love has many names vol. 61-80

61

She didn't intend to go home for dinner; she could also eat it in town. She wandered among the shops, and since it was approaching lunchtime, there weren't many people there, she didn't go into any of them. She looked at the windows and suddenly one in particular caught her eye. There were mannequins of women dressed in wedding dresses. "I'll never be able to walk down the aisle in such a dress," she thought, and quickly turned to cross the street. There was a cinema nearby. She decided she'd eat dinner later and now go see any movie, as long as it was long and took up as much time as possible. She quickly approached the two-person line, and when it was her turn, she asked the cashier, "

Good morning, what movie is on now?"

"What do I know? Are you wearing posters? Are you buying a ticket or not?" Amelia looked at him, unsure what to do. "But you're polite, I won't tell you, I'll take one.

" Amelia pulled money out of her purse and reluctantly handed it to the man before entering the theater. The crowd was large, so she assumed the movie would be a hit. She wasn't wrong. As soon as the movie started playing, she saw a green ogre on the screen. She didn't even notice when the movie ended and she was already outside the theater, standing in front of the building in the dim light of a nearby street lamp. It was slowly getting dark; it was already after 5 p.m. She hadn't eaten anything, so she went to a nearby restaurant and ordered something nasty that the waiter offered her. She ate it anyway because she was hungry and even that seemed delicious. The room was filled with smoke, almost white. She quickly gathered herself and left. It was already dark, I should probably go home, she thought, and headed towards him. She walked through the narrow streets, and every now and then she saw drunk guys coming back from some party. She was surprised they were in such a state so early in the morning. She ran across the street, and as she was stepping onto the sidewalk on the other side, she collided with a man who emerged from a bend.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, trying to avoid him.

"Where are you going, doll?" he replied in a hoarse voice. Amelia lifted her head and froze.

"Filip?"

"Amelia? What are you doing here?"

"Dude, what's going on? Do you know this girl?" A guy approached her and she noticed there were a few more of them

. "Of course I do, she was my girlfriend, we were even supposed to have a baby, but thank God he's gone." He laughed and tugged her. "Let's go have some fun." "Let

go, what are you even doing? I'm not going anywhere with you, let me go." She tried to squirm out of his grip but to no avail. " Man,

you have good taste, that pretty doll, so how are we going to have fun when you're done with your lover, princess?" Amelia looked at him with disgust and spat in his face. "Oh, it's so spicy, I like it," he said and slapped her hard on the buttocks.

She couldn't stand it anymore and vomited, they stank so badly, a mixture of alcohol, cigarettes and who knows what else.

"What are you doing, don't be silly, you don't mean to say you're so disgusted by me that the thought makes you vomit." He grabbed her again and dragged her along the streets and then into a smoky room. "We'll go to my place, I won't let you go again, you'll be mine again." He laughed and pushed her into a small, dark room. "Get ready, I'll be there soon." He then closed the door. "That's impossible, he probably isn't serious, he's definitely drunk, nothing will stop him." She started groping for the light in the room and when she found the switch, she pressed it. The room turned out to be a bedroom, there was one small bed and a dresser, someone had probably prepared it specially in that club. She looked around and saw windows. She quickly ran to him and noticed that it was closed and she couldn't cope with his She took off her shoe and broke the window, then quickly left. Filip wasn't there yet, so she had to hurry before he realized she'd escaped. She ran down a narrow, dimly lit street to the town square and spotted a taxi. She ran to it and quickly got in. She gave the man the address and they drove off. She couldn't believe what had happened. She couldn't vent about what had just happened. He wanted to rape her. What a vile man. When she arrived at the building, she gave the taxi driver his money plus a large tip as a token of gratitude and went inside.

"Amelia, honey, where have you been?" Wiktor ran up to her and hugged her. "I was so worried about you, what do you look like, what happened to you, honey, answer

me..." She broke off and fell into his arms, feeling like she was falling into some kind of abyss, dark and cold

. "No, I won't let you do that, wake up, do you hear me?"

"But I don't want to, leave me, Filip, let me go, I don't want to, Filip, I don't want to, leave me, let me go." She struggled out of Wiktor's arms and, struggling, fell to the ground.

"Amelka, it's me, please open your eyes, what happened? Amelia!" She opened her eyes and the evil spell was broken. It was indeed him, he was holding her, not Filip or any of his friends...

Wiktor

grabbed her and lifted her. "Grazynka, prepare some calming herbs for her and I'll take her to her room." "

Okay." She went out into the kitchen, shaken. She had no idea who Filip was or what the girl was talking about, no idea how she could help, so she just watched as Amelia pummeled Wiktor. He carried her to her room and laid her gently on the bed. She looked at him with large, frightened eyes, shaking all over.

"Calm down, you're safe now, can you tell me what happened?"

-I was at the cinema and when I was coming back I met Filip.

-Filip? -he asked sadly and turned his face so that she wouldn't see a tear slowly running down his cheek.

"Yes, he was walking with his friends, he grabbed me and started pulling me. His friends started hitting on me too," she sobbed, but she continued. "He dragged me against my will, he was drunk.

" "That doesn't excuse him at all," he said dryly. "What did he do to you?" "

He took me to some club, threw me into a room, and told me to get ready because he'd be back soon. His friends also wanted to take care of me, but when he left, I escaped out the window," she said quietly, drowning out her words with sobs.

"So they didn't do anything to you?"

"No, but he tried to rape me!" she screamed, covering her face with a pillow.

"Please stop, don't cry, I can't take it anymore, I'll kill that son of a bitch, he won't come near you again," he said and pulled her to him. She couldn't calm down. She almost fell asleep, but her cell phone rang and she jumped up to answer it. She opened her backpack and took out her cell phone. "I'm listening." "

My

darling, why did you run away? You were going to have such a good time." "

Filip?"

"Yes, honey, you'll pay me for running away and for breaking the window. I won't let you embarrass yourself in front of your friends.

" "I won't talk to you." "

Give me that phone," Wiktor shouted, snatching it

from her. "If you come near her again and even touch her with those dirty hands of yours, I'll put you behind bars." "

I'm scared, who are you to threaten me? " "

I'm a lawyer, and I'll take you down if I want

to." "We'll see." Filip started laughing and ended the call. "

Don't worry, I don't think he'll come near you," he said, trying to hug her, but she wouldn't let him. "

Are you a lawyer?"

"Well, not quite, I still have a few semesters left at university, but I'm sure I could handle it," he said proudly and smiled at her.

"Why didn't I know anything about it?

" "I don't know, you've never been interested in it, so I didn't tell you. " "I guess

there's a lot I don't know about it.

" "It's just like I do about you, I thought I knew you well, but now things keep coming up that change my image of you.

" "Yeah? What kind, for example?"

