love has many names 80-108-last

The

days passed quickly. That morning, he woke up in a not-so-good mood. He planned to kidnap Natalie from the altar, but in his situation, it seemed a bit ridiculous. Amelia called him as often as she could, and he understood that she wanted to be by Victor's side. He knew that the future of Grandma's house depended on it. "

Good morning,

good morning," he said, slightly grimacing as he watched the older woman enter his room and prepare for their exercises. Amelia had been searching for the best rehabilitator for several days. She told him there were some minor hurdles, but as soon as he was released from the hospital, he would definitely have it. The day was approaching inevitably, as his sister was supposed to pick him up when she arrived for a friend's wedding.

"Well, let's get to work," he said, smiling at him. She began by massaging his feet and then the upper part of his legs.

"You're doing great. For now, we won't let your muscles atrophy, and after these exercises, we'll do more to help you get back in shape." She moved his legs, but he felt nothing. The daily exercises were pure torture for him, and, he suspected, for the woman as well. After half an hour of torture, Dagmara finished the exercises and went to the next patient, leaving him alone in an empty room whose walls were also bare. Daniel decided to get some sleep. What else could he do in this room? However, someone knocked and the door slowly opened.

"Hello, son!" he saw his mother and father standing in the doorway, unsure what to do or if something would fall on their heads.

"Why did you come?" he said angrily, but quietly as a mouse.

"How can you ask? We've been worried since Amelia informed us you were here. We didn't know if we could visit you, but we decided...

" "You made the wrong decision," he said sadly, yet imperiously, looking at his mother, who was exhausted and had bags under her eyes. His father stood nearby and remained silent, but his face and eyes spoke volumes. Both he and his mother were tormented by the thought that their own son had rejected them.

"Please... let us stay here for at least 10 minutes, I beg you." "

Okay, you can stay that long, but not a minute longer, do you understand?"

"Yes, son, of course." She approached him and tried to kiss him, but he pulled away and gently pushed her aside with his hand.

"I'm sorry," he said, confused, and she sat down in the armchair.

"When are you leaving the hospital? " "

On Saturday or Sunday, depending on when Amelia picks me up.

" "Of course we can pick you up.

" "No thanks, Amelia will do it.

" "Son, she's pregnant and I can see she's not feeling well. Are you going to drag her here on purpose? Of course we can do that."

"She's not coming here on purpose, she has a friend's wedding," he said without hesitation, but his face must have said something else, because her mother looked at him more closely. "

If she couldn't..." "

If she can't, someone from the service will pick me up," he said sharply. "Go ahead, I want to sleep, I'm tired..."

Amelia got out of the car, slamming the door. It was 2 p.m. and she had already managed to get to Krakow from Łódź and visit the beautician and hairdresser. She headed towards the hospital and then Daniel's room. As promised, she had come to pick him up and then take him to her house. She entered the room and noticed him sitting with his back to the entrance. The poor thing was in a wheelchair. It was a terrible feeling seeing him in such a state. She went over and hugged him tightly.

"Hello, little brother

," she said, "I can't believe this beauty has visited me here."

"You know?" She blushed. "She looked absolutely stunning. Her long hair curled naturally in a bun, with a few strands escaping here and there. A red rose was attached to one side, and her dress was the same color. No one would probably even guess she designed it herself. It fit perfectly, accentuating her long, slender legs, which were additionally in high heels, while also concealing her increasingly visible belly and bust. Her face glowed, and although she didn't notice it herself, she looked gorgeous and would undoubtedly outshine many people as the bride." "So, where are we going?" he asked impatiently. "

Yes, where are your things?"

"Here they are," he pointed to a small green corduroy bag and ran up to her, pulling it with great effort onto his lap. Amelia discharged him from the hospital, and they drove home together. Mrs. Dorota greeted them with great joy and was overjoyed to see Amelia again. Sara also couldn't contain her happiness and kept wagging her tail at her feet. The wedding was scheduled for 4 p.m. at the city hall, and when she glanced at her watch, devastated, she realized she only had half an hour left.

"Daniel, I'll go now

." "Okay," he said very sadly, and her heart broke with pain. She loved him so much and couldn't prevent this tragedy

. "Don't go to sleep if you can. I won't be at the wedding for long. I should pick you up before dark, and I'm taking you to Łódź for the weekend."

"Great," he said without enthusiasm, and walked her to the door, his fingers fiddling with the stroller buttons. She left quickly and didn't look back at him; she couldn't. Daniel was suffering greatly, and it was visible in his face, his voice, even his demeanor. Something inside him screamed that he didn't want what was around him, that he didn't want reality. A single large tear rolled down her cheek, "My makeup will smudge," she thought, looking in the mirror, but she couldn't control it. She drove quickly to the city hall and got out of the car in a hurry; she had five minutes left to find a seat. She ran up the stairs and pushed her way through the crowd of guests. Natalia had decided not to have a church wedding; she planned to do it after the baby was born, but now, to make their union legal, they would have a civil wedding. She sat down on a chair decorated with white artificial flowers. She looked around the room and at the very front she noticed her friend's parents and another older couple, probably the groom's family. She didn't even know him, and she felt hurt by the fact that her closest friend, whom she treated almost like a sister, treated her like a true and faithful sister she never had. Meanwhile, she behaved terribly, inviting her to the wedding, yet like an ordinary school friend. Even a neighbor, not herself, was the witness. The conversation suddenly stopped, and Amelia heard the faint melody of the Mendelssohn March. The door opened, and a young couple slowly entered the room on a red carpet. Amelia took a good look at her friend's fiancé and was almost certain she had seen him somewhere before. Natalia looked around the room, and her eyes met Amelia's, and they smiled. They looked pale towards each other and the bride continued. The ceremony, if you could call it that, began and everything went smoothly until the judge asked the future spouses if they wanted to be together for better or for worse. Dariusz, for that was the groom's name, promised everything to Natalia without hesitation, but when it reached her, there was a moment of silence. Natalia turned slightly to see Amelie and looked at her in despair. It lasted perhaps a few seconds, but to everyone it probably seemed like an eternity. Amelie lowered her head. She knew her friend was making a mistake, but she couldn't interfere in her life like that. She knew Daniel would condemn her behavior, but she couldn't influence her friend's behavior. She raised her face and noticed that the bride was no longer looking at her, but remained silent. Some people in the courtroom began to fidget nervously, others were again watching Amelia closely, as she had just seen her own. Natalia's gaze fell upon her. The girl took a deep sigh, accentuated by the slight trembling of her beige dress, and said...

"Yes," she said in a trembling voice, as if a mass cry of relief echoed through the courtroom. She couldn't bear it; she felt sick; she didn't love him; it was probably just a fleeting moment. She had doubts, after all, why it had gone so far. She stood up before the end and watched the young couple and their witnesses sign the documents.

"What's wrong?" asked one of the guests sitting next to her.

"I hope no one notices my absence," she said, forcing a smile. "I'm pregnant and I feel a little faint, I'm fine," she said quickly, seeing the man's face, who was probably panicking at the thought of having to help the fainting woman. "I need to get some fresh air and get over it." "Shall I go

with you?"

"I can't manage on my own, please sit down." She quickly walked outside the office and took a deep breath. She hadn't missed much of the wedding, as she already noticed the bride and groom outside the building, followed by guests pouring out. Another car pulled up to the building, so the newlyweds had to move away, and the greetings and gifts were postponed to a later time at the venue. So she quickly got into the car and followed the queue of cars. The wedding was to take place in the grand ballroom, where Krakow's biggest celebrations usually took place. When she entered, she smelled the incredible scent of flowers gathered in the room; they had never been there before, and the venue looked far more realistic than she had imagined. "I want to have my own wedding here," she thought, and suddenly realized she had caught herself planning this day. Not long ago, this hadn't been possible at all. She assured herself that she would be a bride with a child, and now that she knew Wiktor wasn't her brother, her dreams were taking on the proper expression. She smiled to herself and turned towards the bride and groom. As is the custom, the owner and her parents welcomed them with bread and salt. Natalia, a little grimaced, ate a small piece of bread, which was quite salty. Next came the champagne, and after emptying the glasses, the couple tossed it behind them and then went inside, inviting everyone to follow. First, the photos began in the most beautiful room, designated exclusively for dancing. Amelia couldn't look at them without imagining Dariusz, his brother, in their place. It was so sad, and she could see that Natalia wasn't happy at all. She was fulfilling her husband's whim, but there was no smile or joy on her face. Amelia, as soon as they finished the session, She pushed her way to the front of the line to quickly wish them happy birthday. She didn't know what to buy them, and shopping for a gift for them wouldn't be pleasant. She decided to give them the money she was using for her own needs. "I don't know what to wish you, except happiness and endless self-love," she said, trying to keep her voice natural. Natalia lowered her head at these words and said nothing, while Dariusz smiled at her and kindly accepted kisses on both cheeks.

"Forgive me if I disappoint you, but my brother is waiting for me at home.

" "Why didn't he come with you?" Dariusz asked, surprised. "

He got out of the hospital today, he had an accident, he fell off a horse, last Sunday. " "

I'm sorry

." "Yes, me too. Daniel is devastated, his legs are paralyzed and he can't walk.

" "Daniel?" Natalia said in a breaking voice, a dangerous spark burning in her eyes.

"Yes, see you soon, I hope." With that, she left, pushed by the guests. Tears fell slowly at first, but when she was almost to the exit, they were floods.

"Amelia, wait." She turned around and noticed her friend running after her.

"Daniel is your brother?"

"Yes

." "I didn't know..."

"He told you that, but you didn't want to listen." She turned and wanted to leave, but he held her hand

. "How is he feeling?"

"Bad, very bad, were you with him then? Were you not?"

"Yes," she said, tears slowly streaming down her face.

"Go now, Dariusz is waiting for you, you can't let him down on a day like this." She left the premises, leaving her in the hallway...

She got out of the car and leaned against it, sighed heavily, and walked to the front door, but couldn't bring herself to go in. After a moment, she overcame herself and opened the door, and to her surprise, Daniel was behind it.

"Oh, you scared me," she said, inconspicuously wiping tears from her cheeks. The room was dark, so maybe he wouldn't notice. -It took

you a long time to get out of the car.

-Do you think there's anything to eat? I'm really hungry, she said, trying to get past him into the kitchen.

-Amelia, did she do that?

-Yes...I'm sorry, really.

-What's he like? What does he have that I don't?

-There's nothing you couldn't give her, I don't know why she did it, but we can't change her mind.

-Was she happy?

"I don't know, only she knows. Are you ready to go yet?" She hugged him and felt his whole body tremble, her heart pounding like crazy and she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She knew this pain so well, so well. So many times her heart had bled when she knew she would never be able to hug her loved one again, that she would never be able to kiss them again, say a sweet word to them and receive the same from them. She suffered so much that Wiktor was her brother, Daniel had the same problem, only this time it wouldn't turn out to be a mistake. Natalia really had gotten married and they were going to have a child. It was so terrible. She left him devastated and took his bag from Dorota. She led him to the car and helped him get in. They didn't say anything, the silence was too clear, showing the suffering they both felt. They drove for a long time, and the thoughts that kept coming to their minds added to their sadness. Time passed, the journey seemed to drag on forever, taking forever, and that they would never escape reality. They arrived quite late because they were also involved in a car accident. Once there, Amelia unfolded the stroller and helped her brother into it. She had a special entrance prepared for the stroller, so getting home was no problem. She and the housekeeper managed to handle its weight. She entered and breathed a sigh of relief; perhaps she could forget about what was happening around him for a moment. She wanted to greet Wiktor, but knew she shouldn't leave her brother alone, so together they watched in silence as Grazynka prepared the room on the ground floor so that Daniel could move around on his own if necessary. Suddenly, Amelia heard quick footsteps on the stairs, and a breathless Żaneta ran into the room.

