. She herself didn’t expect to say those words, but now she understood they were right.
«That’s a serious statement,» said Sergeant Vladimir. «Do you understand that adoption is a complex process?» «I understand.» «But I’m ready to try.»
The policeman thought. «Okay. For now, we’ll take the boy to the orphanage.
And you submit an application for intent to adopt. If everything is in order with the documents and checks, maybe something will work out.» Mike approached Paula.
«Do you really want to adopt me? I want to try,» she answered honestly. «But it’s a long process. You’ll have to wait.»
«I know how to wait,» the boy said seriously. «And I know it will work out.» «How do you know?» «I saw it.»
«I saw us together, you, me, and your son. We’re like a family.» Paula felt tears welling up in her eyes.
This amazing boy, who appeared in her life at the most difficult moment, became a ray of light in the darkness for her. The police took Mike away. He turned to wave goodbye…