"I thought you loved me, but you suddenly ended our relationship and after that you're dating other people like a common slut. Now, the mere thought of him touching you gives you shivers. I don't know what to think. You're expecting my brother's child, even though you slit your wrists when you heard I was engaged to Justyna. At the mere sound of the words 'I love you,' you run away and don't want to hear it. Then you cry all night long. " I did

n't cry! "

Yes, I spent the whole night outside your door and heard you crying, and so did I. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I..." her voice broke

. "Please tell me why you don't want to see me, why you reacted the way you did when you woke up in bed with me, do you remember that day, when you threw me out of the house

?" "Wiktor, I can't, I can't tell you this, it's too terrible, let me deal with it myself, you're suffering, but you hope I'll come back to you someday, but that won't happen, I can't tell you this, only your brother knows,"

Daniel said. "But why him, not me!" Why? Please, tell me

. "No, Wiktor, it would kill us both if you found out. I don't want to see you suffer, and you really will.

You know very well that I'm suffering now, I live in ignorance. I beg you.

No, I'm sorry."

Grazynka entered the room and they didn't bring up the subject again. Amelia felt better after drinking the herbs, but she really wanted to sleep. Wiktor stayed with her overnight; he had to watch over her, he had to be sure she was safe. He turned off the volume on the phone so as not to upset her. Filip called a few more times, and Amelia would surely start to fear his strength again and that he might hurt her.

/

63

She woke up, but didn't get out of bed, didn't even open her eyes to check the time. She felt pain as if someone had hit her in the head. She couldn't describe it. Once again, she relived the previous day's experiences with despair. A shiver ran through her body, and she curled up like a small child, her legs drawn up so they touched her stomach. She clutched the blanket tightly and shivered, but not from the cold.

"Amelia, are you awake?" She heard footsteps, and then the warmth and scent of Wiktor.

"Please go away, I want to be alone

." "No, honey, I won't leave you alone now

." "What time is it? " "

After one

o'clock." "Am?" "

Open your eyes .

" "No, I don't want to, I don't want to see this disgusting, lying world. "

"Please, have I ever lied to you? I never wanted to hurt you, truly, never!" She opened her eyes and was blinded by a bright ray of sunlight entering the room through the thin curtains.

"Please, leave me alone

." "No, Amelka, I won't leave you alone, even though I see you really want it. I'm worried about you."

"Surely you're not afraid that something will happen to me in this room.

" "We have nothing to talk about, I won't leave, and that's it." With that, he walked over to the armchair and sat down. "

I want to change, will you give me that much privacy?"

"You can change, I don't mind," he smiled, but after a moment he seemed to realize he'd made a tactless move. "I'm leaving now." He walked to the door and closed it behind him from the other side. She quickly changed into a cherry-colored tracksuit, a similar hair tie held her hair in a ponytail, and while she was putting on her socks, she heard a knock on the door.

"Can I come in now? Are you still changing?"

"Come in." The door opened and he stepped inside, then sat down next to her on the bed and watched her tie her sneakers. "Are you

going somewhere?"

"It would be nice to have something to eat, don't you think?"

"Yes, you're right, Grazynka has already prepared dinner, we were waiting for you."

"Thank you," she replied. "When I finish dinner, I'd like to go home while it's still light out. Are there any specific hours we're supposed to be here?"

"No,

great, I'll go right after dinner, or rather, after my breakfast." She smiled slightly and stood up.

"No

, what?" She turned around and waited for an answer, which Wiktor delayed. " You won't

go alone, we'll take the same car. "

"Forget

it." "No, I won't forget, it will be as I say, we'll take my car, together." He emphasized the last word strongly and then said. "You can hit, hit, kick, bite, and even if I have to carry you to the car, I won't change my mind.

"

"No, yes, yes, end of discussion, we're going to dinner." They went

downstairs and Amelia smelled various smells coming from the kitchen . "I ca

n't believe it, is that apple pie?" she asked Grazyna.

"Yes, do you like it?"

"Question, if she could, she would eat tons of it," Wiktor joked and walked through the kitchen to the dining room. "I'll wait at the table." " Okay

, I'm serving now, you too, Amelia, go and sit down

." "Yes, of course, but can I... just a little?" she asked, pointing to the cake. "Please."

Grazyna was happy, handing her a piece of the still-warm pastry on a plate. Amelia gobbled it down and followed Wiktor's lead. After they finished dinner, which was another display of the master, Grazyna, she went up the stairs and into the room. She didn't want to go with Wiktor, but it was probably for the best. She gathered the most important things that had to go back to Krakow with her and went downstairs. Wiktor was sitting in the kitchen with Grazyna, talking in whispers about something. When she entered the room, they stopped. Wiktor got up from the chair and took his backpack from her. They said goodbye. He and Grazynka walked to the garage. They walked in silence; she couldn't talk to him, not now, and he wasn't in a hurry either, which was convenient for Amelia. When they got into the car, she sat comfortably in the front seat and intended to sleep, but he prevented her from doing so. As soon as they left the garage, he looked at her and said, "Buckle up." She did so and turned around, pretending to stare out the window. "

Are you going to ignore me the whole way and pretend I'm not here?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to take it that way ." "It's fine

, if you want to, then behave like that

." "And how is she behaving?"

"You avoid me, my eyes, my voice, my touch, in short everything related to me. You think I'm not in pain when I know that if it weren't for me, you'd stay home and spend the weekend peacefully, and meanwhile, you went out and got into so much trouble.

But it's not because of you..." she noticed him gripping the steering wheel, his tanned hands turning white at the knuckles. "

Please don't lie to me, we both know how it is

." "No!" she argued, shaking her head from side to side. "It's not like that at all, stop protecting me from the whole world, I'm not a child.

" He smiled to himself.

"Stop it!"

"So please, I'm not blind, don't lie to me because it doesn't make any sense. I think what I think anyway, and your lies won't change that," he said in a dry voice, staring stubbornly at the street. She couldn't talk to him about it. Fortunately, he was finished, and maybe he wouldn't continue...

64

They didn't talk the entire way. Amelia tried to fall asleep, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop thinking about yesterday's incident; it really shook her. She didn't know what was happening to her. After all, he was her boyfriend, but he wanted to rape her and would probably let his friends do it. She had mixed feelings. As they reached her house, she noticed Daniel sitting on a bench in front of the house.

"Filip called you while you were sleeping

—what do you mean, you're just telling me this now? Did you talk to him

—when was I supposed to tell you? You didn't care where your phone was, but now I have to give it back. I won't give you your SIM card back, buy a new one, he'd bother you. He called at least five times. I didn't answer, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of bothering us. He doesn't know where you live, of course, it's not impossible that he won't find out, be careful.

" He won't look for me anymore, he was drunk and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.

"It's not impossible that he'll want to do something to you, please be careful," he said in a concerned voice, shaking it slightly as he drove through the driveway. He handed her the phone and got out of the car to open the door for her, then took his backpack out of the trunk. Amelia ran to Daniel and started crying.

"Daniel..." she paused.

