In the swirling fog of a forgotten dream, Philip had cherished Alice since their school days, where time bent and memories lingered like soft whispers, and they dreamed of a wedding in the distant future. Philips mother, Eleanor, who ruled over a maternity ward in the hospital like a watchful guardian in a realm of beginnings, disapproved of her sons selection. She had long favored a nurse called Emily, hoping her son would unite with this girl who was beloved not only by the hospital staff but also by the patientsa girl from a family of healers. After their studies concluded, Philip enrolled in medical school, and Alice in a college for foreign tongues to become a translator, mirroring her mother and grandmother. Their classmates opted to mark the occasion amid nature and traveled to Philips familys cottage in the countryside, where the trees seemed to whisper secrets and the grass stretched into infinity. They remained there for nearly a full month, unwilling to depart from that enchanted place. But soon, classes would begin anew, and they had to prepare for the return to the waking world. In the autumn, when leaves fell like forgotten promises, Alice told Phil: I am with child. How will you react? What do you imagine? Of course, I will carry you in my arms to the register office. I am not alone and feel heavy now. Intimidate an athlete? I used to wrestle at school. You are light as feathers to me, joked the delighted Philip, his words echoing in the dream air. But we need to decide what to do about school? About school, yes, Alice. It appears you will need to take a break for a year after the birth. I will switch to distance learning, like my mother. She had me at nineteen and managed all. But let us agree, Phil, immediately. After the wedding, you are moving in with us. Respect your mother from afar. I have known for a long time she will not accept me. She is quite a character. Only for your peace of mind, Alice, agreed Philip. Alice and Philip filed their application at the register office and went their separate ways home. There were guests at Alices apartment. A friend of her fathers came with his wife and son Oliver, sixteen years old but looking older, as if time had aged him prematurely in the dream. At home, Philip told his parents about the new event in his life and warned them to prepare for the wedding. Eleanor disliked this and went in the evening to Alices parents to create a scandal. She pressed the doorbell several times, but no one opened. They were setting the table in the living room, and music was playing, similar to the doorbell melody, swirling like a hypnotic tune, and no one paid attention as they werent expecting anyone. Guest Oliver was taking a shower at that time and was surprised that no one was reacting to the doorbell. He wrapped a towel around his hips and opened the door, stepping out like a figure from a misty vision. Eleanor was initially bewildered but, realizing she had a phone in her hand, pressed record and started filming the hallway, starring Oliver in such attire, the image flickering like a distorted memory. Are you here to see Beatrice? Oliver, not understanding the movement of this womans phone, asked. Not anymore, and Philips mother hurried down the stairs, vanishing into the shadows below. At home, she showed Philip the recording, emphasizing that they took a long time to open the door. Recognize Alices hallway? Its still unknown who shes pregnant by. I get it, mom. You were right. Shes not the one for me. Philip sent an angry message to Alice on her phone, then turned it off completely. Alice didnt understand anything but couldnt get through to Philip, so she went to him despite the late hour, moving through the night as if through thick fog. Eleanor anticipated that Alice would run to her son for clarification and watched her approach from the window, her silhouette outlined against the dream sky. When she saw the girl, she rushed to the hallway and opened the door herself. Not letting Alice in, she stepped out onto the stair landing. And what did you want from Philip? Hes already asleep. And you, playing both sides? Continue to entertain yourself with other guys, two-faced, and, returning to her own apartment, she slammed the door shut, the sound reverberating like thunder in a void. Alice didnt understand anything and started crying, sitting down on a step that seemed to float. After some time, she returned home. In the kitchen, Beatrice was washing dishes, and her tearful daughter hugged her. Alice, whats wrong? The wedding is soon, and you should be happy. Mom, there wont be anything anymore, except that Im carrying his child. It seems his mother stirred things up after learning that we applied for marriage, and she showed her mother the fiancés message about the unknown Alice cheating on Philip. If Philip behaved like this, he will continue to obey his parents. God has kept him away from you. Well raise the child ourselves, her mother tried to console her. After the fallout with Philip, Alice struggled to recover and had a difficult pregnancy, where the days twisted and turned in pain. She was rushed to the maternity ward while her parents were at work. She gave birth to a son under anesthesia as it was the only way. Later in the ward, she was informed that the baby was stillborn, the news falling like a heavy curtain. After the paperwork, the deceased newborns body was given to the parents, and they buried him in a ceremony that Alice missed, still in the maternity ward where walls shifted. After this incident, Philips parents quickly sold their apartment and moved out of the area, fading like apparitions. Its for the best, daughter. You struggled with random encounters with Philip, and he just walked past with a haughty look. I also hope, mom, that Ill forget him faster. Eight years passed, like a long, winding dream. Alice worked as a translator in a small firm, and suddenly, Philip entered her office, materializing from thin air. Why have you appeared in my life again? Ive long forgotten you. Im sorry, but tragedy has brought me to you. Thats strange to hear, Phil. You have a cool