"Mr. Wiktor, something's happening to him." Amelia went numb and immediately turned pale, her legs refused to obey her or she would have been on the stairs long ago.

"What is it? What happened?

" "I have no idea, it's like he's having an epileptic seizure. Is he sick?"

"No," Daniel said quickly, and Amelia, running upstairs, scolded the nurse for leaving Wiktor alone even though she suspected an epileptic seizure. He could have hurt himself. When she entered the room, she noticed he was covered in sweat and seemed to be screaming something. She immediately knew it wasn't epilepsy at all. "

Honey, can you hear me? Wake up, please come back to us, we need you here." She hugged his hand, which was moving, causing it to shake for several minutes. "Please wake up, Wiktor, I love you, I won't let you stay away from us for so long, please." Her tears fell on his face and neck. She noticed he moved his lips and then licked them with his tongue.

"Zaneta, quickly bring me some clean water," she screamed, and the girl ran to the bathroom. "Please wake up, my sweetie." She pressed his hand harder and prayed. in silence, so that God would hear her request...

Amelia moved closer to his face and gently stroked it.

"I love you so much, please wake up," she cried, but now the tears weren't falling on him; they were running down her face, smearing the remnants of her makeup.

"I love you too." She jumped up and looked at him. His eyes were open and he was looking at her like he had when they first met on the train. "

You're awake." She cried, clinging to him, and he didn't pull away. He stroked her now-loose hair and nuzzled into it. They cried together until the bait came in, then she pulled away and told her to call the hospital.

"I'm fine," he denied, refusing to hear about the doctor, but she was stubborn. When they were alone, Wiktor sat on the bed and gazed at his room in surprise.

"What am I doing here? Is it the weekend?"

"Yes, it's Saturday evening," Amelia said calmly and quietly, swallowing tears of happiness. She couldn't believe he was awake. It was too much happiness all at once. "Do you remember what happened?" Wiktor scratched his head and thought for a moment. "

I was riding Karla and I fell, right?"

"Is Karla your horse?" she asked, surprised by this fact.

"Yes, do you know which horse it is?"

"Yes, it doesn't matter how you feel? We need to talk," she said sadly, looking down at the carpet. He touched her face gently and took her in both hands, lifting her up.

"Is what I heard true?" She nodded, then shook her head for a moment, denying it, shaking her sideways . "So, is it

a yes or a no?" He started laughing.

"I'm sorry I kept pulling away from you. You know I love you very much, but I thought you were my brother.

So, I'm not?" His face seemed to brighten, and his voice seemed sweeter. It gave her courage, so she continued.

"Daniel and I are siblings, but you and I aren't." She smiled slightly, and when he smiled back, she continued. "A week ago, your parents told Daniel that they both had an affair, your father with my mother, and yours with some guy. We were born from that." We're both Daniel's siblings, but we're not—it

's wonderful, you don't know how happy I am when I heard what Daniel said. I was only thinking about death, I love you so much—he hugged her and she was out of breath—I wanted to die, I did it all on purpose, I—" His voice broke and he started crying.

"Don't say anything anymore, the important thing is that everything is clear now, and that we love each other," she said, kissing him on the lips and hugging him as much as her bulging belly would allow

. "And your pregnancy? Who is the father of this child? "

"You silly little thing, who else could it be if not you?"

Daniel woke up and sat on the bed. Today, he was supposed to return to Krakow with Amelia and Wiktor. He was happy just thinking about it. His sister had promised him that as soon as he got there, a specialist would come to him to check on his legs, and he would surely recover quickly. He wanted it to be true, he was escaping reality, he wanted to feel better, but it didn't happen. The momentary forgetfulness left behind a disability. His siblings decided to get married, so he had to be ready because he wanted to be at their wedding on his own two feet. He looked around the room and remembered how he used to play here with his brother as a child. This was his grandfather's room; he had a very large desk by the window, and he often sat there. They loved to sneak into this room and pore over his grandfather's books, which, although they didn't understand much because there were no pictures, seemed to be interesting. It felt so mysterious and cool. He smiled to himself and tried to move to the armchair himself. He touched the wheelchair with his hands and fell to the ground because the wheelchair wasn't braked and rolled away. He lay on the ground and couldn't get up. He felt that instead of muscles in his stomach, he had one big gut that couldn't lift him. He leaned on the bed and looked at the opposite wall, where the clock hung. It was already twelve o'clock and he had only just woken up. No wonder, they had spent a long time yesterday together with Amelia and Wiktor, both were so happy that he envied them. He loved them very much, but every time they hugged each other or sent each other secret kisses, he felt pain in his heart. He and Natalia also loved each other very much, apparently not enough, because their love had not stood the test. He had to forget her; after all, he couldn't do anything now. I wonder if she even knows I'm paralyzed, he thought, and cursed under his breath. He rested his head on the mattress, and thousands, even millions, of thoughts about Natalia flooded his mind. He loved her so much, and she betrayed him, damn it. Why does it have to be this way, why? An uncontrollable scream escaped his lips. Then he heard quick footsteps on the stairs above the room, and a moment later, a knock on the door . "Come in

?" He saw Amelie in her bathrobe in the doorway. She took in the situation and quickly ran into the room, kneeling beside him.

"What happened? Did you fall out of the wheelchair? I told you to call me if you needed me."

"I did it a moment ago," he lied, but he wasn't ashamed at all; he didn't want to show how much he was suffering. She helped him and then left. The nurse, who hadn't left the house yet, helped him with his morning toilet. He felt very awkward because the girl was young and blushed profusely with every activity. They left around 2 p.m. Daniel spent almost the entire time alone in the garden; that place also reminded him very much of his childhood. He would never forget when they played hide-and-seek or tag with the kids from nearby houses. Wiktor, being one of the youngest, would lose most often and then cry and go to complain to his grandparents about cheating. He smiled at the thought of those moments and thought that he respected his grandparents for what they did for Wiktor. They didn't love him in any special way, they simply wanted to compensate him for the losses he had suffered. Parents' mistakes...

He lay in his room and listened to the conversation between Amelia and his brother, which could be heard faintly through the thick walls. The tone of their conversations meant they were very happy. He heard the doorbell and the sound of footsteps, probably Amelia's. She was greeting someone, probably an acquaintance. He straightened his clean clothes, which he had just changed. He expected the rehabilitator. A knock on the door and he appeared, well, it wasn't the rehabilitator. It was Natalia.

"Get out of here, you understand!" he shouted, and she stood frightened in the doorway. "I don't want to know you, get out of here.

" "Daniel, calm down," Amelia said, approaching him and fluffing his pillows. "Meet Kamila

." "Damn, it's not Kamila, it's Natalia, get out of here, I don't want to see you. Amelia, get her out of our house. "

Listen, you're acting like a brat, this is Kamila, Natalia's twin sister. At first, I also had trouble telling them apart, but there really is a difference, and I hope you'll see it too." She winked at him and added. "Besides, he's the most sought-after rehabilitation specialist I know and the world knows, I'm telling you." With that, she went to the window and opened the curtains, which made the room semi-dark. Kamila, unfortunately, won't be able to stay here. live, will come to you

-Show me your ID - he said, interrupting Amelia, the girl approached him and after a short rummage in her bag she took out her ID, he looked at her for a moment and, now more trusting, handed over the plastic card. Amelia watched them for a moment, and when she noticed Daniel forcing a smile in apology, she said, "Well, I guess I won't bother you anymore," and left his room. The girl sat down on the chair next to him and took off her jacket. Only now did he look at her closely. He had no idea what difference his sister was talking about, because he hadn't seen any yet. He looked at her and saw Natalie. Beautiful, long, straight blond hair flowed limply over her narrow shoulders and arms. Her eyes were as blue as her sister's, and her lips were also ready for a kiss. He was sure that even if Kamila was the worst at her job, Amelia would still hire her because of her resemblance to her sister. He wanted to ask her if she was single, but he expected she was, since Amelia had brought her here, and besides, it didn't matter. the slightest importance since she touched his paralyzed legs with her delicate hands. He could have sworn he felt the heat she spread with her hands on his skin.

"It's not that bad. I saw the description of your illness and I see you have well-muscled legs that will surely withstand whatever we're going to do to you." She smiled sweetly at him and moved closer to his face. "But we need to talk first. We'll be spending more time together than you imagine, so we need to talk about this. Don't think I'm also a psychologist here, but you need to tell me about your accident and its causes, because as I heard from Amelia, it wasn't entirely an accident, and I hope I'll hear that you want to get back in shape.

" "I don't know why you're doing this, but it's good. I fell off my horse. I went out in the evening. It was raining, and even though I was warned, I didn't listen. The mare got caught in a game trap and fell, crushing my legs. I injured my spine during the fall, and on top of that, a tree fell on my feet." She looked at them anxiously, so he added, "They're already put back together, like the doctor said."

"Okay, why did you leave at night in such dangerous weather conditions?

" "You don't know?" He shifted uncomfortably on the mattress he was lying on. "You really don't know? Didn't your sister tell you?" "

If that were the case, I wouldn't be asking you to do this, I wouldn't be forcing you through the terrible effort of recounting the unpleasant moments."

We'd only been dating briefly, but long enough to start planning our lives together, and she came to me after hiding from me for quite a while and asked me not to come to her wedding with Amelia, who was invited. "

Were you a couple?" I'm sorry, I shouldn't be asking, but it's just become routine for me to question my patients. I want them to be able to talk about their accidents, I don't want them to shut themselves off.

-It doesn't matter, I can't understand why your sister acted like that and that's why I hated her, I don't want to see her anymore, never...

Daniel trained persistently every day. It didn't bother him that Kamila was so similar to Natalia. Amelia was right, although so similar on the outside, they were completely different on the inside. Kamila was very calm and an extremely mature woman for her age. A month had passed since she came to his house. It was the end of the weekend and the siblings were supposed to return home. They lived together now. As he expected, neither of them liked their parents' faces, so living with them under the same roof was beyond Wiktor's strength. He moved to a villa and until now, they hadn't seen them. Daniel got up and, using the wheelchair, went to the window. It was the beginning of October and the weather wasn't very nice, but there were sunny days, but very Daniel longingly watched the familiar figure through the window. He stood on his feet with the help of the wheelchair he was leaning on. He was making great progress and, like a child, was happy with every single step he took, even the smallest one. Kamila said that in two more months he would be able to ski. He was thrilled at the thought of it. It was his only dream. He really liked Kamila, and although she was just like Natalia and, on top of that, had a personality like an angel's, he couldn't love her. He knew that perhaps time heals wounds, but this thorn would remain, pricking him for the rest of his life. He adjusted his hands, which had gone a bit numb, and looked through the water-sprinkled window. He saw Kamila approaching quickly. He was happy and decided to surprise her by going out into the hallway. When the door opened, Daniel was already standing in the hallway. He watched her take off her shoes and wet jacket. She handed Dorota the umbrella and looked ahead. She looked at him strangely, and only after a moment did she stagger over to him, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek. He smelled a strong perfume he hadn't noticed before. She was looking at him strangely, and he didn't quite understand what that look meant. Her eyes seemed sad. He said a few funny things, but even though she was laughing, he saw the unmelted sadness that spoke through her eyes. They started practicing. At first, her hands were a little rough, but after half an hour, she seemed to be getting more and more active. He was proud that he felt her touch on his legs, not like the first time; back then, it had been purely his imagination. They were finishing the exercises, and she offered him her hands to help him up from the floor. He took them, but didn't lift them. He looked at her wrists, which had light cuts visible, and saw the beginnings of bruises that were much larger. He pulled her and pulled her towards him. She fell to her knees in front of him and watched what he was doing. He pulled up the sleeve of her sweatshirt and looked at the bruises on her hands. She tried to pull her hands away, but he held them tightly. "

What the hell happened to you?"