"Little sister, what happened? Amelia?" Amelia went numb, he said to her, "Little sister," and Wiktor stood next to them and heard it. "Oh my God, it's over," she said. "She can't bear his suffering. Now she'll realize that if they're siblings, it can't be Daniel's child, but his... I can't believe it, how could Daniel have forgotten himself so much

?" "Amelka, why are you so pale? Amelia, is everything okay? Wiktor, what's wrong with her? What's wrong with my Amelia?"

"I'll go now, I shouldn't disturb you." At that moment, Amelia collapsed, but fortunately Daniel held her. She felt weak, stuffy, and her head was pounding. "Wiktor, what the hell is wrong with her? Have you done something to her? Tell me!" he shouted frantically, but Amelia saw that Wiktor had no intention of answering. His face was as white as a sheet, he slowly backed away and, without saying a word, nodded and waved his hands in an incomprehensible gesture.

"I'll go now, she'll explain everything to you, just don't bother her, she's very weak." "

Where are you going? Will you leave me alone with her in this state? Please stay," he said in a pleading voice

. "No, I can't, I can't, not now, not today, not probably never, I don't know, I'll go now."

"Wiktor, brother, what's wrong?"

"Forgive me." Tears were already streaming down his face, but they didn't notice, as he blindly ran to the car and drove away screaming. Daniel took his sister in his arms and carried her to her room. As she lay there, she couldn't cry. She saw how he reacted to the news, he didn't want to let her in, it was terrible. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She had already shed too many tears and they were of no use to her. She lay there in a daze, listening to Daniel asking her something, but she couldn't make out the words, she didn't answer. "

Amelia, what's going on, why did you come with him, why did he run away, why were you crying, and why don't you answer me now, please, say something, anything.

" "Daniel...

" "Speak, get it out..." he said uncertainly, he didn't know if he was doing the right thing by persuading her, he wanted to Find out what happened, but when he starts talking, and it was something terrible, everything might come back.

You told me, sister, in front of him. Did he hear it? Did you see how he reacted? He can't bear it, I'm worried about him.

Oh God, of course, honey, I'm sorry, I really didn't do it on purpose. I

know that, but anyway, he already knows and nothing will change that. Did you see how he thrashed? Did you see how he thrashed? I saw him

thrashing ? I saw him thrashing

?

I saw him, I'm sorry, it's all my fault, but I didn't know what was happening. You started crying, and my heart sank when I saw you like that. He crouched down next to her bed and hugged her. "

Come on." The woman patted the mattress of the bed, and as if waiting for her, she sat down next to her.

"Will you tell me what happened on the boat?"

"Yes," she closed her eyes and started talking. "Justyna showed up first, yelling at him. They arrived late, later than me anyway, and woke me up. Justyna was yelling at him, suspecting we were having some kind of relationship. I couldn't take it anymore, so I went out into the hallway and argued with her, then kicked her out of the house. They broke up because of me, and when she left, he thanked me for it. Can you imagine?

He was always too weak to defend himself, he never wanted to hurt anyone, he called himself.

"She left and he told me it was okay and that he loved me. I ran to my room, I didn't want to see him, I cried all night. Daniel, this is really hard for me.

I know, honey, you don't have to tell me, you're still holding on, and I admire you for that.

Oh, brother, thank you for supporting me. If it weren't for you, I and my child would be finished. Don't

say that!" he growled nastily

. "But it's the truth

." Okay, I won't argue with you, but will you finally tell me what happened there? Because I don't think you'd start crying because of what you just told me, let alone come back with Wiktor in the same car.

Yes, I didn't want to see him for the rest of the weekend, so I went sightseeing in Łódź, but it turned out I left too early, which of course... I made a joke of meeting him. When I drove up to each museum, it turned out they were all closed and opening hours didn't start until after 10. Everything was closed, a complete disaster. I returned home for breakfast, but you know that because we were talking on instant messenger. Then, to avoid staying home, I walked into town. I didn't know what to do with myself, so to make the time pass faster, I went to see a movie, Shrek 2. Afterward, I ate dinner at a small restaurant, which was the only one open, and then I went home. However, I ran into Filip. Her hands were shaking, and Filip was afraid of what was going to happen next. She continued with a trembling voice. "He was drunk, he was with a few friends, and they wouldn't let me go. On the contrary," she spoke quickly, as if every word cost her dearly and she wanted to get it over with. "Soba - they took me by force to a nightclub and when we went inside, he threw me like an object into a dark room and told me to get ready because he would come soon," she sobbed, tears welling up in her eyes. "It turned out to be a bedroom, there was only a small bed there. I broke the window and ran away. He and his friends wanted to rape me, can you imagine?" she said, swallowing bitter tears. Daniel hugged her and tried to calm her down, but in vain.

"Sister, the important thing is that nothing happened, and if he had even touched you, I would have killed the bastard. Remember that there are people in this world who love you and want what's best for you," she cried harder. Wiktor had said the same thing, and she knew she could count on him, but now that would definitely change. She snuggled tightly against her beloved brother and fell asleep. When she woke up, she couldn't tell what she was dreaming about. She knew, however, that she had been tormented in her sleep, at least that's what Daniel had said. It was Monday morning, what should she do with herself? She couldn't say. It would be best to look for a place to shop or work on new projects. What good were these ideas if she wasn't in the mood for anything? She went down for breakfast, and her usual, monotonous day at home began. She saw Daniel riding her horse through the dining room window. When he finished, she would go see how he was doing. He was right. Her mare was fierce and had a temper. At times, she even had concerns about whether he should ride her.

"Amelia?" She turned her head and saw Dorota. She had a very serious face that didn't say anything, but her eyes betrayed something.

"Something happened?"

"A phone call for you, your father." She picked up the phone and heard Jerzy's voice.

"Amelia, I know you shouldn't be nervous because you're pregnant, but..."

"Dad, what happened? Please tell me, don't keep me in suspense!" she shouted into the receiver .

"What happened?" Daniel asked, entering the dining room. "

Your father is calling, something must have happened," the maid said, and left the room, leaving them alone.

"Dad, are you there? Please tell me what happened?"

"Amelka... Wiktor...

- What happened? Dad!" She started crying desperately. "What happened to Wiktor, Dad? "

- He had an accident, he's been in the hospital since yesterday, he's unconscious, in a coma, the doctors aren't giving him much chance. When he was still unconscious, he told the nurses not to tell you that you were in a terrible condition, did something happen to you?"

- No, that's impossible, no, Dad, tell me it's not true. Please!" She fell to her knees and cried. The phone fell to the floor, shattering, and she cried.

"

Amelia, what happened?"

"He had an accident, he's in a coma, the doctors don't give him a chance to survive. I knew this would happen. God, it's impossible. Why? Please, someone tell me why? I know he's my brother, but I love him," she cried, overcome with pain that tore through her soul. "Why him? Why? I've lost so many people close to me, why do I have another one?" "Stop,

you won't lose anyone, he won't die, he can't, you understand, don't forget he's my brother too ." "I

know

." "Which hospital is he in? We have to go there.