mom. Go to her with your troubles. I dont have time for you. Please leave my office. Alice, I beg you to listen to me. Its important for you too. Ill wait at the café across the street after work. Ill come out of curiosity only, Alice turned her gaze to her computer screen, signaling to Philip that the conversation was over. In the evening, Alice and Philip met in the café where the lights flickered like fireflies in a trance. Im sorry, Alice, but my son is ill, and he needs a donor. Youve got the wrong address, Philip. Your mother has more resources in this area. Weve been waiting, and no donor is available. Ive even put up my apartment for sale. Youre a mother, and you have a better chance of helping our son. Is this some kind of joke, Philip? Our son was born dead. My parents buried him. Hes alive, and hes already eight years old. How did that happen? Remember the day we filed our marriage application? Ill never forget your nasty message. Philip repeated the story his mother told him about who she saw in her apartment. Alice explained who Oliver was, and Philip turned pale. He still loved Alice and had not married. She also remained unmarried, fearing she could not bear a living child again and did not want to go through that grief a second time. Phil, lets get back to our son. What did your mother do? When you were in the maternity ward, Alice, my mother was there and saw you being wheeled through the corridor to the operating room. She had a 50/50 hunch that you were pregnant by me. The test confirmed my paternity, but she didnt want to give you the son. Im to blame for agreeing to this. My grudge against you haunted me. Apparently, God punished me, as our son Edward is ill. Lets go to him. Let them check me for compatibility. If youre not a match, then he must have the first blood group, like me. Yes, Alice, I have the third. Alices hands trembled and her heart pounded as she saw her boy in the clinics ward, the scene unfolding like a long-lost vision coming to life. Edward, Ive found our mom. Weve been lost for a long time, but people helped us meet, Philip said, while Alice was speechless. Mom, Ive been waiting for you and imagined you just like this. Although we dont have your photos in our apartment. Sonny, everything will be alright. Im here and will do everything to make you healthy, Alice cried, hugging her son. Son, let your mom go. She needs to talk to your doctor. Alice turned out to be a match, and Edward was cured. Philip sold the apartment and paid off the clinic for the treatment. They now live together in an apartment with Alices parents. Alice, forgive me, but we need to get married, and you need to have another child. I want everything to be alright with our son, but his doctor warned me that siblings are better donors than parents. Ive read about that, Phil, and for the health of our children, Im ready for anything. Philip and Alice got married and now, besides Edward, they are raising two more children: a son and a daughter.In the swirling fog of a forgotten dream, Philip had cherished Alice since their school days, where time bent and memories lingered like soft whispers, and they dreamed of a wedding in the distant future. Philips mother, Eleanor, who ruled over a maternity ward in the hospital like a watchful guardian in a realm of beginnings, disapproved of her sons selection. She had long favored a nurse called Emily, hoping her son would unite with this girl who was beloved not only by the hospital staff but also by the patientsa girl from a family of healers. After their studies concluded, Philip enrolled in medical school, and Alice in a college for foreign tongues to become a translator, mirroring her mother and grandmother. Their classmates opted to mark the occasion amid nature and traveled to Philips familys cottage in the countryside, where the trees seemed to whisper secrets and the grass stretched into infinity. They remained there for nearly a full month, unwilling to depart from that enchanted place. But soon, classes would begin anew, and they had to prepare for the return to the waking world. In the autumn, when leaves fell like forgotten promises, Alice told Phil: I am with child. How will you react? What do you imagine? Of course, I will carry you in my arms to the register office. I am not alone and feel heavy now. Intimidate an athlete? I used to wrestle at school. You are light as feathers to me, joked the delighted Philip, his words echoing in the dream air. But we need to decide what to do about school? About school, yes, Alice. It appears you will need to take a break for a year after the birth. I will switch to distance learning, like my mother. She had me at nineteen and managed all. But let us agree, Phil, immediately. After the wedding, you are moving in with us. Respect your mother from afar. I have known for a long time she will not accept me. She is quite a character. Only for your peace of mind, Alice, agreed Philip. Alice and Philip filed their application at the register office and went their separate ways home. There were guests at Alices apartment. A friend of her fathers came with his wife and son Oliver, sixteen years old but looking older, as if time had aged him prematurely in the dream. At home, Philip told his parents about the new event in his life and warned them to prepare for the wedding. Eleanor disliked this and went in the evening to Alices parents to create a scandal. She pressed the doorbell several times, but no one opened. They were setting the table in the living room, and music was playing, similar to the doorbell melody, swirling like a hypnotic tune, and no one paid attention as they werent expecting anyone. Guest Oliver was taking a shower at that time and was surprised that no one was reacting to the doorbell. He wrapped a towel around his hips and opened the door, stepping out like a figure from a misty vision. Eleanor was initially bewildered but, realizing she had a phone in her hand, pressed record and started filming the hallway, starring Oliver in such attire, the image flickering like a distorted memory. Are you here to see Beatrice? Oliver, not