"It's nothing, I fell down the stairs, I was carrying jars." "

I don't believe you, you're trying to sell me some bullshit. What happened to you?" He examined the wounds and noticed they weren't fresh, and he hadn't noticed them before. He heard voices in the hallway and guessed his siblings had arrived.

"I'll go now," he said, getting up and covering his hands.

"Okay, but please tell me what happened to you?"

"No, Denni." She left, leaving him in shock...

He sat numbly on the ground and listened to the joyful sounds coming from the corridor. Amelia and Wiktor had arrived from the boat. The door to his room opened and he saw Amelia. She looked wonderful. Joy was radiating from her. Delicate clothes emphasized the ever-growing belly, which was quite large for a fifth month pregnant. She smiled, showing her white teeth and approached him. "

Hi, why are you sitting on the ground

?" "Hello, Amelia, Kamila left me here like this

." "Kamila..." she said, echoing after him. "

How are you feeling?" Wiktor asked, entering the room.

"Hi, I'm fine, but I'm a bit sad, but I see that you are very happy." Wiktor pulled Amelia to himself and gently stroked her.

"We've decided to get married.

Great . Yes

, but we've decided to wait until you can walk on your own. We hope you'll persevere." He started laughing and kissed Amelie on the cheek. "Right, honey?" Amelia nodded quickly and smiled at him,

"Look how much I can do with Kamila. You were right, she's the best." He stood up, leaning against the bed, and stood on his own for a few seconds before falling onto the mattress. Amelia came up to him and hugged him, a tear of joy running down her cheek.

"I'm so happy, I'm so happy, I believed you'd get through this, I knew it." Wiktor squeezed his hand and nodded. They ate together and Daniel went to bed. But he couldn't sleep. He thought about Natalia and her child. It couldn't be her; the pregnancy would have been visible already. The third month is already visible, especially since they're both terribly thin. For a change, his thoughts focused on Kamila. If it was her today, why was she acting so strange? That look in her eyes, what was she trying to tell him through him? She was so sad, he wanted to cry when he saw her. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her, but that distance was there. He never found out if she had a boyfriend; his husband assumed she didn't because she wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Maybe he did this to her. Maybe that's why she was so... sad. Is it possible that some man had deprived her of those sparks of happiness in her eyes? those beautiful blue eyes? He heard quick footsteps in the corridor and Amelia stood in the doorway. The light coming from the corridor outlined her silhouette but he couldn't see her face

- are you sleeping?

-No, what happened? -He got up and sat down

. -Kamila called.

-Why? What happened?

-No, she asked me to tell you that she's sick and won't be coming for the next few days. -Do you know

where she lives?

-Yes, why do you ask?

"Take me there, please." So many thoughts were swirling in his head. She wasn't sick, that wasn't true, she felt very well and wasn't complaining about anything. Something must have happened. He was convinced of it, he knew she hadn't fallen down the stairs and that it wasn't the jars that had cut her. She was cut in very specific places on both arms.

"It's quite late, I don't know if..."

"If she called, it means she's not sleeping," he explained calmly, though he was a little nervous about prolonging the conversation when Kamila could be hurt. He wanted to help her so much, he shuddered at the thought of some scoundrel beating or hurting her. "But

her boyfriend might not be happy about the fact that..." She didn't finish and he interrupted.

"Does she have a boyfriend?" He didn't know why, but this fact shook him up. For a whole month, he hadn't even considered the possibility that she might be seeing someone. have, he didn't expect it and didn't suspect it until today. His inklings were actually about the man, but it didn't have to be her boyfriend, why are all the girls taken? He quickly scolded himself for that thought and listened absently to what she was saying

- I don't know if he has, but if so, it might not be very interesting, don't you think?

"We have to go even more, please take me there.

" "Okay, but if something happens, remember I was against it..." They took the elevator out and were already at the door of Kamila's apartment.

Amelia

knocked, and he waited for someone to appear. They gathered quickly, despite Wiktor's objections, arrived, and it turned out that Kamila lived in one of the city's exclusive housing estates. He was getting a little impatient because no one had answered the door for a long time, and just as they were about to leave, the hinges creaked slightly, and Kamila appeared in a thin blue tracksuit and with a glass of milk in her hand. "

Where is he?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, a bit surprised by the patient's question, and with a wave of her hand, invited them into the apartment. "

Where is that son of a bitch who did this to you?" Daniel shouted, unable to control himself.

"Daniel, who are you talking about? What did someone do to me?"

"You don't look sick at all!" He tugged at her hands, and the glass flew from her hand, shattering on the floor. She held on tightly and didn't want to let him roll up her sleeve, but in fury he tugged at her sweatshirt and saw the smooth skin on her wrists, which had most likely never been nicked or seriously injured. "Amelia, leave us for a moment. Please go out and wait in the hallway.

Are you sure? You're not behaving very elegantly. I don't know if I can leave you here. Maybe we should go home now?"

"Go, it won't take long," Kamila said, and at her friend's questioning look, she only nodded.

"Natala was at my place today, right?" She bowed her head slightly and plopped down heavily on the sofa

. "Yes, it was her, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have, but she asked me so much. Are they so different that you recognized them right away?

" "I don't know, but I guess not everyone has cuts on their wrists and bruises galore. Did that happen often?

" "What?"

"Did she often come instead of you?"

"Was that the first and last time

?" "Who did that to her? Why was she so sad? The first time she came, she looked at me with such sad and distant eyes." He walked up to her and took her face in his hands. "You're not like that, you're full of life, she used to be like that too, what made her so upset? Or maybe I should ask who?"

"Dariusz, her husband, drinks constantly, won't let her work because he's so jealous of her, beats her constantly and humiliates her in front of everyone. Her life is pure hell, a horror." He saw tears streaming down her cheeks and her face contorting in pain. He's abusing her, it's terrible. I asked her to divorce him before something bad happens, but she won't. She says she made a mistake and now she has to atone for it, it's terrible. I really love her and I can't stand to watch him treat her like this.

"Did he do this to her?"

"Are you talking about the cuts on your wrists? She told me you noticed them, that's why I wanted to pretend to be sick. The wound would surely have healed in a few days and you wouldn't have suspected anything, but you realized it. "

I was so worried about you, I thought it was you because Natalia would have been clearly pregnant. I was so afraid something was wrong with you." He looked into her eyes and seemed to be drowning in them, her eyes like the bottom of the ocean, engulfing him as if in waves. He hugged her quickly because he knew that if he didn't stop looking at her quickly, he would kiss her, and after all, he didn't really know if he had anyone. If she had, their relationship would have changed dramatically. However, he had such a great desire to kiss her; his body trembled with excitement when she hugged him and showered him with the warmth that emanated from her.

For a moment, he thought she also felt the magic between them, but when she pulled away a little and spoke with tearful eyes, he lost the illusion. "

You should talk to her, she's really suffering, I know it's hard for you, but maybe you can talk some sense into her, she loves you." She lowered her head and breathed heavily. "She hasn't left the house. Since the wedding day, she'd managed to sneak off to the store, nothing more. She's sure it's all her fault, and yet she's the victim of this situation. Someone needs to make her realize that. I think you're perfect for this. It was for you that she managed to make a temporary exchange. I was at her house instead." She unzipped her blouse and showed him her shoulder. He was bruised, and blood was visible under the skin, pooling from the impact.

"He thought I was her and beat me up

." "I don't believe it, I... I can't do anything because I'm in a wheelchair." "

Please call her, that's all I'm asking you to do, you really need to talk."

"Why are you asking me this? "

"Because she's my sister, and you should be together." She looked at him sadly and walked to the door.

"Do you really want this?" He didn't know why, but he had the impression he was saying goodbye to her, that it was over for them, even though nothing had ever really happened.

"Yes, although I don't believe it myself, please leave, and if you can, do what I asked you to do." She handed him a piece of paper with her sister's phone number and opened the door for him

He woke up and glanced at his watch out of the corner of his eye. It was eight o'clock, the last few days had been torture, and today didn't look any better. After that fateful evening, Kamila didn't show up again, she didn't call to apologize, simply nothing, she left his life as quickly and stormily as she had entered it. He hadn't called Natalia until now, he was afraid of that conversation, he so longed to get her back, it was truly his dream, but after all, she had betrayed him. That hurt too, he was standing between a precipice and a volcano. He didn't really know what to do, and Kamila's silence irritated him; he wanted to keep practicing. Although Amelia helped him with his daily exercises, he knew it wasn't the same, and she didn't ask why Kamila wasn't coming anymore. He pulled back the covers and stood up, completely forgot himself, and collapsed on the floor. He fell to the ground, but not immediately. He was able to stay on his feet for a moment, which surprised him greatly. He sat down on the floor for a moment and leaned against the armchair. He thought to what he owed his disability. He thought it was all because of the anger Natalia had aroused in him, but in reality, he was solely responsible for his disability, only his stupidity had led to this. He had had enough. He slammed his fists several times on the hard carpet until blood flowed from his grazed knuckles. He pulled himself up on his hands with the help of the armchair and stood for a moment, tried to take a step, one after another, and fell. He was very tired, and sweat was pouring from his forehead. Since the accident, this was his greatest achievement. He got up again, this time with the help of the chair, and again took a few more steps than before, but fell again, hitting the table with the lamp, which slipped and shattered on the ground. He got up a few more times, pacing several times. He sat down in the chair after fifteen minutes and couldn't believe what was happening. His legs ached from exhaustion. He felt pain. He wanted to share this with Kamila and without much difficulty, he walked to the telephone, which was two meters away. He didn't fall again, so he slowly sat down on the chair and picked up the phone. He hesitated, however, and after a moment, he put the phone aside. It didn't make sense. After all, she was the one who had moved away from him. Why should he inform her of his success? Why? He took the notebook and pulled out the number on the white piece of paper Kamila had given him. He dialed the number and waited for the answer. "Hello

?" He heard a voice so familiar to him, and his heart trembled and his palm instantly became damp.

"Natalia? Is that you?

" "Yes, who's speaking? Hello?"

"Don't you recognize my voice? It's me, Daniel..." There was silence on the phone and a short sigh. "

Kamila asked me to call you.

" "Well, yes, you probably wouldn't do it yourself..."

"Should I? Should I call you since you're married and you know how I feel about you? Probably not, I think so." "

Sorry, you're right, I don't have the right to ask so much of you."

"I'd like to meet with you, is that possible?"

"I don't know, I don't know myself."

"Whenever it would suit you, if you'd like, of course."

"Maybe this afternoon.

" "And your husband won't be upset that you're gone."

"He disappeared and hasn't been home for a few days.

" "Maybe you could come to my house? I don't want to bother Amelia, and I can't really handle it myself." "Okay.

" He hung up and thought about the sad sound of her voice. It was so depressing. He didn't know what to think about all this, and perhaps a conversation with his beloved would clarify things for him. He heard a knock on the door, and Amelia appeared.