" "I don't know, I didn't ask about all this," she said, somewhat calmed down, but still shaking. She got up from the ground and called Dorota. "

Bring me a phone."

"Okay, I'm coming back," she left, and Amelia paced nervously around the living room.

"Go, cover your face and I'll call your father." "

Okay, I'll be right back, don't eat without me, okay?"

"Of course, get going." Daniel didn't want to show how shocked he was by the news about Wiktor, but tears flowed, too, how tragic the consequences of love, unfulfilled love, can sometimes be, and it was all his fault because he'd spilled the beans. Amelia quickly ran out of the dining room and headed for the bathroom on the ground floor. In the distance, she heard Wiktor's voice talking to her father. She washed her face, but it was unnecessary. More tears streamed from her eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror; she was pale, but who cares now? Who cares, when he could die? She quickly wiped her face with a towel and returned to the dining room.

"I know where it is, let's go ." "

Great, has anything changed?"

"Unfortunately not,

let's go there," she said, and they left the house, got into the car, and drove off. The journey seemed unbearably long. How much would she give to get there and see him safe, sound, and above all, awake? They were silent; no one wanted to start a conversation; it was too painful, he can't die, he can't, she repeated to herself, hoping and insisting. When they entered the hospital, she smelled the unpleasant odor of those facilities; she hated it. The nurse directed them where to go, and when they arrived, she noticed her father, his wife, and...Justyna, what the hell was she doing here

? "Hello," she greeted Jerzy, "what's wrong with him?" "

The doctors can't do anything, now all they had to do was wait.

" "But it's impossible, how exactly did this happen?"

-I don't know, he should probably still be in Łódź with you on Sunday afternoon - he looked at her sadly - but it turned out that he was at a stud farm near Krakow -

did he fall off his horse?

"Yes, he has a mare that he keeps at this stud farm, and from what the owner said, Wiktor wasn't in very good condition. The stable boy saw that he was crying and acting strangely.

"Oh my God, that's impossible."

He was going quite fast and the horse stopped before a cliff, and he fell off.

"That's impossible." She started crying. "I don't believe it, it's not true."

Unfortunately, that's what happened. The horse came back, but without Wiktor, so they started looking for him. He was still conscious, but when the ambulance arrived and took him away, he lost consciousness on the way to the hospital and hasn't regained consciousness yet

. "He will, right? He has to, if he dies, so will I...

"

She sat down on a chair by the wall and couldn't believe what she heard. She started crying again, but this time calmly, they were tears of frustration. Daniel hugged her and tried to comfort her with words that didn't reach her.

-Why did you come here?- she raised her head, in front of her stood Justyna, all red with anger.

-Get lost, little one.- Daniel said dismissively.

"No, we need to talk, please leave us alone," she said sadly, and motioned to Justyna to the chair next to her. She sat down. "

Why did you come here? You don't have the right. Do you even want to publicly show that you're his mistress?"

"I think I have more of a right than you ." "Don't

mock

me." "I'm not mocking you, if I remember correctly, you broke up with Wiktor when you left our house in Łódź. You're not important to him right now.

" "And you are?" "Shouldn't

you scream? Can't you see everyone is watching us?"

"I won't let you make Wiktor yours. I wasn't sure yet when I broke up with him, but now I am, we're going to have a child!" she said with satisfaction, awaiting Amelia's reaction. However, even though she was shocked, she wasn't going to show it.

"Can you listen to me? It's great that you're going to have a child. I hope Wiktor wakes up soon and you can enjoy it together

." "Don't lie to me, I know exactly what you mean.

" "Justyna, you can stop, he's my brother!"

"What? Of course, that's impossible.

" "And yet, do you understand now how funny it was that you suspected me of being his lover? They're my brothers and no one can change that.

" "Oh God, of course, that's impossible. He's in love with you." "

No, he's just my brother. Of course, you two are a couple." " I

can't believe it, I would have lost him because of stupid jealousy, because of such baseless accusations. Why didn't anyone tell me?" "

I'm sorry, I'll go to Daniel."

"Yes, I'm sorry, Amelia, if I'd known, I certainly wouldn't have suspected you of such things, but I love him very much and I was simply jealous." "

I understand you, I really do," she said, trying to muster the last of her politeness. She loves him too and knows perfectly well what it means to be jealous of him.

"What did you tell her?"

-True, there's no point in lying to everyone, after all, Wiktor already knows

-it's true

-Daniel, she's pregnant with his child

-so what if you're pregnant too, and he loves you, she just wants to settle down with him, he'll hate her for that

-God, what are you even talking about, you're treating the whole thing as if I were at least competing with her for him, after all, he's my brother, don't forget that

-yes, I know

-I'm going downstairs for coffee, can I bring you something?

-I'll go with you, okay?

-OK, so if we're going together, let's ask the others

Ten minutes later they were back with drinks for everyone. There was no news about Wiktor; he was still unconscious. Justyna had disappeared from the hospital; she was tired, so she needed to rest. Amelia sat in a soft armchair and talked to Daniel, which calmed her. No one noticed how dark it was, everyone was suffering with anticipation, and time was slipping through everyone's fingers in an inexpressible way.

"We'll go now," her father asked her.

"Where are we going? " she asked sleepily.

"We're going home, we'll come back in the morning, if anything happens, don't forget to let us know. " "Okay," Amelia said

worriedly.

"You should go home too, you can't worry so much," Daniel said.

"There's no way I'll stay here and even a tank won't drive me away

." "Well, if she insists, there's no chance," her brother laughed, and they said goodbye to Jerzy and his wife.

"I know I'm his mother and I should worry, but I know that if you're here, nothing bad will happen to him," the woman said quietly in farewell, and left with her father. She didn't want to fall asleep, but sleep overtook her. She dreamed she was with her entire family, everyone was there, and at the head of the family stood Wiktor, safe and sound, with a child, beside her. Justyna, however, was also holding a baby. Everyone was smiling, everyone except Amelia.

The

week passed quickly. Amelia had been watching over Wiktor as long as he was in the hospital. It hurt her that even though Justyna loved her brother so much, she hadn't shown up at the hospital again. Perhaps she had decided that since Amelia was his sister, there was no one to worry about. The days passed quickly, and Wiktor returned home. They hired a nurse to watch over him constantly, and it was decided that he would be better cared for at home than in a ward full of patients. Friday was already tomorrow, so Amelia decided to contact the lawyer handling her grandmother's estate. She got up from the bench where she had often watched Daniel galloping on both horses lately. When she went to the phone, she dialed the number on the business card, which was printed on thick paper usually intended for wedding invitations.

"I'm listening," she heard a strange voice on the phone.

"Good morning, could I speak to the attorney?"

"Please wait a moment, I'll connect you in a moment." She heard a pleasant melody on the phone, and then the attorney answered. "

Good morning, my name is Amelia..."

