Nadiya Ivanivna adjusted the headscarf on her head, scowling so deeply that the wrinkles on her forehead looked like plowed furrows.
«And why can’t you take her with you?» she asked, her voice sounding dry, like autumn leaves crunching underfoot.
«Mom, come on, you know how it is… dragging a kid through government offices, waiting outside notary doors, dealing with realtors who are just looking for a way to screw you over. Besides, you’re at the cottage anyway. There’s fresh air, garden vegetables, plenty of space…»
«And why are you going?» Nadiya Ivanivna squinted. «Tanya could go by herself; it’s her family business.»
«Mom, Tanya doesn’t understand the first thing about those documents. She needs help, someone to make sure everything is handled legally. Plus, it’s just safer for us to go together, you know how things are these days.»
Nadiya Ivanivna’s son, Vitaliy, had married Tetiana only two years ago. For him, it was his first marriage, but Tanya already had a past—and a young daughter, Annie. Nadiya Ivanivna, like most mothers dreaming of «their own,» hadn’t been thrilled about a daughter-in-law with «baggage.» She dreamed of grandchildren who would have her son’s eyes, his smile, his blood. Instead, there was this stranger’s child she was expected to get used to.
Still, the woman was well-bred. She didn’t meddle in the young couple’s lives, offered advice only when asked, and treated Tanya with polite respect. She wasn’t unkind to Annie either; she bought her sweets for the holidays and the occasional sweater, but her heart remained under a heavy lock and key.
Annie was a quiet girl—too quiet for her age. She didn’t run around screaming or scatter toys. It seemed as though she was constantly trying to make herself invisible, as if afraid of being a nuisance. She and Vitaliy had a good relationship, and Nadiya Ivanivna could see her son was genuinely attached to the child.
But now, with the prospect of having the girl dropped on her for an entire week, a wave of genuine protest rose in her soul. It was one thing to babysit for an hour or two during a family dinner; it was quite another to be fully responsible for someone else’s child for seven days straight.
«Mom, I know it’s a big ask, but we really have no one else to turn to. Annie is well-behaved; she won’t be a burden,» Vitaliy said, looking at his mother pleadingly.
Nadiya Ivanivna sighed. She knew a child was always a chore. You have to feed them on time, make sure they don’t get into trouble, keep them from getting bored. And she had her garden: the tomatoes needed tying, the cucumbers needed watering every evening, and the weeds wouldn’t wait.
«Fine,» she finally muttered, though her voice lacked any warmth. «But let Annie know this isn’t a theme park. She’s going to help me. I’m not going to chase her around with a spoon; I’ve got enough on my plate.»
«Of course, Mom, she understands,» Vitaliy said, visibly relaxing.
On Saturday morning, the old imported car pulled up to the gate. Nadiya Ivanivna watched from the window, feeling a strange mix of irritation and anxiety. In her old age, she was playing nanny. Was this the retirement she had dreamed of?
Vitaliy climbed out, followed by Tanya, and finally, Annie. The girl gripped the straps of her pink backpack tightly, as if her whole life were tucked inside it.
«She’s so thin, she’s all eyes,» Nadiya Ivanivna muttered under her breath. «Do they not feed her in the city, or what?»
«Hello, Nadiya Ivanivna,» Tanya approached first, her voice trembling slightly. «Thank you for agreeing to this. You’re doing us a huge favor.»
«Well, what choice do I have?» the hostess replied dryly.
Annie looked at «Grandma» with fear. She didn’t come close, standing off to the side, hiding behind her mother.
«Annie, sweetie, we’ll be back soon,» Tanya knelt beside her daughter.
The girl looked up, her large eyes filling with tears.
«Mom, don’t leave me here… Please, I’ll sit quietly in the car, I won’t ask for anything…» she pleaded in a whisper.
«You can’t, honey. It’s just going to be adult business; you’ll be bored. It’s better here—you’ll get some fresh air and help Grandma.»
Nadiya Ivanivna suddenly felt awkward. She wasn’t some wicked stepmother from a fairy tale; why was the child shaking like that?
«Enough with the drama,» she interrupted. «Everything will be fine. Your mother will be back; she’s not going anywhere. Go inside and put your things away.»
As the car disappeared around the bend, Tanya felt a weight settle on her heart. Maybe they shouldn’t have done this? Maybe they should have just taken the little one along?