-You already have breakfast ready, Dorota prepared your favorite dishes. He followed her and ate breakfast, and the whole day passed in anticipation of meeting Natalia. However, he didn't spend it sitting, but stubbornly practicing his steps, no one saw it, and he didn't reveal to anyone that he was getting better. He was already walking almost smoothly when, after three hours of effort, he finally sat down exhausted on the bed. He no longer needed anyone for rehabilitation. He could walk again, but for now he didn't intend to share it with anyone. Around four p.m., Amelia brought the soaked Natalie to his room and left them alone...

Around four p.m., Amelia brought the soaked Natalie to his room and left them alone. She wasn't the same person anymore, she didn't seem like an angel to him anymore, nor some miraculous phenomenon, she looked like The shadow of a human. Her hair had been cut short, probably in the last few days. Her face seemed to radiate an unpleasant grayness. Her cheeks were sunken, and her hands were shaking slightly, like a frightened child or a prey afraid of being caught, he thought, and gestured for her to sit on a chair. "

You're very thin, why so thin? At this stage of pregnancy, your belly should be visible."

"I'm not pregnant, not anymore," she said bitterly, lowering her head and staring at her knees. "Did

you lose a child?"

Yes, Dariusz beat me up badly once and I lost it as a result.

It's so awful, how can you put up with him? Divorce him, report him to the police. I don't know what else you can do, but staying with him is out of the question. No,

Daniel, I made a bad decision, but it was my own. I can't run away from it now. I know Kamila wanted me to talk to you, that's why I'm doing this. I know how much you hated me. She told me how you greeted her, thinking it was me. Don't deny it. We know you're angry with me and I understand. You have no idea how much I'd like you to be my husband, but it's not. I made a terrible mistake. I know you hate me and I know what I'm saying will deepen that feeling. I shouldn't hide it, but I did it. Did you

hide something? From me?

Yes, Daniel, that was your child.

Why are you only telling me this now? Now that you've lost her? You don't even know how this child could have suffered in the future because of your lie.

Please don't blame me for what I did. Amelia is my friend. You only told me you were together when I told you I was getting married. How was I supposed to know it was true? I was sure you were lying, and I couldn't betray Amelia. I wanted the child to have a father, and Dariusz willingly agreed.

-You know, I hated my parents, you don't even realize why.

-Tell me.

Amelia suffered for several long months because of their innocent lie. My mother had an affair, as did my father. My brother is an out-of-wedlock child, just like Amelia. They are both my siblings, but they are not. They fell in love but couldn't be together because they thought they were related. Several tragedies occurred because of this. One small lie, small, but it destroyed so much.

-I didn't know.

-Even if you had known, you would have done what you wanted anyway, but never mind. I wanted to meet with you and ask you to divorce him, not for yourself, because you probably won't do it. Please, divorce him for me. I know he doesn't represent much, but I beg you, come back to me and leave him.

-Daniel, I can't, and the fact that you're in a wheelchair is my fault, so much. I feel bad about this, it's because of me that you're crippled, I hope that with Kamila's help you'll get over this

- Kamila doesn't help me anymore, she doesn't come to me anymore

- why?

- I don't know, but it doesn't matter, please divorce me - she approached him with a tear-stained face and knelt before him - I would like that so much, you know I love you, I really want to be with you, I want things to be like they were at the beginning

- so why?

"My family expects a lot from this marriage, I can't let them down.

" "Natalia, if everyone knew what I and Kamila know, he would have been behind bars a long time ago. Look at how you look," he tugged at her sleeve and rediscovered the wounds on her wrists. "Look what he's doing to you, how many bruises you have, your whole body aches, and even wounds inflicted with sharp instruments. You lost your child, my child, because of him," he shouted in anger. He didn't know how to talk to her so she would understand and listen. He couldn't stand the fact that they wanted to deprive him of paternity, and now his child is dead because of a women's boxer who molests his Natalia..."

It had been a month since he met Natalia. She refused to hear about the divorce. He hadn't seen her, nor had he seen Kamila since. Speaking of exercise, he was very stubborn and fought his disability fiercely, finally overcoming it some time ago. At that point, he was walking smoothly, but no one knew about it. He had no reason to leave his room; his mood was getting worse, and Amelia often worried about his mental state. Everything seemed hopeless until he heard the "news" from Amelia.

"We're going to the funeral this Wednesday," he heard from his sister a few days ago. Today he was sitting in a black suit, waiting in a wheelchair for his siblings. The funeral of Dariusz, Natalia's husband, was to take place today at the main cemetery. He died in a car accident. He was driving under the influence of alcohol and collided with a bus. He, his lover, and three children who were on the bus died. The accident shocked all of Poland, everyone sympathized with the parents of the children who had been innocently killed. Natalia was humiliated by everyone and even pointed at on the streets. Amelia tried to comfort her friend, who really didn't need it. After all, she was finally free from the cruel torture she had endured on her wedding day. He adjusted his bow tie and pressed a button on the wheelchair. The chair moved to the door, which Daniel opened with a remote control and moved out into the hallway. At the door Amelia was already ready in the entrance hall, wearing a black maternity dress that would probably look like a potato sack made of good, expensive material on anyone else. But not on her; even in this condition, it could compete with the models. Wiktor slowly walked down the stairs and adjusted his black tie, which matched his suit of the same color. His shoes reflected the light coming from outside. The weather was very nice, even strange for this time of year. They got into the car and headed towards the cemetery. He was a little apprehensive about seeing Natalia, assuming Kamila would be there too; he hadn't seen her in so long. He missed her, knew that the time they spent together had bonded them, united them in friendship. He still wondered what her words meant: "I can't believe I'm saying this." Why had she said that? Maybe she didn't want him to be with Natalia? He had no idea, he really liked her, but he just liked her. "Are you sure?" He chided himself for the thought and noticed they were already in the driveway. Wiktor got out of the car and pulled the stroller out of the trunk, then helped him onto it. They set off down a driveway made of concrete sidewalks about a meter long. The road was difficult, though very short. The sidewalk led up a hill where quite a few people were already standing, all dressed in black. Here and there Someone was crying, children were holding white flowers in their hands, and Daniel thought it was some kind of parody, not a funeral. He wanted to scream that this man wasn't worthy of such a burial at all. He wasn't at all guilty and hadn't left behind a crying widow. In fact, he had freed her from suffering. He looked around at the arrivals and noticed several of Natalia's friends, whom he had met when they were still dating. They approached him and greeted him, and then everyone, shocked by his disability, sympathized with him. Natalia stood among her family and her ex-husband's family. Everyone sympathized with her, but he wasn't sure whether it was for the loss of Dariusz or for the humiliation he had caused her. He had died, after all, while riding on the road with his lover. He gripped the back of his wheelchair and looked around impatiently.He didn't know why he was doing this, but he explained to himself that it was because he wanted to observe everyone who had come. He calmed down only when he saw Kamila. She was walking slowly on high heels; he'd never seen her like this before. She usually wore sweatpants, jeans, and sweatshirts, but now she was wearing a dark navy suit, dark shoes, and her blond hair fell delicately to her shoulders, contrasting with her clothes. Her face was pale and almost transparent. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her face, and when she looked in his direction, a chill ran through him for a moment. She looked at him very sadly, then turned to the side and said something to a man about her age. She grabbed her arm, and together they walked toward Natalia. He didn't know why he felt uneasy when he saw her. He turned the cart around and wheeled it over to Amelia and Wiktor...

The funeral didn't last long; Daniel wasn't sad at all. As soon as the opportunity arose, he drove up to Natalia and arranged to meet her for a drink at their favorite bar. Despite the dimples under her eyes and dark circles all over her face, she looked beautiful, and finally, liberation radiated from her. He lay in bed and thought about tomorrow's meeting. He wanted to hear her voice, and as soon as he heard the phone buzz, he ran to the table he was sitting on and said,

"Excuse me, Natalia?"

"No, it's not her, it's me, were you expecting her?"

"Who's this?"

-Don't you recognize me? Kamila, when I saw you at the cemetery today, I... I wanted to know how you felt

- and how should I feel? Like someone confined to a wheelchair

- Please, exercise, I know you can do it

- Why should I exercise, you don't come to see me anymore, how could I have taken that? That my therapist doesn't even believe I'll recover

- No, please, don't say that, I didn't mean to sound like that, but something happened that I can't explain to you

- I don't even want to listen to your explanations, you acted like a coward...

- That's not true, are you... are you and Natalia dating? Don't say it, I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask that

- We're not dating, but I intend to make it happen, I think that after Dariusz's death, everything will be as before

- No, nothing will be the same...

He heard the phone being hung up and Then a signal. It was a very strange conversation, he lay back in bed. He fell asleep thinking about the very unusual conversation he had with Kamila. He woke up early, did his exercises, and even though everything seemed to be fine, he wasn't going to miss such a chance and sit in a wheelchair again. However, he decided to reveal today that he could walk again. He got up and, dressed in jeans and a burgundy sweatshirt, headed towards the kitchen. He could hear the quiet voices of Amelia and Dorota from there. He came closer and leaned against the doorframe. They didn't pay attention to him for a long time, but when Amelia finally noticed him, the plate of salad fell from her hands. "Daniel?" she asked frantically, picking up the porcelain shards stained with various vegetables. "Is that you?" He laughed and moved towards her. "Of

course I am."

"But you... you're walking!" she said nervously, pointing to his legs. He looked at Mrs. Dorota, who was also standing in shock, holding a hot pot in front of her. "Leave it

, ma'am, you'll get burned." "Yes, of course." The woman dropped the pot on the table and poured lukewarm water over her burned hands. "

How did that happen? You have no idea how happy I am! I really congratulate you for being able to do it yourself.

" "I'm happy too," he approached her, embracing her gently and stroking her shiny hair.

"What's going on here?" Wiktor asked, entering the kitchen, and just as stiffly observed Daniel, standing on his own and snuggling up to Amelia. "My dear brother, I see our wedding is approaching," he exclaimed joyfully, patting him on the back in an understandable gesture. The joy was endless. To celebrate Daniel's recovery, Dorota baked a cake and made other delicacies, mercilessly fattening the hosts and all the employees with her delicious dishes and desserts. The day had flown by, and he had to be prepared as he drove to meet Natalia. Dressed in a dark suit, he confidently walked quickly into "their" café. It was a very pleasant place, and it was here that couples in love usually hung out when they wanted to be in a more intimate setting than the local establishments offered. A red rose, at least one meter long, revealed that he had arranged to meet her. Here with a woman. He looked around the room and noticed his beloved already waiting for him. His face lit up with a sincere smile and he immediately approached her. Without a word, he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and a light hug, then sat down across from her at a small table with a kitschy pink tablecloth and, at short intervals, red napkins in the shape of hearts, the same as those painted on the walls, as well as colorful lamps. On the table there was also a small vase with similar patterns and colors. Small purple flowers of unknown origin were lost in the darkness...

He sat down and looked at her, wondering why she didn't arouse in him the same desire she had before. He used to be unable to resist grabbing her small hands and pulling her to him, then fattening her up and kissing her. He loved her touch so much. Now his body didn't react that way, though he had no idea why. Maybe after being betrayed by her, he had become cold, incapable of feeling. No, that's nonsense, he thought. I love her just as much as before, maybe even more. She made a mistake, but that's human, and he was able to forgive her. She looked beautiful, as usual, and perhaps no one would have recognized the sisters she and Kamila were at first glance, but they were completely different! He had known this for a long time, but now it had finally hit him. Natalia had always paid attention to the smallest details, in In any case, when it came to appearance, Kamila was completely different in that respect. Natalia always had to have her nails well-groomed and painted in fashionable colors, each one the same length. Kamila? Well, she didn't really pay attention to it. Some were bitten, but you could see the hard work she put in. The woman sitting in front of her had her hair styled as if she'd just left the hairdresser, having recently had it trimmed. Her sister, however, didn't keep up with fashion at the same pace and still clumsily pulled her hair into a ponytail to make it comfortable. The same thing happened when it came to clothes; they didn't have to be pretty, above all, they had to be practical and comfortable for work. And Natalia? Well, as you can see, she couldn't do without heels and a pastel-colored suit. What am I doing here? he wondered, comparing himself. He ate at an increasingly faster pace and on increasingly trivial matters.