"Yes, I know, I was waiting for your call," he stopped her mid-sentence. "I know what happened to Wiktor, I was wondering with the judges how this problem could be resolved, and I only have one question

." "I'm listening?" she asked, surprised.

"Can he be at home, or does he have to be in the hospital?"

"He's already at home, with his parents."

-Excellent, according to the judge's order, for the foreseeable future, precisely until Wiktor wakes up, you will stay together at your grandmother's house, of course under the same conditions. You must be alone. I know a nurse will be needed, so she is the only one not covered by the visitation ban . -Are

you joking?

-No way, it's the judge's order

. -But if he's unconscious, I have to take care of the company. Please don't forget that we are the sole owners of Kanakis.

-Yes, actually, you're right, but I think you'll find a replacement. Daniel Adamczyk is probably from Mr. Wiktor's family, right?

"Yes,

" he said, "he can take the director's position; he'll certainly manage for six months."

"But he's a student, it can't be like this for six months." "

Let's hope Mr. Wiktor wakes up before the end of the student holidays. I'll have to talk to his family; they might disagree." "

I'm sorry, but their opinion doesn't count. We know Wiktor would like to meet the condition allowing him to obtain the right to the house, so please arrange an ambulance to transport him to Łódź in accordance with the court order." "Okay,

Mr. Counselor, but I'd like to know if we'll be there not just for the weekend but for the entire week, could the time be cut in half? We'll be there the entire time." "

I'm sorry, I thought about that, but the judge deemed it impossible, so it's definitely six months. "

"Okay, thank you very much for the information." She ended the call and dialed her father's phone number . "Excuse me

?

" "Good morning, could I speak to Jerzy?"

-Please wait- she heard footsteps, the door opening and then a call, after a while he came to the receiver and they started talking-

Hello Amelka, what happened?

- No, Dad, how is Wiktor?

- You didn't call, I thought you were no longer interested-

you know! How could you even think that? Daniel kept telling me everything.

Oh well, there's been no change, no sign of contact with us, absolutely nothing.

I'm calling about him. I spoke to a lawyer and it turns out he has a court order that says Wiktor is to be transported to Łódź. There has to be a nurse there, just like with you, and no one can visit him, just like we spent the weekend there.

But that's impossible, a judge can't control people's lives

. That's right, I agree with you, but unfortunately Wiktor expressed a desire to get his grandmother's house, and now that he can't change her, the court issued such an order. It's a bit distressing for me because at this point I'm also tied up, I have to be there with him all the time. You're

right, I'm sorry, but I hope that caring for Wiktor won't be as terrible as you think.

-No, really, no, I'm afraid of Justyna's tests, she won't see her beloved for six months.

Don't worry, I don't think it's a problem. She hasn't shown any interest in his condition for a week. If it doesn't change, she won't find out soon. If she does, she might have some complaints, but we'll manage. I wish you all the best, my daughter, and I'm with you and Wiktor. She ended the conversation and went outside. Another surprise, this time a pleasant one. Wiktor, being unconscious, won't be able to ask her stupid questions and won't hurt herself again. Meanwhile, when she lacked the courage to visit him at his home, she would now have him exclusively. She sat on her favorite bench and looked at Daniel. Six months is a long time, she won't see him for too long, how long can she stand it? He came up to her and hugged her. She didn't want to say anything, she didn't want to To spoil the atmosphere, she had to talk to him...

69

He came up to her and hugged her, she didn't want to say anything, she didn't want to spoil the atmosphere, but she had to talk to him.

"Daniel...

" "Mmm," he purred, burying his head in her wind-ruffled hair. "

I talked to the lawyer. I need someone to manage the company until Wiktor wakes up

." "Right? Can't you handle it yourself?" "You worked there before, you should be able to handle it, I believe in you, little sister."

"That's not the point, I'll tell you soon, but you have to tell me if you could replace your brother at the company.

" "Of course, no problem. I think Wiktor won't be lazy for long and will recover quickly." "

I hope so.

" "Okay, but tell me what the lawyer said." "

I'm supposed to be in Łódź for the whole week, with... Wiktor. We're supposed to be there the whole time under the same conditions as on weekends. Besides that, there's only one nurse to look after him."

-But it's a hopeless idea

. -Yes, but it's an order issued by the judge

. -I can't believe it. -He started shaking his head in protest.

-I know. -She snuggled into his strong arms and added. -Dad agreed, he said there shouldn't be any problems with Justin.

"I know, I didn't tell you anything, but she's hopeless. Dad said she never visits Wiktor, and the last time I was at the pub with my friends, I saw her kissing a guy I barely knew." Amelia felt a wave of nausea creep in her stomach, which had remained flat for now. It was already late, so she got up from the bench, kissed her brother goodbye, and headed home. She slowly climbed the stairs, holding onto the railing. Every now and then, she bent down a bit and rubbed her back as much as her arm would allow. She still had three more flights of stairs to go, but she felt she couldn't go any further. She didn't want to fall down the stairs, so she quickly sat down and rested for a moment. Her back stopped hurting a bit, so she went to her room and was fast asleep within half an hour. The next day wasn't going to be easy. She woke up quite early, bustled around the house, trying to get ready. She tried to grab a quick meal, but it wasn't working for her. Everything kept falling out of her hands, and she even cut her hand slightly while cutting a tomato. She couldn't contain the excitement of going to Łódź; it was the first time it had happened to her, and she mentally scolded herself for such thoughts. However, it quickly passed, and she began to think of her brother again, not as a sibling, but as a man of flesh and blood. She decided to go to the hospital herself and not to arrange an ambulance over the phone. After the meal, she quickly changed and went to the hospital. It was quite crowded for that time of day; every now and then you could hear the siren of the ambulance, which brought the injured or those with sudden illnesses. The information desk told her where to go, so she went to the room the nurse had indicated. She went up the stairs, saying to herself, She knew she was fine, and the elevator was for people in really bad shape who needed it. Taking the last step, she took a tissue from her purse and wiped her forehead; recently, simple tasks had been incredibly difficult for her. "

Aunt Amelia!" she heard the cry of a child running after her, and when she turned, she saw a petite blonde girl who looked about three or four years old, dressed in a pretty blue dress.

"Hello, Alicja," she crouched down and kissed her little niece, who wrapped her frail arms around her neck and pressed her pale face to hers. She lifted her head and realized that her older sister, Kamila, was standing before her. Well, of course, she could have expected this, what would her child be doing alone in the hospital so early? "Hello, Kamila." "

Hello,

Amelka," she said sadly. Her clothes were a mess, as was her hair, which was a bit greasy.

"What happened to Alusia?" she asked, stroking the child's blond curls. She was little, her goddaughter, and she was very fond of her, and the feeling was mutual.

"Thank God," Kamila said, bending down to pick up the child and lifting her in her arms.

"So what are you doing in the hospital so early?"

"I could ask you the same question," she smiled artificially and added, "Karol was burned in the fire in the house where we lived."

"I'm so sorry, are you all right?"