She almost asked Vitaliy to turn around, but he just shook his head.
«Don’t overthink it. A week in nature will do her good. My mother is strict, but she’s fair. She won’t mistreat her.»
«I know she won’t mistreat her,» Tanya sighed. «It’s just that she doesn’t love her. To her, Annie is just a random passenger in your life.»
«It’ll work out, you’ll see,» Vitaliy said, placing a hand on her shoulder, though his voice lacked conviction.
Meanwhile, a heavy silence fell over the cottage. Nadiya Ivanivna set about laying the table. She had made a light soup ahead of time, knowing children needed something hot.
«Sit down and eat,» she said, sliding a plate toward the girl.
Annie picked up her spoon without a word. She ate neatly, barely making a sound, never lifting her head. Nadiya Ivanivna was used to children being noisy, asking «why?» every five seconds, and being in constant motion. But here sat a tiny version of an adult, acting as if she were afraid to even breathe.
«Once we’re done eating,» the hostess began, trying to break the icy silence, «we’ll go pick some raspberries. You like raspberries, don’t you?»
«I do,» Annie replied, her voice barely a whisper.
«Well, that’s settled then. We’ll pick a basketful, and tonight we’ll make pancakes. We can have them with berry syrup.»
The girl simply nodded.
Out in the garden, Annie worked hard. She didn’t get distracted by butterflies or try to run off to the swings. She picked the berries methodically, careful not to damage the bushes. Nadiya Ivanivna watched her through the currant branches, feeling a strange tug at her heart. It felt as if the child wasn’t just living, but following some complex survival program.
«Want to help me mix the pancake batter?» the woman asked later. She usually preferred cooking alone so no one would get in her way, but now she wanted to coax the girl out of her shell.
«I don’t know how…» Annie looked down. «Mom says I’m too little to be near the stove.»
«That’s alright, I’ll teach you. It’s easy, and then you can surprise Vitaliy and your mom with a delicious breakfast.»
At the mention of her mother, Annie flinched. For a split second, an expression flickered across her face that made Nadiya Ivanivna feel a chill.
«What do you usually cook at home?» the woman nudged.
«Mom does it herself…» Annie hesitated. «She only taught me how to make fried eggs. Just in case she’s gone for a long time.»
«Well, over this next week, we’re going to make a real little chef out of you!» Nadiya Ivanivna tried to smile.
Suddenly, Annie looked up, and tears as large as peas began rolling down her cheeks.
«What’s all this?» the woman asked, startled. «I didn’t say anything bad. Did I hurt your feelings?»
The girl shook her head, then suddenly lunged forward and pressed herself against Nadiya Ivanivna, burying her face in her apron and sobbing bitterly.
The older woman froze. She didn’t know whether to stroke the girl’s hair or offer a stern word of comfort. But her hands moved on their own, wrapping around the thin little shoulders.
«There, there, calm down. What happened? Tell me, don’t be afraid.»
«I’m scared…» Annie managed through her sobs. «I’m scared Mom left me. For good.»
Nadiya Ivanivna gasped.
«Child, what an imagination! What mother would leave a girl like you? They went on business, to sign papers. They didn’t want to exhaust you with all that driving and waiting in lines. That’s why they left you here in the sunshine. They’ll be back in a week with plenty of presents!»
«My dad said that too…» Annie wiped her nose with her fist. «He said he was going to get me a toy and would be right back. And I never saw him again. He just disappeared. And now Mom has a new husband, they have a new family. Maybe I’m just in the way?»
Nadiya Ivanivna’s heart, which she had kept cold for so long, suddenly ached. She finally understood why the child was so quiet. She wasn’t «well-behaved»—she was scared to death. She lived in constant fear of being erased from someone’s life again.
«Listen to me carefully,» Nadiya Ivanivna said, tilting the girl’s chin up. «Vitaliy is my son. I know him better than anyone. He would never let your mom leave you. And he loves you himself, I can see it. To them, you are the most important person in the world. Do you understand?»
«Really?» A glimmer of hope sparked in Annie’s eyes.
«Really. You’ll see—Mom will call tomorrow, and you’ll hear it for yourself.»
That evening, as the sun dipped behind the forest, they really did make pancakes. A massive stack of them. Annie carefully flipped them with a spatula under «Grandma’s» watchful eye, and when the first pancake came out perfectly round and golden, she smiled truly for the first time all day.