"Why are you so silent? Did something happen?" "

No, I don't know what... I'm sorry... I don't know..."

"Do you want to tell me something? What happened?"

"No." He decided to spend the evening with her, however, pushing aside the thought of escaping back home, to his nice, cozy room where he'd spent his last days, where he found refuge when he felt bad. They ordered dinner and drinks while waiting for their meal. The conversation, conducted smoothly and on trivial topics, quickly ended as soon as Daniel mentioned that Amelia and Wiktor would surely be getting married soon, since he was fully recovered.

"I don't know if I should bring this up, but maybe since they're already having their wedding, maybe we could..." she said with a twinkle in her eyes, leading the fork from the plate straight to her mouth.

"Yes?"

-Maybe we could get married on the same day? - He couldn't believe what he was hearing, he started to choke and quickly drank the food with the champagne he had in his right hand -unless you don't want to, sorry - after saying this, she lowered her head and nervously moved the cutlery around the plate.

"No, don't apologize, why would you apologize to me for anything? You're just a recent widow, and I didn't think you'd want to take such a big step forward in your life.

I've waited too long, I've lost too much, and I've made too many mistakes to wait now." They didn't talk anymore, dinner ended quickly, and they only exchanged short pleasantries. Daniel drove her to her apartment and then returned to his own. Amelia was waiting for him on the porch. Although she really wanted him to recount the evening, he managed to wave her off with a quick goodnight. He entered the room and sat down heavily on the large leather armchair he loved. He didn't know what to do. Until recently, he had wanted to be with Natalia so much, and now he was simply afraid of this step. Why? He tried to remember what their first meeting on a neutral street had been like. As for how he reacted to her company, he first saw her at Amelia's party. His sister had slit her wrists then, and he couldn't devote much time to Natalia, but their subsequent meetings were like a fairy tale, surrounded by the magic of their own feelings. He couldn't quite put his finger on how he reacted to her. Was he a panicking child? Or was he feeling like a five-year-old boy afraid of something? He had no idea. He fell asleep while pondering these thoughts...

The following days were gloomy and rainy, which perfectly reflected Daniel's mood. Amelia and Wiktor, in between weekends spent in Łódź, took care of matters related to the wedding. It wasn't supposed to be a lavish affair, and the guests were only their closest friends and family. Now that Daniel was walking, they could organize everything. He leaned back in his chair and pondered, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. His sister had already written the wedding invitations and was traveling with them to the guests or simply sending them by mail. He and Natalia received them first. He didn't see her very often, certainly not because he wanted to; she simply overwhelmed him. She wanted to do something he wasn't ready for yet; otherwise, in just a few days, he would be standing on the aisle with a woman he truly loved, but who he wasn't sure was worthy of his love. She behaved Strange, a bit arrogant, and always very haughty towards him. He hadn't noticed it before, or maybe he didn't want to, maybe he was too infatuated with having such a beautiful woman who, on top of that, reciprocated his feelings. But does a woman in love do such a thing? After all, Amelia, knowing she would never be able to be with Wiktor, suffered, decided to devote herself completely to their child, and she didn't even consider dating other men who would offer her anything other than friendship. He didn't know what to do. He was on leave from college, so he didn't have to go anywhere, he had no responsibilities, and it was killing him inside. An emptiness that couldn't be filled. Out of boredom, he helped Mrs. Dorota or the men in the garden or in the stables with the horses, but now, with the rain and cold, he didn't even feel like it. When he got a little tired, he started to feel a little better. The light was getting brighter, he was walking with Sara along the Vistula River, and it took him a while to get through another day consumed by nothingness. Constant fittings at the tailor's, last-minute pre-wedding shopping, and helping his siblings with preparations were also somewhat absorbing, but something was missing; he couldn't quite figure out what it was that was so precious. He missed his parents. Kamila often kept him awake at night, and he often woke up frantically, thinking about her. Or maybe it was Natalia? He didn't realize it himself, or was he confusing them so much that he could have made a mistake? The wedding ceremony was to take place on December 6th, only six days, not a whole week, away from that date. Amelia was very stressed and overworked, wanting everything to be perfect and to be perfect at the last minute. He went to the bed and made it, arranged things on the shelves and collected the scattered things around the room. He looked out the window and saw raindrops hitting the glass. What am I supposed to do with myself? It's so boring. He turned on the computer and then launched Gadu-Gadu. I haven't written to anyone for a long time. The window opened and like lightning, overdue messages started arriving. Some wrote that they sympathized with his disability.Others asked if he was available and when they didn't get a reply, they didn't write anything more. There were also a few people he didn't know who didn't have a description in the directory. He wrote down these numbers under funny names and when he added the last one, it turned out that the number was available.

"Hi," he wrote quickly, intrigued by who this person was.

"Hi, " he wrote,

"who are you?" "

You don't know me ,

so maybe it's worth getting to know

me. You'll never truly know me. I'm a stupid, naive girl who can't fight for her own interests. I'm hopeless, and if they killed me for it, I'd be dead already. " "

Don't say that, you're certainly a very valuable girl

." "I don't think so, and you don't think so either, Daniel.

" "So we know each other, who you are." "

I'm a shadow who should never be exposed to the sun." "

You write a bit cryptically, you intrigue me." "

At least I can. In reality, I'm just an empty bimbo that no one notices unless they want to look at my legs, breasts, or butt

. Don't say that, you're making men out to be pigs, and that's not always the case

." "What are you like?"

-I think you don't need to ask me these questions because I feel like you know me.

-That's true, and you also didn't see in me what I wanted to show you, or maybe I'm just not good at showing you. Am I really so hopeless that you rejected me? You prefer someone else and I love you.

-Who are you?

-Guess!

-Natalia?

"Hmm... was it me you rejected? So there are two of us now, or maybe there are more

? Please tell me who you are? I'm sorry, but no." Then she hung up, and Daniel saw the sun sink, now red and as inaccessible as the truth about his user's identity. Who was she? Who? He laughed, expecting it to be Natalia. After all, she most likely didn't even know my number. Who was this mysterious person? Would she ever find out?...

Sunbeams dimly illuminated the room. If he hadn't known what time of year it was, he wouldn't have been able to tell what it was like. The streets were dry, the sun was shining brightly, and it was as hot as summer. It was December 6th, and the calendar on his bed was definitely not lying. Today would definitely be a wonderful day. A piece of dark fabric was sticking out of the open wardrobe. which was his suit, tailor-made for his siblings' wedding. He got out of bed and looked out the window, lazily glancing at the thermometer. It was only eight in the morning, and the device, as if broken, showed that it was already twenty-five degrees. He smiled to himself and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Amelia was bustling around the cramped room with Mrs. Dorota. Both of them had rollers on their heads. Amelia had been combed yesterday by a hairdresser who worked real miracles on her head to see what hairstyle would really suit her and which one would be perfect.

"Daniel, hold this," she handed him a plate with some strange things he wasn't entirely sure were edible. "I don't know how I'll make it in time, the beautician and hairdresser will be here soon, and then Natalia will come to help me get dressed." He felt gloomy. Natalia wouldn't leave his side as soon as she got close to him, she was clinging like a thorn in the side, he had to get out of there, he had to rest and think in peace about whether he really wanted to be with her because she certainly didn't have any doubts, as you can see.

"And later..." Amelia continued, wondering if the flowers some strange man had brought would be suitable. "Yes, you can carry them to that room." She pointed, and Dorota led the delivery person to another room.

"I don't know..." She sat down on a chair and counted to ten. "Can you imagine? Your brother hasn't left the bedroom since morning and he's panicking. I don't know, maybe he doesn't want to be with me?" She counted again, this time to twenty to be sure, and grabbed her impressively sized belly. "What do you think?" He smiled and hugged her tightly, lifting her from the chair. "What are you talking about? I've never seen anyone love each other as much as you do." He scolded her with his finger and hugged her again, gently stroking her head.

-Well, don't say it, don't say it - she smiled mysteriously - I'm also sniffing something here, but I won't jinx it, I guess you have to grow up to it

- who? I mean, with whom?

"Oh, you know best, and now, no more of this tenderness, or I'll have wrinkles under my eyes." She smiled and gave him a light nudge in the side. "So how am I going to cope with all this?" she asked miserably .

"Maybe I can help you somehow? I feel rejected." He winked at her and they laughed together.

"Really? I wouldn't want to take advantage of you, but since you're willing..."

"Of course." He laughed happily, grabbed his car keys, listened to what his sister was saying, what to pay attention to when inspecting the room, put on his jacket, and was gone. The air was incredibly refreshing as he inhaled it greedily again and again. The room was beautiful, in shades of gold, burgundy, and lilac. Just as Amelia had wished. On the tables stood enormous porcelain bottles with roses as burgundy as the decorations. Every place was set. Porcelain tableware and silverware, and nearby were trays of fruit and cakes. All the little details and accessories created a truly unique atmosphere. He sat down on one of the tall, soft chairs and imagined that this wedding was being planned specifically for him, not for Amelia, but he couldn't answer the question of who his chosen one would be...

Amelia stood in her room, looking at herself in the mirror that was placed in the very center of the room. It was obvious she was pregnant, but she didn't intend to hide it. Her dress was lilac, long, like a typical white dress, adorned with burgundy roses and ribbons at the edges. The hairdresser styled her hair in a delicate bun, and the beautician applied subtle makeup and perfected her hands. She didn't know what to say when everyone praised her appearance. She had kicked Wiktor out of the house long ago so he wouldn't see her in her dress before the wedding. Daniel wasn't there either, as he vanished into thin air as soon as she gave him an excuse. Unknown servants were bustling around the house, making a terrible racket in every room wherever she looked. The only resistance was Natalia, who followed her step by step to help her, but she saw that she was sad. She felt a pang of sadness in her face because Daniel had disappointed her with his absence from home. Everything was in order, so she started gathering the necessary items and waited in her room for Wiktor's arrival. She thought about her life so far and what would happen in the future. She had waited so long for this day and knew she would be very happy with her future husband. She had spent those days of happiness with many tears and unhappy days, although it didn't have to be like that. She smiled, looking blindly into the distance out the window. She forgave her father and Wiktor's mother. They were also supposed to be at church today and then at the wedding reception. Her father was very proud that he could fulfill such an important role and was grateful that they had managed to forgive them. Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and trembling, she turned around nervously, and saw a worried Natalie

- can't you hear? How are all these people looking for me?

What are you talking about, did something happen?

"Listen, a car is honking, everyone's waiting for you, you're a few minutes late and you're holed up here, Wiktor is freaking out in front of the house because he's afraid you'll run away in fear and you're not going to marry him."

"What nonsense is this?" She looked at her watch and indeed realized they were a few minutes late. "I'm coming, where is my teddy bear? I have to calm him down or he'll turn gray." "You

better do that, he's worried he was hysterical all morning and now you're acting out, or are you having doubts too?

" "My poor thing." She ran out of the room, tripping over a piece of furniture. "**[beep...]**" she cursed quietly, "did it have to happen now?" she grimaced in an unfamiliar grimace.