"Unfortunately, nothing happened to Alicja, she had trouble breathing at first, but now she's fine

." "That's good, how extensive is the burn?" "

His whole face, neck, and stomach, the fire broke out right on him when we tried to leave the house.

" "That's terrible, I really can't believe such a tragedy happened to you, do you have somewhere to live now?"

"For now, we've moved into our family home. There's plenty of space, but I have the impression that Damian doesn't have the resources to do so. "

"I sympathize with you, unfortunately, I can't help you even if I wanted to." "

What can you help us, since you're probably struggling yourself? Your mother didn't leave you anything." Amelia decided not to disabuse her... "

What

can you help us, since you're probably struggling yourself? Your mother didn't leave you anything." Amelia decided not to disabuse her sister. She felt sweat starting to pour down her forehead again, so she pulled a tissue from her pocket, wrinkled it, and wiped her forehead. "Are

you feeling unwell?"

"I struggled quite a bit when I went up all those stairs." Having said this, she pointed her hand at the steps.

"Amelia, why did you come to the hospital?" "

I need to get an ambulance for my brother ." "For

my brother? What do you mean? Who's sick?

" "It's a long story, are you going to Damian's house now?"

-Yes, I'm still waiting for Alicja's test results. They suspect she might have asthma, so she's been tested and then I'll go home

. -I'll stay with the director for no more than ten minutes. If you wait, I'll give you a ride home. What do you think?

-Sure, thanks, I'll be here. She went to the room she was directed to at the information desk and knocked.

"Please," she heard a muffled voice from behind the door. She entered and saw an elderly woman behind the desk, sipping coffee from a blue cup. She greeted her with a cool "good morning" and indicated the chair where Amelia sat.

"Good morning, I wanted to ask if it's possible to rent an ambulance to transport a person in a coma.

Is the transport really necessary? We don't usually rent ambulances.

It's really very urgent and needs to happen today. The price isn't a factor, and I think a donation to the hospital would definitely be helpful.

Money is always useful in such facilities, but I don't know if we have a free vehicle.

I'd really appreciate it, it's very important."

"Please wait, I'll check the schedule," the woman said, getting up from behind the desk. A moment later, she returned with the good news that the ambulance would be ready at 4 p.m. Amelia thanked her, then wrote a large check to the hospital and left, thanking her again. In the hallway, she saw Kamila, putting on Alicja's sweater and clearly already waiting for her. "I've taken care of everything. I still need to call Daniel to inform my father about the ambulance's arrival. Wait a moment." She left Kamila alone on the side. The girl was in shock; she had absolutely no idea what Amelia was talking about.

"Daniel?" she said, hearing a muffled "hello" on the phone. "Shall I wake you up?"

"Amelia? Couldn't you just move from room to room and just call?" she heard her brother's nervous voice

. "Listen, I can't call my father now. Please tell him that an ambulance will be there at 4 p.m., have him prepare everything, okay?"

"Wait, wait! Where are you now?" "

In the hospital, where? I have to go to Łódź today, have a nice day, little brother," she said, smiling to herself and putting the phone in her purse.

"Amelia, what are you talking about?" Kamila asked, confused. "

Sorry, it's a long story and I don't have much time. I have to take Wiktor to Łódź today and I still have a lot of things to do. I'm so sorry, I'll tell you everything in the car." "Okay."

Dałąza won, but when they got in the car, she started again. "You have a great car." "

Thank you, do you like it or are you just saying that? I guess you've never liked people like that.

" "I like it, but don't change the subject. Which brother and father were you referring to?"

"Well," she began, focused on driving, "during her death, my mother revealed to me that our father wasn't my biological father. So I started looking for my real father. I found him and I have two more brothers: Daniel, who's older than me, and Wiktor, who's my age and is currently in a coma; he fell off a horse while riding."

"I wouldn't have expected something like this, you really surprised me. Are they nice?

" "Who?" She pretended not to know who she was talking about

. "Well, your new brothers

are wonderful, really, they couldn't be nicer to me. I live with Daniel, he's a student at the moment, so I'm helping him.

" "Are you helping him?"

"Yeah." She felt she'd betrayed herself, but decided she wouldn't lie to her sister just to defend Daniel. "

Doesn't his presence bother you?"

-Absolutely, I'd love to invite you to my house, but I just thought you might feel awkward around Daniel, who's there all the time. If I were home, it would be a different story, but he'll be alone now because I'm going to Łódź.

-Oh, I forgot, how's Filip?

-I have no idea.

-Poor thing, you probably miss him and haven't seen him in ages.

"We're not together anymore," she said sharply, turning to the side at the intersection. "

I'm sorry.

" "There's no need," she said dryly, adding, "We were supposed to have a child, but I lost it .

" "Amelka, so much has happened in your life, I'm really impressed you're managing

." "Would you like to meet Daniel? Maybe you could come over for breakfast and then I could drive you back?" "

I'd love to see where you live." She smiled and nodded

. "Great, Daniel and Dorota are happy, we're almost there." She turned right and after a moment, pulled onto the dirt road that led to the newly built houses, including her plot. She drove through the gate and parked in front of the house. "

Are you going to run some errands?" Kamila asked calmly. "

Where?"

"Here in this villa...

71.

Are you going to do anything else?" Kamila asked calmly.

"Where?

" "Here in this villa.

" "No, are you kidding? I brought you to my place. Get out of the car," she said, laughing at her sister's expression when she realized Amelia lived here. "

You've settled in

nicely, really." "Thanks, come on, come on, come on, I'll make you some tea and we'll sit for a while." Alicja and Kamila entered, opening the massive wooden door. Amelia led them to the kitchen, where Mrs. Dorota was already bustling about.

"Are you up already?" she asked, surprised. "I'd already made Daniel breakfast and was waiting for you to get up, and here's a surprise. May I know where you've been?" "

I've arranged an ambulance for Wiktor.

" "That's great.

" "This is my sister Kamila and her daughter Alicja, my goddaughter," she said, pointing to the guests. "And this is my housekeeper, the wonderful Mrs. Dorotka.

" "If you can make breakfast for three, we'll be in the living room

." "Of course," she said happily, and they went to Daniel. "Hello

, little brother." Daniel stood up and kissed her in greeting.

"What do we have guests for?"

"Yes, meet my sister Kamila and her daughter Alicja.

" "Hello, it's nice to meet you. I don't know her siblings, but I'd love to," he said, swallowing a bite of sandwich and smiling at them.

"I haven't had any contact with anyone in recent months except Damian, but that's only because I had to use my parents' house.

" "Did something happen?" Daniel asked, concerned.

"My house was completely destroyed in a fire. I had to live somewhere, so I asked him for help. I didn't even know Amelia had the conditions for it." Damian winced at the thought of staying with him for much longer. Amelia saw the tension and the significant look in Daniel's eyes. He knew how much harm her own siblings and mother had caused her, so surely none of them would be welcome here for long. She shook her head slightly and saw the look of relief on his face. After they had eaten breakfast, Amelia drove Kamila home and, encouraged by her, went in to visit her brother. The car in the driveway revealed that Damian was indeed still home. Her sister opened the door and Amelia went inside. She smelled the familiar smell of the house and looked at the rooms. There were changes, but most of them were the same as before. The same rooms, the same me,naet this smell so intense.