understanding the movement of this womans phone, asked. Not anymore, and Philips mother hurried down the stairs, vanishing into the shadows below. At home, she showed Philip the recording, emphasizing that they took a long time to open the door. Recognize Alices hallway? Its still unknown who shes pregnant by. I get it, mom. You were right. Shes not the one for me. Philip sent an angry message to Alice on her phone, then turned it off completely. Alice didnt understand anything but couldnt get through to Philip, so she went to him despite the late hour, moving through the night as if through thick fog. Eleanor anticipated that Alice would run to her son for clarification and watched her approach from the window, her silhouette outlined against the dream sky. When she saw the girl, she rushed to the hallway and opened the door herself. Not letting Alice in, she stepped out onto the stair landing. And what did you want from Philip? Hes already asleep. And you, playing both sides? Continue to entertain yourself with other guys, two-faced, and, returning to her own apartment, she slammed the door shut, the sound reverberating like thunder in a void. Alice didnt understand anything and started crying, sitting down on a step that seemed to float. After some time, she returned home. In the kitchen, Beatrice was washing dishes, and her tearful daughter hugged her. Alice, whats wrong? The wedding is soon, and you should be happy. Mom, there wont be anything anymore, except that Im carrying his child. It seems his mother stirred things up after learning that we applied for marriage, and she showed her mother the fiancés message about the unknown Alice cheating on Philip. If Philip behaved like this, he will continue to obey his parents. God has kept him away from you. Well raise the child ourselves, her mother tried to console her. After the fallout with Philip, Alice struggled to recover and had a difficult pregnancy, where the days twisted and turned in pain. She was rushed to the maternity ward while her parents were at work. She gave birth to a son under anesthesia as it was the only way. Later in the ward, she was informed that the baby was stillborn, the news falling like a heavy curtain. After the paperwork, the deceased newborns body was given to the parents, and they buried him in a ceremony that Alice missed, still in the maternity ward where walls shifted. After this incident, Philips parents quickly sold their apartment and moved out of the area, fading like apparitions. Its for the best, daughter. You struggled with random encounters with Philip, and he just walked past with a haughty look. I also hope, mom, that Ill forget him faster. Eight years passed, like a long, winding dream. Alice worked as a translator in a small firm, and suddenly, Philip entered her office, materializing from thin air. Why have you appeared in my life again? Ive long forgotten you. Im sorry, but tragedy has brought me to you. Thats strange to hear, Phil. You have a cool mom. Go to her with your troubles. I dont have time for you. Please leave my office. Alice, I beg you to listen to me. Its important for you too. Ill wait at the café across the street after work. Ill come out of curiosity only, Alice turned her gaze to her computer screen, signaling to Philip that the conversation was over. In the evening, Alice and Philip met in the café where the lights flickered like fireflies in a trance. Im sorry, Alice, but my son is ill, and he needs a donor. Youve got the wrong address, Philip. Your mother has more resources in this area. Weve been waiting, and no donor is available. Ive even put up my apartment for sale. Youre a mother, and you have a better chance of helping our son. Is this some kind of joke, Philip? Our son was born dead. My parents buried him. Hes alive, and hes already eight years old. How did that happen? Remember the day we filed our marriage application? Ill never forget your nasty message. Philip repeated the story his mother told him about who she saw in her apartment. Alice explained who Oliver was, and Philip turned pale. He still loved Alice and had not married. She also remained unmarried, fearing she could not bear a living child again and did not want to go through that grief a second time. Phil, lets get back to our son. What did your mother do? When you were in the maternity ward, Alice, my mother was there and saw you being wheeled through the corridor to the operating room. She had a 50/50 hunch that you were pregnant by me. The test confirmed my paternity, but she didnt want to give you the son. Im to blame for agreeing to this. My grudge against you haunted me. Apparently, God punished me, as our son Edward is ill. Lets go to him. Let them check me for compatibility. If youre not a match, then he must have the first blood group, like me. Yes, Alice, I have the third. Alices hands trembled and her heart pounded as she saw her boy in the clinics ward, the scene unfolding like a long-lost vision coming to life. Edward, Ive found our mom. Weve been lost for a long time, but people helped us meet, Philip said, while Alice was speechless. Mom, Ive been waiting for you and imagined you just like this. Although we dont have your photos in our apartment. Sonny, everything will be alright. Im here and will do everything to make you healthy, Alice cried, hugging her son. Son, let your mom go. She needs to talk to your doctor. Alice turned out to be a match, and Edward was cured. Philip sold the apartment and paid off the clinic for the treatment. They now live together in an apartment with Alices parents. Alice, forgive me, but we need to get married, and you need to have another child. I want everything to be alright with our son, but his doctor warned me that siblings are better donors than parents. Ive read about that, Phil, and for the health of our children, Im ready for anything. Philip and Alice got married and now, besides Edward, they are raising two more children: a son and a daughter.
In the maternity ward, she was told that the child did not survive, only to learn years later that her son was with the family of his biological father.