"Just don't cry, you'll smudge and the photographer will be angry

." "Look, I tore my dress, I'll be late." For my own wedding, and my future husband is waiting for me, pulling out handfuls of hair from my head

—don't exaggerate, it's lucky, look, it's already fixed. A few threads got caught and pulled the material a little, but hey, I fixed it. Run to him, I'll get there a little later. She ran out of the house and saw Wiktor's face brighten up. She walked up to him, slowly descending the stairs, and hugged him tightly.

"You know I would never leave you, I love you and I always will," she smiled, and he grabbed her and carried her to the car, kissing her constantly. She protested, not wanting to smudge her makeup, but screaming and kicking her legs were of no use since he was so strong. Amelia carefully placed her suit in the car when she was finally able to get in because Wiktor had set it down. She didn't want it to get crushed; it was bad enough that it was already a little torn on the bottom. Natalia tried to convince her that it was just a small, minor scuff, but he and she couldn't believe it when they saw the look on the girl's face. It was almost three o'clock, exactly two o'clock, and Amelia was worried that they still had such a long way to the church ahead of them. Amelia remembered watching romantic comedies that usually ended happily. The ending, or wedding. Usually, the main characters were late for their own celebrations, which wasn't surprising, but when the guests saw the bride, they always sighed loudly in unison. As they drove up, she noticed the joyful faces of her loved ones. All her siblings and their few children were there, her father and wife waving happily at them, her and Wiktor's classmates. Daniel, who was alone for now, stood at the church entrance. She smiled to herself and remembered the sight of Natalia wandering the rooms searching for her beloved, and then her sad face when she realized he was gone. Wiktor offered her his hand and she slowly walked out, paying particular attention to her dress. Her father took her by the arm and led her to the altar, where the priest, impatient with her delay, was already waiting.

He noticed Amelia and Wiktor pulling up the driveway, entered the church, and sat down on the side of his father's family, who were all invited. After a few minutes, his sister was ushered in by his father, and then Wiktor entered the church. They looked so happy that no one else was needed. They smiled at everyone, but most of all at each other. The mass began, and after a moment, he noticed someone pushing their way through the people seated next to him. He looked at the end of the pew and saw none other than Natalie walking towards him. She smiled at him and, sitting down, hugged him. He tried to release the embrace, but she held on tightly. The wedding ceremony lasted an agonizingly long time, although it must be admitted that it was a wonderful experience, siblings. They hired a military band, which, although quite loud, played beautifully both in the church and before the newlyweds entered. After a long wait, the priest finally asked. Natalia moved closer to him, and he didn't know what to do. He leaned towards her at the gesture she made and heard a whisper:

"We can do that too."

But what? "

We can get married in church too," she added, overjoyed.

"I..." he looked at her and didn't know what to do, although in reality an idea was forming. "I'm sorry, I can't," he said aloud, ignoring the gawkers who had shifted their attention from the bride and groom to him. "I... I'll leave now, see you later.

" "Daniel," she hissed before he left, but he was already leaving and had no intention of paying attention to her or the people watching. He knew that the event, or rather the incident he had instigated, certainly hadn't ruined the wedding ceremony. It would be worse when he returned and had to explain his absence to his sister and brother. "I forgive you," he thought and smiled to himself, "especially Amelie, she will surely understand." He quickened his pace, heading quickly across the square to his car. He sat behind the wheel and slowly put all the thoughts that were swirling in his mind, smiled again and He started the car. He slowly drove off and then, as if in a race, headed for... well, where exactly? Will she be there? Will she want me, and will she feel the same way I do? After all, I'm risking so much, but it's worth it. I can't lie to myself my whole life. "

I love you, I love you, you can't hear it, but it's true," he shouted, and people in neighboring cars stared at him like he was crazy. He pulled up to a familiar apartment building, even though he'd only seen it once, and got out, quickly locking the car. He skipped the last few meters from the parking lot to the stairwell.

"I love you so much," he repeated cheerfully. "Why did it take so long for me to recognize this feeling in you?" He smiled and pressed number six on the intercom.

"I'm not home." He heard Kamila's bored voice. "

Sweetheart." He was afraid he'd scare her, so he quickly corrected himself. "Kamilko, it's me, Daniel." There was no response, so he called impatiently once again. " I'm not

home..."

"Kamilko, it's me, Daniel." He barged in mid-sentence, probably already well-rehearsed.

"Daniel?"

"Oh, cho, I didn't know answering machines asked intelligent questions."

"Don't joke.

" "Will you let me in, or do I have to stand there like a log?"

"Oh, Daniel, if only it were possible that you were standing, come on." He heard the sound of the door opening and hurriedly opened it, thinking about how she would react to the sight of his healthy legs. Only now did he realize that she didn't know he was already walking. For what seemed like the umpteenth time, he smiled mischievously and ran up the stairs, avoiding the elevator. As he expected, Kamila was standing by the elevator, waiting for his arrival, which never came. He quickly ran up to her from behind and grabbed her, lifting her up.

"Help, help, help people..." She didn't say anything as he closed her mouth with a kiss....

100

He hugged and kissed her, unable to catch his breath, so excited was he by her closeness, and she surrendered to him so easily and faithfully to his intentions. They didn't speak for a long moment, caressing their faces in their hands and gazing at each other, slowly shedding tears. He shivered at the thought of her touching him, stroking him, and so gently wiping the tears from his cheeks

. "Let's go inside." She took his hand and pulled him toward the open door. He nodded and followed her.

"How is it that you're walking?"

Quite simply, I fell into depression when even you abandoned me. I practiced, practiced, and practiced again," he replied proudly with a mischievous smile. "Don't you show that you're happy?" He pulled her close, taking her hand and felt her trembling. "What happened? Honey? Please don't cry, not now, you know it's not the right time." He hugged her tightly, resting her tearful face on his shoulder and gently stroking her shiny hair.

"You know, I've always liked this kind of hair. Natalia lost a lot by cutting hers." He felt he'd made a tactless move. She pushed him away with quite a bit of force for such a petite woman, and he was left to bite her lip and continue fighting. "

It's her choice." She bent down and picked up a cloth that had fallen from the low table by the couch. "Why exactly did you come?" Her tone immediately became The intimacy and the thread of understanding that had been so evident just a moment ago

were gone between them. "I wanted to see you

." "Don't lie, you could have done this many times, and if I remember correctly, Amelia has a wedding today.

" "It's true." He stood numb with her behavior

. "Don't you think you could have ruined the celebration by disappearing? I know how much you mean to each other, and I'm sure you do. You should be with her now. This is one of the most important moments in her life. "I

can't, she'll understand. Besides, the most important person is with her, the one she loves and who will be with her through thick and thin. She'll forgive me because she knows I also want to be with the person closest to me." She was numb, but he didn't see her face because she was frantically turning around, organizing a pile of newspapers by the fireplace and repeatedly throwing unnecessary things into the stone pit. "Am I really so indifferent to you? Can't you just…" Take a moment away from tidying up that perfect place that is your home? You're such a stickler for not noticing this before, but I won't change my mind, it's too late now. He walked up to her and spun her around. She unconsciously gave in and stared with wide eyes in horror at his seemingly unfamiliar face.

"Daniel, what are you talking about?" "

I'm sorry to bother you, but I can't stand it any longer.

" "Couldn't you have done this yesterday or waited until tomorrow?"

"No, absolutely not," he shouted, frightening her for a moment, and her beautiful eyes widened even more. Or maybe it was just his imagination? He was no longer singing. "Only today did I discover that I owe this emptiness to you. You haunt me constantly. I dreamed of you night after night, but like a fool, I mistook you for Natalia, but it was just a physical mistake. When I was in church and saw my siblings promising each other love until the grave, I wanted to be with you in their place and promise you the same as Wiktor did to Amelia." "I

don't believe it, it's just another game. You're all like that, you rape women in their heads and then abandon them." "Why

do you think that? Has anyone ever treated you so badly that you could think like that? I love you, and I can't express my feelings in words. If you don't reciprocate my feelings, I'll die, I'm without you." nobody, you don't believe me, right? Kamilko?

"That's not the point, I..."

"Tell me you love me too, I'm begging you..." He brought her face closer to his and took her in his large hands. "

I love you, but I wasn't the first. I won't do this to my own sister. If I were capable of it, I would have done it a long time ago, a long time ago, because I didn't need as much time as you do to understand how I feel about you. "

You love me and you don't want to be with me, I'm not begging you, don't do this." "

Please, leave me, don't make me suffer even more. Natalia loves you and you loved her too, you can surely rebuild it. Leave." "No! I'm begging you,

don't!" he shouted and fell to his knees before her. He humiliated himself for what seemed like the last time when she saw him crying. Despite everything, she begged him several times to leave the apartment, and as soon as she got what she wanted, she slammed the door. He heard muffled sobs coming from behind the door, but he didn't hear them anymore. He turned it around. She made a decision, it was the wrong one, and he doesn't know if he'll ever be able to convince her to change it...

101

The wedding ceremony concluded, and everyone was now driving to the reception hall where the wedding was to take place. Amelia was riding in a dark car, hugging her now-husband, and she was happy, at least that's what Wiktor thought. However, she was carefully pretending. She didn't see Daniel when they left the church, assuming that if he wasn't near Natalia, he wasn't there at all. Her friend set every trap she could think of to get close to her brother. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it backfired. She hugged him tighter, ignoring the view she saw through the tinted window. He must have left right at the beginning when she heard a commotion behind her, but she didn't look back. The last thing she would have thought of was that her brother had run away from her wedding. Maybe he had already planned it; he didn't want to be their best man; she had to ask Wiktor's friend. Because her own brother didn't want to. Something bad had been happening to him for some time now, something she couldn't explain. He loved Natalie, and even though she was becoming downright pushy towards her, he was distancing himself from her. She had no idea who he was hiding from, or what he was hiding from. Maybe he was troubled by some problem? She didn't know the answers to the questions that were troubling her, but she didn't have time for that now. Wiktor was offering her his hand so she could get out of the car without falling. "I'll come back to this, I have to talk to him," she thought, and faked a smile at everyone already there.

Only after a moment did she notice the grimacing expression on Natalia's face. She knew Daniel still hadn't shown up and her friend was distraught by his behavior. It was her own fault, she thought, and grabbing her husband's arm, she entered the ballroom. As planned, the room was beautifully decorated, and some people stood in amazement, watching everything. The housekeeper and his parents welcomed them with whips and salt, as is customary, followed by champagne and emptied their glasses. A woman dressed in a maid's outfit from old movies handed them a broom and dustpan, and together they swept up the glass fragments. A few more family traditions followed, and everyone congratulated them while standing in line. Her siblings, surprisingly, arrived in their entirety, and everyone, except her beloved sister, was grimacing and not entirely approving. When that too ended, the celebrations began. Dance. After the newlyweds had their obligatory first dance, they slipped away for a photoshoot in the city. The photographer took pictures of them at Wawel Castle and several other charming spots. It was a long day, and a lot of time passed before Amelia and Wiktor got into the limousine that took them to an exclusive hotel in the center of Krakow. Daniel didn't return until the end, and Amelia's thoughts were with him, though not for long, because Wiktor eagerly distracted her thoughts by caressing and stimulating her entire body. When they arrived at the hotel, Wiktor carried her through the entrance door and up the stairs, holding the room key in his teeth. The room, as Amelia expected given its reputation, was very exclusive and, as she noticed, extremely comfortable. Next to the double bed stood a small silver table on wheels; on its countertop was an identically colored tray with two Glasses and a bottle of champagne chilled on ice. Wiktor gently placed his wife on the marital bed and popped open the champagne. He poured the sparkling drink into crystal glasses and they raised a toast. Amelia threw off her cloak and lay comfortably on her back, staring at the ceiling. Her beloved approached her and hugged her, then slowly began to unzip her dress. She didn't even flinch.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm so happy with you," she said softly and smiled broadly at him. "How lucky I am to have you and that even the greatest obstacle has been overcome." "

I'm glad," he said, meowing in her ear and snuggling up to her. "You don't even know how much I want you." "I know

perfectly well, because of course I want you too, but..."