"Uncle, uncle, come here quickly, look who's here!" Alicja called, and as if on cue, Damian appeared in the hall. The slight stubble on his face made him look older, but there was still that twinkle in his eyes that betrayed his true age. Her brother's mischievous look always intrigued her. She approached him and he hugged him as a sign of greeting.

"If you think I'll take you in again, you're dead wrong. You think there's nothing to spend your money on, and instead of working, you wander around the shops and spend only your hard-earned money

." "You must be crazy!" Kamila shouted. "Do you think... you think Amelia would ever ask you for help? She'd have to be dying!" she shouted into his face. "I'm sorry!" she turned this time to her sister. "You see how unpleasant he is to me." " I

'll go now, I have to take my brother to Łódź, to my house, so he can rest there," she said the entire sentence in a rather sharp tone, and Damian looked at her strangely. Kamila also didn't hide her surprise. "Don't look at me like that, little sister," she said seriously. "We were never really a family, but now that I have two brothers, real ones! I know what family life means, my father, his wife, and mother love me very much too." She left, slamming the door, regretting that she had entered that damn building...

72

The hours were slipping away quickly. She had to pack everything, clothes and some essentials she couldn't live without, which were missing at home in Łódź. The maelstrom of packing all this prevented her from returning to Damian. Her younger brother was a real miser and considered everyone, even his own family, vultures who wanted to rob him of his money, as if they didn't have any of their own! she thought as she got into the car. From then on, such thoughts never came to her again. She got into Daniel's car and drove everything to the train station. She couldn't take another car to Łódź because it would be difficult to bring him back later. She had recently been driving back with Wiktor. Her beloved car had been parked in the garage all week. She left the packages and drove home to pick up her brother. Together, they drove to Jerzy's and waited for the ambulance, which was supposed to arrive any minute. When she saw Wiktor, lying helplessly on his bed, tears welled up in her eyes. He was so defenseless. She sat by the bed and gently stroked his cheek, pronouncing his name as if in a trance

. "You love him, don't you?" She turned her head, looking at his mother and became embarrassed. "Is it that obvious?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want you to get upset.

" "Child, where did you get that idea? I liked you very much when we met at your party, it was the first time. I knew you loved Daniel very much, it was really obvious. I didn't know then, however, that your feelings were only brotherly. Now I know, and I'm glad they could meet you after all these years.

"Do you know?" she asked, astonished, lightly wiping the tears from her cheek.

"Yes, Jerzy told me, I'm really glad I could meet you. I'll leave you here alone. I'm really grateful that you want to take care of my son even though he's in such a state. Not every love can handle it." She smiled warmly and left the room. Amelia wondered what she meant, but it quickly passed. She looked at the room. It was a small room, perhaps three by three meters, and it was decorated in a similar way to Wiktor's office. She would have recognized that taste without hesitation. Black furniture took up most of the room, and the floor was covered with dark parquet. The walls were beige, as were the blinds on the windows, which were now drawn to keep the room quiet. Wiktor was lying on an unfolded sofa upholstered in black leather. She looked at the room again and noticed a photo on one of the shelves. She stood up from the chair that had been placed by the bed, especially for visitors. She went to the cabinet and saw many photos, all of them showing Wiktor alone or with someone. In one, she noticed him with his grandmother in front of their house in Łódź. She hugged the frame to her heart for a moment and thought of her grandmother. She thought of her as a beloved person who, even though she hadn't known her long, was able to give her comfort and instill warmth in her life, even for such a short moment. She put the frame aside and picked up another one. Her heart began to beat faster. It showed her and Wiktor, their arms around each other's waists. The photo was taken by the lake. She remembered that day perfectly. Back then, she didn't remember anything and was having a great time with her own brother. She wanted to forget about it, so she quickly put the photo aside and approached Wiktor.

"Why does it have to be like this?" she asked, as if waiting for him to answer.

"Amelia, get dressed," Daniel said, entering the room. "The ambulance has arrived, you'll be on your way." Amelia glanced at her watch; it was five past four. "

Yes, I'm on my way." She looked again at her brother, who was lying there, probably not even expecting the journey that awaited him, or maybe he did know? Maybe he could hear us but couldn't contact us, maybe something was bothering him? She thought no more, went to the front room, put on her shoes, and grabbed her purse. "I

probably won't see you again for a while. Thank you for agreeing to the judge's terms. Wiktor really cared about this house."

"We know this very well, and that's why we're also glad that you care about his wish coming true." Everything went smoothly from there. The nurses took Wiktor and carried him to the car. Amelia also sat in the ambulance, but next to the driver. Everyone remained silent the entire time, except maybe from time to time you could hear some whispers in the back of the car. The journey dragged on forever, and Amelia was already dreaming of when she could be alone in her room. However, that didn't come quickly, and it took a long time until the driver asked where she should go, explained which streets to take, and finally reached their destination. The paramedics carried Wiktor and placed him in his room, which she had indicated, and then they drove away. Amelia, assured that Wiktor was fine, went down to the kitchen where Grazyna was.

"Hello, Amelia,

hello," she said. "

I heard what a terrible accident he had, it's really awful, I'm so sorry, I don't know how you'll bear it... I mean, I think you two love each other very much and can't get along, but just like he suffered after that attack on you, now you'll suffer too." "Please

don't say anything, it's my fault..."

73

"Please don't say anything, it's all my fault," she said sadly, sinking into a chair and not paying attention to the fact that there was another woman in the kitchen.

"Oh, don't say that, it's not true." She approached her and hugged her head at the level of her stomach. "

But it's true, he found out he was my brother and broke down. He went to the stables and, in his frustration, while leading a horse, he fell off."

"Are you his sister?" she screamed, upset. "How is that possible?"

"His father and my mother had an affair, but later both his family and mine reconciled, and we both had happy siblings. However, I didn't know my father until that moment. "It's

terrible." She sat down beside her, devastated, and shook her head in confusion.

"Yes, I know." She lowered her head and said nothing.

"So you're not arguing at all, and it's not because you can't get along, you can't be together." Unfortunately,

yes. Amelia stood up and looked at the woman, who had only just noticed. "Who are you? A nurse?"

"Yes, good evening." The woman approached her and shook her hand in greeting. "My name is Żaneta." "

Good evening, I'm the patient's sister, my name is Amelia. It's best if we call each other by our first names, right?" she smiled.

"I don't mind if you do too, I guess..."

"Great, so it's decided, although I'll take you to Wiktor and tell you everything

." "Okay, let's go then." They went up the stairs and entered the patient's room.