Tanya’s call came right on time. Annie talked so excitedly about the raspberries, the batter, and how she—all by herself!—had fried them in the pan, that Nadiya Ivanivna could only marvel. Where had that withdrawn child gone? The girl now felt that she was remembered, that she was wanted.
The following days flew by surprisingly fast. Nadiya Ivanivna found herself enjoying the company. Annie turned out to be incredibly curious; she knew a dozen poems, asked about every flower in the garden, and helped pick the ripest tomatoes.
They went to the local pond together. The water was as warm as fresh milk. Nadiya Ivanivna taught the girl not to fear the deep end, holding her up in the water, and Annie laughed so loudly that birds took flight from the trees.
«Grandma, look what kind of shell I found!» she would shout, surfacing.
The word «Grandma» had grated on Nadiya Ivanivna at first, but with each passing day, it grew sweeter. As it turned out, you don’t need shared blood to feel a kinship of souls.
In the evenings, they sat on the porch. Nadiya Ivanivna told stories about Vitaliy’s childhood—what a troublemaker he had been—and Annie listened with bated breath.
«And he really won’t leave me?» she asked one night before bed.
«He won’t. You’re part of our family now. And family is what keeps us anchored in this world.»
When Friday evening arrived, Tanya called.
«Nadiya Ivanivna, we’re all finished! we’ll be there tomorrow morning. How is Annie? She hasn’t worn you out too much, has she?»
«Worn me out? Not at all,» the woman grumbled, feeling a strange pang of sadness. «She’s a good kid. Smart, too.»
Annie heard that her parents were coming and started jumping for joy. But then she suddenly stopped and looked at Nadiya Ivanivna.
«So, I’m leaving tomorrow?»
«You are, sweetheart. You have to go home.»
«But what about the garden? Who’s going to pick the raspberries?»
«Oh, I’ll manage somehow,» the woman sighed.
Saturday morning was bright and sunny. Nadiya Ivanivna had been «out of sorts» since dawn. She grumbled at the cat and shuffled buckets around, though in reality, she was just hiding her eyes. She didn’t want to be alone at the big cottage again.
When Vitaliy’s car pulled up to the gate, Annie was the first to run out to meet them.
«Mom! Vitaliy! Look at what I learned!» she spun around them, trying to tell them everything at once.
Tanya and Vitaliy climbed out of the car looking exhausted but happy.
«Well, Mom, how are things? You still standing?» Vitaliy walked up to Nadiya Ivanivna to give her a hug.
«Still standing, why wouldn’t I be?» she grumbled, pulling away. «Get everything settled with the inheritance?»
«Everything, Mom. Now we can actually think about a vacation.»
Tanya approached her mother-in-law with gratitude: «Thank you so much. We were so worried…»
«Nothing to worry about,» Nadiya Ivanivna snapped. «Pack your things. I still have cucumbers to jar; don’t let me keep you.»
Annie quickly packed her backpack. It no longer felt like her only shield. She tucked in a bag of raspberries that «Grandma» had carefully gathered for her trip.
The girl had already climbed into the car, but suddenly she hopped back out. She ran back to Nadiya Ivanivna, who was standing by the gate, and threw her arms around her in a tight squeeze.
«Grandma, can I come back next weekend, too? We haven’t learned how to bake apple pies yet!» she whispered.
Nadiya Ivanivna felt a heavy lump form in her throat. She patted the girl’s head.
«Of course, come back. The apples will be just right. I’ll be waiting.»
Tanya and Vitaliy exchanged a surprised look. They had never seen Nadiya Ivanivna so… soft.
As the car pulled away and disappeared into a cloud of dust, the woman stood by the road for a long time. She watched the distance until the dust settled. Then, she slowly turned back toward her empty house.
But the house didn’t feel quite so lonely anymore. On the table lay Annie’s unfinished drawing—a bright sun and three figures standing by the house. Nadiya Ivanivna picked up the picture and carefully placed it on the shelf next to the photo of her son.
She wiped a stray tear that had escaped down her cheek and went to put the kettle on. Being a grandmother, it turned out, wasn’t about blood. It was about knowing how to melt the ice in a little heart that someone else had once tried to freeze.
And now she knew for sure: next weekend would be the best of her life. Because her home would once again be filled with the sound of a child’s laughter—the kind that gives meaning to every root planted and every minute of the day.