"Is something wrong?" He propped his head on his elbow and looked at her closely

. "Before we do anything, I'd like to read a letter from Grandma. I was supposed to read it on our wedding night." "And yes

, I completely forgot." She got out of bed and her dress, unbuttoned at the back, fell to the floor, revealing her white lace underwear...

102

She went to the travel bag she had packed for the trip and quickly pulled out a white envelope. She walked over to her husband and sat on the bed. She opened the envelope carefully to minimize damage. She immediately remembered opening the first letter her grandmother had left her:

"Do you remember your excitement when you learned I had received my grandmother's jewelry?"

"Of course, I thought Grandma had lost her mind to give you anything valuable to the family. I'm sorry," he lowered his head and after a moment added, "I didn't know, and that's why I hurt you. I remember when you lived in my supposed sister's room. That also bothered me a lot, and I mentioned it more than once. Now I know it must have hurt you terribly not to be able to scream to the whole world that it was your room, that its true owner lived there...

" "Well, there's no turning back now." She opened the folded piece of paper and the first thing she noticed was that the letters were smudged in some places. She quickly pulled the paper closer to her and took a deep breath. Only after a moment could she look at the paper again.

"What happened?"

"No," she shook her head and started reading the letter aloud. "Dear Amelka, I should have told you to read this letter in private first, but I know it happened as I wished, so read it aloud, as you probably are doing. First of all, I'm glad that you're already married. I would love to be at your wedding and the wedding of my grandson Wiktor. Don't be surprised that I write this, but I'm sure she's sitting next to you. It couldn't have been otherwise, and I don't think I was wrong," the girl hugged the letter to her belly again, and tears streamed down her face.

"Maybe I'll finish it?"

"No, it's a letter for me," she then started reading again. "I'd like to be with you now, but I predicted it wouldn't be, hence this letter. I love you both and now I wish you all the best for the new path of your lives. Love each other as you have been and never Don't give up when you're in trouble. Love like yours doesn't come around often, so take full advantage of it so you won't regret it later, because after all, we only have one life, and it ends so quickly... - a short pause, probably flooded with the older woman's tears - you're probably wondering why I'm speaking so bluntly about death. Well, I wasn't unprepared for it. The doctor, when he discharged me from the clinic, predicted it to me, and that's why, wanting to be with you now, I'm writing this - another drop - my dears, remember my words and tell all lovers to fight for their love, because only then does life have meaning. I learned this by living alongside my late husband... your loving grandmother.

Amelia rested her head against her husband and began to cry

- shh, calm down, my dear, she's with us, we can't let her down now.

I miss her so much, I didn't know her well, but a few of her joyful smiles, a few gestures of kindness, that warmth that radiated from her. I don't know how it was possible, but I loved her immediately. I knew it was a strange feeling even in the hospital when she woke up, but I felt that something connected me to this woman .

It's true, after all, I wasn't her family, and yet for years I loved her like a grandmother I didn't know.

She hugged him tightly, and as he held her and rocked her to the rhythm of their thoughts, they fell asleep from exhaustion in each other's arms...

103

Daniel walked around the city not knowing what to do with himself. He rejected Natalia's call once again and then turned off his phone completely. He felt like throwing it on the sidewalk, knowing that the person he dreamed of would never call him. He had no idea why he missed out on such happiness. Maybe there was some kind of protection over their family. A curse, a fate? He couldn't say, but there was another person suffering in their home. Why couldn't he recognize this true feeling? Why? He cursed quietly under his breath and kicked the stone with all his might. The gray object rolled across the flat ground, and he watched it intently, his head down. The stone rolled slowly, striking his heel with force and stopping in front of him. Daniel had no intention of apologizing for anything, "not today." He avoided the woman and moved faster, as if fleeing from an unknown evil that seemed to overwhelm him.

"I'm sorry..." He didn't move, not accepting that the whisper was directed at him. "I said, 'I'm sorry,' is it so hard to forgive me?" He heard a shrill, unfamiliar voice. He didn't turn around, however, not knowing if anyone was actually speaking to him. He started slightly and ceremoniously dug the toe of his shoe into the earth where the lush grass grew.

"You've made so many mistakes, is it so hard to forgive me one small one? You're clearly a huge egoist, Daniel?" At the sound of his name, he turned quickly and saw... who was it? Natalia or Kamila? Although both had very similar voices, they didn't betray their owner, as they were transformed with emotion and a slight sob. The hair was identical at that moment, and well, it looked no different.

Kamila usually dressed in sportswear and looked that way when he left her. Natalia was always elegant, but now she was supposed to be at Amelia's wedding and she certainly wasn't dressed like that, he could have sworn he was dead. So which one? He approached her barely perceptibly and looked at her more and more closely. "

I was looking for you. I really didn't know what could have happened to you, I was worried about you." She approached him and gently stroked his cheek with her smooth hand.

"Who are you?" He knew he was risking a lot, but he couldn't let Natalia fool him.

"What do you mean, who?" she asked indignantly, and moved away a little, as if pointing to her clothes.

"That's what I thought," he shouted, ripping her hand from his arm. "We have nothing to talk about, Natalia." Then he turned away from her and started running towards Amelia's house.

"Daniel, stop, do you hear me? I'm not Natalia.

" I don't believe you. However, he stopped, afraid that he might trust her, only to find out that it wouldn't be true. After all, Natalia had become like her sister by giving herself the same hairstyle and later dyeing her hair blonde again. "Kamila would never dress like that, besides, even if it was at home and the last thing that would come to mind is looking for me around town..." "

Are you sure about that?" she slowly walked towards him, speaking in an increasingly quiet voice. "You know, I got scared when you rang the doorbell. I thought something had happened to Natalia. After all, everyone knew you were going to be at the wedding as a couple, and then, who knows, maybe we could have fun together." Your wedding

- stop it!..

- No... Now you will listen to me. I knew perfectly well that you loved me. Throughout your entire rehabilitation, I was aware of it, and I hated myself for loving you, maybe not even because of it, but because I love my sister's beloved. You don't realize what pain it is. You love even though you shouldn't. I hated my own sister for existing, and then myself for such thoughts. I hated her for coming to you and taking away the moments I could spend with you. I wanted to forget, but I couldn't. You came to me then, and I saw that you were worried about me. You didn't think it could be about her, you were afraid for me. I tried to call you many times, to contact you, but I knew I shouldn't. I suffered a lot, and my apartment turned into hell and my prison

- me too...

- shh - she put a finger to his lips and She calmed down and continued, "I suffered the most when Natalia came and told me about your meetings. I could see that something was bothering her and that things weren't as they should be. I was most surprised that she was the one who proposed marriage to you. Don't be so surprised, she told me everything." "What surprised me most, however, was that you weren't at all eager to get married. You suffered so much when she left you and married someone else, and then suddenly something like this happened? I thought about it after you left. When you left me in the apartment, I felt that for a moment it was truly full, but when you disappeared, all the charm and magic that filled it disappeared. I love you too and I want to be with you if there's really nothing between you anymore, if you don't love her and would never be with her even if we weren't together—oh, my

love, you don't even know how happy I am, I do too." I love you so much - she grabbed her by the waist and quickly lifted her up in her arms and then turned around several times...

104

Tell me why you're dressed like that. You could have really confused me with that outfit. I was sure it was Natalia. That's why I reacted like that because I've had enough of her. She's been really bothering me for the past few days. Not days, but weeks. I hated it, but I didn't know why, but now I know.

"I wanted to look like her. I was afraid that if you saw me again in sportswear, you'd compare me to her and ultimately choose her, and I wouldn't want that. I wanted to show you that I can be feminine too."

"Oh yes," he scolded her. "You're very attractive, though you're not really aware of it. You're very similar, but you're also very different, and I certainly couldn't bear the thought of having your doppelganger in front of me, and yet it's not you. You know what I'm going to do now?" She nodded, so he smiled quickly and said, "I'm going to carry you in my arms to mine and Amelia's house. There's no one there now. We'll be alone and we'll have plenty of time to talk... about us." "You

're crazy, it's far," she shouted at him, but she was too kind, so he didn't give up. "

Love gives me strength, and you know what?" Amelia was right.

"What?"

"She once said that love has many names, it's true, I've experienced it firsthand." Then, as promised, he indeed set off towards Amelia's house. As he had predicted, the house was empty, so, out of breath, he set Kamila down and opened the door. Darkness reigned everywhere, he gently pressed the light button and lifted the girl into his arms again.

"It's just for a good start to our future life together .

" "But of course, it's a wedding custom," she said, confused, her cheeks flushing slightly

. "Didn't I tell you yet that I want you to be my wife?

" "No, rather not." She smiled, and he felt her image sinking deeper into his heart.

"Well, now I'm telling you I won't rest until that happens

." "Relax, I think what I told you a few moments ago will be enough. " "I think

so," he said, deliberately drawing out the words. "I think so

"Just to be sure, kiss me again." She closed his mouth with a kiss, not looking where she was taking her. Only after a moment did he notice the surprise on her face when she found herself in his upstairs bedroom . "Oh

, is this your room?

" "Yes, why are you so surprised?" She approached him from under the shelf of photos and hugged him.

"I've never been here before, silly. For your comfort, you occupied the room downstairs, and that's where I stayed every time we practiced." "

Indeed," he said, lightly tapping his forehead. "I completely forgot. In that case, I'll show you around my humble abode. Here," he gestured to the right, "is the exit to the terrace." "Do you have

a terrace?" She leaned slightly behind him. "I've always dreamed of having an exit from my room, even to the balcony, and here's such a large terrace."

"Mhm," he hummed, burying his face in her hair. "Here, as you can see, are my books from college, which I haven't finished yet, I still have half a year. " I didn't

know

. "Mhm, well, how were you supposed to know? There's Birko with my computer that's always on." The girl turned her head in the opposite direction and saw what seemed to be a fairly new and well-maintained computer, which was indeed on. "Oh, someone wrote something to me, make yourself comfortable, I'll be there in a moment, maybe it's something important." He went to the computer and saw a message on Gadu-Gadu under the description xxx. He remembered that he had entered the person he had last talked to and who didn't want to introduce themselves. "Daniel, where are you? I'm worried about you, you know my phone number, if you read this, call me or turn on your phone. I love you and I'm sorry for "My reaction, your Kamila," the message read. The boy scratched his head, trying to remember what he had talked about with Kamila. He went to the archives and read those sorrowful sentences. He felt his heart was even more filled with love, if that were possible. He approached his beloved, who sat on his unmade bed, and hugged her tightly. "

Is it something important?"

"No, a certain Kamila wrote to me.

" "Oh," she opened her mouth wide as if remembering what she had done, but she didn't say anything because he kissed her.

"I love you!! "I love you

too." She smiled and kissed him again, leaning against the mattress of the bed...

105

Daniel woke up first. For a moment, he looked at his beloved, still unable to believe the happiness he had found. Unfulfilled until they got married. However, for now, it gave him so much hope for a happily spent life with Kamila that he was filled with positive energy. He got up quickly, unable to tear his eyes away from the sleeping princess, whom he had just named in his mind, and went down to the office. He sat down in the large armchair in which he always felt small and fragile, then opened the phone book. He flipped through the pages, then searched for something with his finger. A smile appeared on his face, and he immediately picked up the phone and dialed a number. "

Good morning, I'd like to book a flight to Paris for two people, first class.

