Larisa and her daughter Marinka were returning home from the garden. A cool spring rain was falling, which gradually intensified. The young woman hurried because they did not have an umbrella. And after work, she was very hungry, she still had to cook dinner. Larisa has been living with her daughter by herself for three years already after her husband and dad exchanged them for their beautiful secretary, Marina was barely a year old then. It is good that the parents helped Larisa to buy a small apartment, as her husband kicked her out of his house, in which it was Larisa who brought beauty and comfort, investing all the money she earned. But the ex-husband, having the opportunity to hire expensive lawyers, proved to the court that Larisa did not own anything, and now he only pays alimony in a ridiculous amount, despite the fact that he is the head of a large enterprise. That’s what his lawyers did too. In general, Larisa was already used to living alone with her daughter, and they were quite happy.
The woman did not even want to start a new relationship, fearing another betrayal. And now they were hurrying to their cozy warm apartment, when suddenly Marina stopped abruptly, then ran to the bench at the entrance of someone else’s house. This was a complete surprise for Larisa, she ran after her daughter, and she sat down on the bench and began to stroke a small wet trembling puppy. When mom came up, Marina, with tears in her eyes, asked: “Mom, let’s take him to us, come on, he’s scared to be alone on the street.” Larisa’s plans did not include getting a dog at all. Therefore, she grabbed her daughter by the hand and dragged her towards the house, saying that they did not need a dog, that this was a big hassle, that there would be no one to deal with her, and that it would start to rain and they would get wet.
And suddenly it hit her like a shot. In surprise, she stopped so abruptly that the crying Marina literally hit her mother. Larisa remembered how, as a child, her mother led her by the hand and they also saw a puppy. She then really dreamed of having a dog, but her mother was categorically against it, and she also dragged Larisa crying and looking around, saying the exact words. And on the sidewalk sat a little puppy and also cried. These eyes of his, filled with despair and hope, dreamed of the girl for a long time at night, forcing her to cry into her pillow from the injustice in life. But over time, it was forgotten in the daily bustle.
And now these childhood memories suddenly surfaced in her memory. So bright and realistic. Larisa looked around, the puppy lay in the same place and looked after them with eyes full of despair and hope. The woman turned around and literally ran back, dragging Marina, who did not understand anything, behind her. She picked up the baby in her arms and commanded: “Now everyone runs home, otherwise, you will catch a cold,” and they ran to dry, warm themselves and have dinner in their warm house. There the puppy ate well for the first time and got his real name, Buddy.
Four months have passed. One day Larisa’s phone rang.
It was an ex-husband. He began to say that he was mistaken, that he had abandoned his beloved wife and daughter in vain, changed it for a greedy and unworthy fool, and the fact that his house is now up for sale, since the second wife demands the division of property, and he wants to return to his family, why should they live together.
Larisa listened in silence until the ex ran out of words, and then quietly and calmly said: “No, they don’t want to see him anymore, especially since there are now three of them” and cut off the connection.
And then for a long time, she admired through the window how Marina and her beautiful young dog Buddy were playing in the yard, who would never betray.