For when?"

-Today

- we have two flights, at twelve and three at ten - he looked at his watch, it was only eight, they would have two hours, he thought for a moment and then replied - at twelve, please, under the name Daniel Adamczyk -

OK, please report half an hour before departure, otherwise the tickets will no longer be reserved and may be sold

- OK, thank you, see you later - he hung up the phone after hearing the same thing and quickly ran back to the bedroom

-Where have you been?- Kamila greeted him, sitting on the bed. She covered herself lightly with the sheet, as if to bind the body he had already seen so clearly yesterday. He smiled, remembering the moments spent with her last night, and quickly jumped onto the bed, hugging her

. "I had to go downstairs, I didn't want to wake you," he explained calmly, stroking her cheek. "

I woke up and you weren't here. I was scared that it was a dream, that you weren't here and hadn't existed, that we weren't together at all, and that you didn't love me at all.

Calm down." He held her face in his hands and looked at her gently. "I won't leave you if you don't want me to. The only person who can make me leave you is you. As long as you want to be with me, it will be like this. "Thank you for being

with me." "No

, it's me, thank you." He hugged her and stroked her shiny hair.

"Why were you downstairs?"

"I booked a plane for us, I hope you don't mind." "

Plane? But where?"

"Don't worry, I have a house in France, specifically in Paris, that I inherited from my grandmother. I want us to fly there and have a wonderful time together. I want you to get to know me well before we get married. I don't want you to have any doubts about that

." "How can you think that? You know I love you.

" "Yes, I know you too." He kissed the tip of her nose. "But I want to spend as much time with you as possible, don't you agree?"

"Yes..." she replied uncertainly.

"What happened? You don't want to come with me?"

"It's not like that, you know I want to, but how do I explain our absence to Kamila? We have to tell her about us. I'm just wondering what will be better, me telling her or you..."

"Maybe we should both talk to her about it, at the same time?"

"Do you think so?" "

I think that's the best solution.

Before or after the trip?" He looked at his watch and said,

"If you want it before, we have to hurry because our flight leaves at noon. Half an hour to get to the airport, half an hour at your sister's. How long will it take you to pack?"

"An hour, but we still have to go to my place

- and be at the airport half an hour earlier, so we have half an hour left.

" - hmm - "

That should be enough

." - "For what?" she asked, surprised, but when she felt his hands, she blushed at the prosaic nature of her question. Daniel pulled back the sheet and once again admired the sight of her. Then he kissed her madly all over her body...

106

They got out of the elevator, Kamila hurriedly fixing her disheveled hair, which Daniel had decided to style artistically during the elevator ride. Daniel walked up to the door and rang the bell, while she held the elevator door open with her heel, trying to see herself in the mirror that was also hanging in the center of the elevator wall. She heard the lock click and decided it was time to go. She gently adjusted her pink jacket and got out.

"Oh, Daniel," she heard her sister's voice around the corner of the hallway. "And Kamila—the girl looked a bit disgusted at the sight of her sister. "I wasn't expecting you, come in

." "We won't be here long, actually..." "

Come in, Daniel, don't talk nonsense, you have to tell everything. I had no idea what happened to you yesterday." Natalia flirtatiously adjusted the collar of his shirt, which didn't require it at all. Kamila cleared her throat slightly, and Daniel felt slightly irritated by the incident and her sister's attitude toward him.

"Well, that's why we came to your place, to tell you everything.

" "Sit down." She pointed to the comfortable sofa in the middle of the living room and then went to the bar. "Would you like something to drink? Kamila, some juice, orange? Oh, your healthy eating. What good is that to anyone now? I could never do that." "Understand." Daniel smiled casually and heated up the situation. "Well, I think it's very interesting, just like sports and comfortable clothes.

"Do you think so?" Natalia pondered. "I have to think about it. Maybe you're right, so what if you both have juice? Mhm?"

"Yes, please.

" "Me too," she replied, Kamil's face turning sour.

"Actually, we don't have much time for small talk, we still have about twenty minutes, so let's get down to business. We came here so you wouldn't worry about Kamil.

" "Kamil?"

"Mhm, yes, we're going to Paris together, we have a flight in twenty minutes

. Are you kidding?" She stood up indignantly, and Daniel noticed Kamila cringing slightly, as if afraid of her sister's reaction. "It's not customary to take sisters of girls on trips, I don't understand what you've come to me about." Daniel felt he was going too far and Kamila would be ready to change her mind, so he started attacking Natalie to end this parody as quickly as possible.

"Who said you were my girlfriend? It ended when you married your ex-husband. We have nothing to talk about. My girlfriend and future wife is Kamila, and that's irrevocable. Now we're going on our pre-wedding honeymoon to France, and I don't care what you think. I love your sister, and she loves me, and she's closing her eyes. There's no room for a third party here.

" Daniel what are you talking about? You love me.

"No, and it's not that I fell out of love. I never really loved you, not even at the very beginning when everything seemed so beautiful. Now I know that because I've experienced true love. Sorry, but we have to go now or we'll miss our plane.

"Daniel, no, please don't do this." Natalia stood up from the chair that had been stinging her throughout the conversation and threw her arms around his neck, begging him not to leave her. "

Leave him alone. I've been embarrassed for so long, and if it weren't for the fact that I respect you, I would have been with Daniel a long time ago. You can't back down, even when you're already in a losing position. You could never love me or make any concessions to me. I don't know how I could have wasted so many pleasures in life protecting a monster like you for so long. You always got what you wanted, you set everyone up so that everything would work out." It was your idea. The consequences weren't important; the most important thing was you. Were you afraid you'd lose your reputation because you were a single woman with a child? You were punished because you married the first man who agreed to raise your child. It's strange that you didn't try to steal Daniel from Amelia when you were unaware they were siblings. Even this shows that you respect strangers more than your own family. I can't stand you. For years I stood in the shadows, but that won't happen now. I love Daniel and I won't allow you to play games with him. I'm sorry, but we have to leave now." She walked past them both and left the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Daniel stood there for a moment, surprised by his beloved's reaction, but he quickly followed her, leaving Natalie similarly stunned...

107

As planned, they went to Paris. The flight went well, but they were quite tired. The journey. Daniel had a hard time finding his grandmother's house, where they used to stay, and his memories were obscured by a rather heavy fog. Brushing up on the basics of French he once possessed wasn't easy either. He struggled as much as he could, but overall, he managed, and after considerable difficulty, the taxi driver understood which district he was referring to and the approximate location of the building they wanted to reach. The man driving the vehicle was a bit more familiar with the area than they were, so they reached the right place in less than half an hour. When they got out of the car, they were speechless. Grandma must have invested heavily in the old house, as it was now a large villa. Furthermore, the land surrounding it had also been bought up later. He remembered that the last time he was here, the plots of land that now belonged to him were on the other side of the wall. The house, completely rebuilt, bore no resemblance to the old one. The previous one, although that one wasn't in the worst condition either.

"Why are you standing there?" Kamila asked, placing her luggage on the ground.

"This house looked completely different, my grandmother gave me quite a surprise

." "Did you inherit this house from your grandmother?"

"Yes," he replied dryly, his throat suddenly dry. "

Shall we go in or stand here?"

"Well, that's the problem." "What's the problem

?" The girl was already wringing her hands because there were always obstacles. "

I forgot to take the keys from Amelia's house and we can't get in. I think we can stay overnight at the hotel and I'll get the keys somehow. "

Daniel!!"

"Relax, honey, it's really not my fault. I was too happy to have you to think about the details

. Details, after all, are one of the most important things. It's like getting on a plane without tickets

." "Sorry, I'm hopeless

." "Wait, doesn't anyone live here?"

"No, why do you ask? It's my house, after

all." "Look at that little room upstairs, the light's on.

" "Indeed, there's someone there, but who?" They walked a short distance, passing the corner of the house, and saw a sports car in the square in front of it. "Well, I guess we have a resident."

"Are you sure no one lives here?" The girl choked with laughter, looking at the boy, who first paled, then turned red with anger

. "We have to knock, and we'll find out." He actually went to the door and the knocker rapped on the sturdy oak door. After a moment, they heard footsteps, and then the young girl opened the door.

"Excuse me?" she asked politely, and Daniel's anger was mounting.

"Who are you?"

"I don't understand, and you?"

"What are you doing in my house?"

"Mr. Daniel?"

"How do you know my name?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming to our place today. We would have prepared dinner, but we can only offer a modest meal."

"Who are you?" "

Please come in, I'll tell you everything. It's not proper for the owner of the house to be standing in the doorway." They entered, and the woman helped them put down their suitcases. Then, explaining, she led them to the living room

. "Your grandmother left a certain amount of money in the bank, which always earns the same interest—just enough to pay for our work. I'm here as a cleaner; there's also a gardener, a cook, and a manager, but he doesn't live here. We take care of the house while the owners are away, and of course, if you wish, we can do it now while you're here."

"Why didn't I know anything?"

- I have no idea, I thought you knew and that if you were going to come, you would let us know so we could prepare.

- It wouldn't be necessary, but you should know.

- Please excuse me, I'll go and prepare a room for you.

- Thank you...

- Jannette

- Thank you, Jannette.

"At your service, I'll send the cook right away." And so, as she said, an equally young woman in a chef's uniform appeared and invited them into the dining room, where a meal was already prepared on the table. That's how their first day in Paris passed. The following days were similar, exploring boutiques, exhibitions, and other things worth seeing. They didn't even realize when a month had passed and it was time to go home...

108

A month later, Amelia entered the house carrying a large travel bag. Behind her came her beloved husband, who didn't let her out of his sight for even a moment. She straightened up and rubbed her aching back, then froze. Her eyes, not knowing if they were lying, showed her brother in his arms with Natalia. So they had reconciled after all. She was so happy. She hadn't heard from her family for a whole month. And honestly, she didn't fight for it herself, she was so busy with Wiktor during the trip. She smiled mischievously to herself, then took off her jacket and cleared her throat slightly.

"Am I bothering you?" Daniel glanced at the girl's lush hair and smiled broadly. Both were incredibly disheveled, as the couple noticed that they had just gotten up and were still in their pajamas. Daniel was practically in just his boxers, and Natalia was in oversized pajamas.

"Little sister, I'm so glad to see you. Oh, I think you've had a break from me, because your face is smiling

. "Well, I guess you're feeling the same way," she smiled, and greeted first her brother, and then the girl, who was clearly embarrassed by her outfit. "I see you've been living well here without your little sister's buttocks, you need to change that." She smiled broadly at everyone, then cringed slightly as the baby seemed to be kicking a little. Then she turned to the girl. "How did you like the wedding?" Daniel looked at Natalie, and then they both burst out laughing.

"Oh, sister, sister, you know, speaking of the wedding, I have news for you. Are you

kidding, are you...?"

"Yes," Amelia said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing them both.

"Just be gentle, otherwise I'll feel jealous." Wiktor laughed and also congratulated the couple on their choice.

"I see things have been going well here while I was gone.

" "No, we weren't here, I spent a lot of time with Kamila in Paris at my grandmother's house," he said, opening the champagne and then calmly pouring it into the glasses, ignoring his sister's screams

. "Kama? Oh my god, I mistook you for Natalia, you look so much alike. I'm sorry." She blushed and scolded her brother for not correcting her immediately

. "You see, you were right, love has more than one name," he said mischievously, and everyone drank the champagne in a toast..

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