"This is Wiktor. I expect you to take care of him as best you can. He fell off his horse and his condition is stable now, but he's been in a coma for almost a week. The doctor gave me his medical record to give to the person who will be caring for him." She went to Wiktor's bag and pulled out the record, handing it to Żaneta. She looked at it closely, then placed it on the table. "

Okay, I'll contact the doctor at our hospital and ask for a checkup on your brother. It would really be useful. I don't have that kind of education and could miss something, so it would be good to have a doctor here from time to time." "

Excellent.

" "I feel so sorry for you. I know what it's like to have a loved one in such a state ." "

Really?"

My mother was in a coma for four years, so I decided to pursue medicine. Her coma seemed like it would never end, and I wanted to take care of her myself, so when she finally woke up, it did.

I'm sorry, but I have to tell you, I didn't expect it to last this long.

It can last even longer, even a dozen or even several dozen years, it depends on the patient. Sometimes it happens that a person simply doesn't want to return to our world and stands on the brink between death and life here. She couldn't bear to hear it, so she quickly changed the subject

. I don't want you to have to walk far, so if Grazynka hasn't prepared a room for you yet, I'd like you to take my older brother Daniel's room. I don't think he comes here often, so he won't be angry.

Is he as handsome as Mr. Wiktor?

"Hmm," she grunted, dissatisfied with the nurse's comment, and she quickly regained her composure, sensing something was wrong. "

I'm sorry, it's stupid of me, but this patient really doesn't look like the ones I've cared for so far." The girl blushed and added, "He's so full of life and doesn't look sick at all.

" Because he is full of life, God, how I wish this were over already, I have to warn you that a certain girl might show up here. She's Wiktor's fiancée, she's usually rude." She leaned against the wall and continued. "Don't worry about her, it's really not worth it.

" From what I've heard, no one is allowed to stay here except us.

"Yes, it's true, but I can't stand being without my loved ones, and I want to negotiate with a lawyer for a day that could be for visiting." She showed Żaneta Daniel's room and went to her own, unpacking everything. She went to the huge wardrobe and after dinner she called her father.

"Excuse me?" She heard Jerzy's wife's voice on the phone. "

Good evening, this is Amelia, we're here." The trip went smoothly, Wiktor is already under the care of a nurse, who will probably change with a different one every two days. I think this is a good solution, she's very nice, how are you?

-Thank you for calling, everything is fine with us. Daniel recently went to your house, his father is already asleep, and I wanted to call you, but I preferred to wait for you to do it because I knew that when you were free, you would do it, and otherwise I would probably interrupt you with something.

-What does the lady say? Of course not. Thank you, in that case, for waiting for the call, and please call whenever you want, on my phone or on my home phone. Please feel free to call at any time of the day.

-Thank you, keep me informed of any changes. I will definitely be there. -Thank you, I miss him so much already. -She ended the call and went to sleep...

74

It was a beautiful morning at the end of September. Daniel lazily sat on the bed in his room and thought about the last few weeks. Today was Sunday and he was planning to go to Amelia's. Sister As she had decided, she used her lawyer to secure one day for visits or her absence from the house. Sunday was the designated day for this, and many friends were often there. Wiktor was still unconscious and showed no signs of life. The nurses did their best to satisfy Wiktor and Amelia, who wanted the best for their brother. Daniel's time, however, was completely consumed by his siblings' business, which he had to take care of because he had promised Amelia. He had no time to meet with Natalia, with whom he had fallen so unhappily in love. She, in fact, avoided seeing him, and whenever he expressed his desire for her, she somehow avoided it. He remembered how a week ago, Amelia, with sadness in her eyes, had informed him that she had been invited to the wedding of a friend who was expecting a child from another man, not his, but a stranger, with whom they had decided to start a relationship. family. It was a cruel blow, and he could owe it all to the lie they spread around that Amelia was his girlfriend. He couldn't hold a grudge against his sister because he himself had offered her this protection from Wiktor. Natalia's explanations were useless; she ran away from him and avoided him, and as soon as she answered the phone and heard his voice, she immediately hung up. He wasn't invited to the wedding, but he wanted to be there, and after much persuasion, Amelia finally agreed to take him as a companion. He got up and quickly ate breakfast and took a shower. The drive passed quickly with similar thoughts. When he arrived, he sat in the car for a moment, unsure if he could get in. In fact, he wanted to be there as rarely as possible, but Amelia loved this place and wouldn't let that sink in. He got out and locked the car, then went to the door. He hadn't had a chance to knock yet, and his hand hung in the air when he his sister appeared at the door

"Hello," she hugged him tightly and added, "I'm so glad you're here!" He looked at her and noticed that she had changed significantly; her belly was already noticeably rounded and her face was glowing. She was wearing gray maternity clothes that she had designed herself. She had recently taken up clothing design and was doing really well. She was in high demand, and her clothes were already very popular. So far, she had been designing clothes for pregnant women and babies, but she had published an extra one for teenagers. Everywhere you looked, school-age children were wearing colorful clothes. He looked at his sister again and admitted that she looked like she was in her fifth month of pregnancy. His mother and father were there too, so he greeted them and went to Wiktor's room.

"What have you done, little brother?" he said sadly and sat down on the chair next to him. His nurse reluctantly left the room. He silently stared at his brother, who didn't look his best. They were taking good care of him, he was sure of it, if anyone but Amelia loved him very much and wouldn't make sure he didn't feel bad. He went down the stairs after half an hour and heard a knock on the door he was passing. He opened it, sliding the lock to the side and saw Justyna. "

Hello," she said, trying to enter, but Daniel prevented her. "

I don't know if you can come in here

. If you can, then I probably can too ." "

That's not the point, wait, I'll ask Amelia if she agrees

." "What do I have to agree to?" Amelia asked, entering the hallway and, noticing Justyna,

she grimaced slightly. "You're pregnant!" Justyna shouted.

"Well, what are you going to say? You're not ashamed to come here for... Two months? - Daniel noticed her making a movement with her hand and as if she was calling someone. After a moment, a man approached her.

- This is my brother, we would like to see Wiktor.

- Filip? - She felt Amelia clinging to him tightly. - He is not your brother at all, Daniel, please don't let him in here. - She whined, and he felt a sudden surge of anger. - You

son of a bitch, and you still dare come here? Get both of you and your child, who is probably Filip's, out of here.

Filip

didn't intend to leave, but Daniel threatened him with the police. Meanwhile, the whole family gathered. The door slammed shut behind the unwanted guests, and he hugged the distraught Amelia.

"Don't worry, nothing happened," he said calmly, but he felt sorry for this little creature with all his heart, whom he loved more than anything else

. "He knows where I live, I don't think it ended like this."

"Who was that?" his mother asked, but no one wanted to answer, or maybe they didn't know the answer except the two of them.

"It was Filip, Amela's ex-boyfriend," his father finally said, to Daniel's surprise

. "How do you know that?" "

I knew him long before, when they were still a couple."

"I'm worried about Amelie. Not long ago, while he was here, he tried to rape her. He didn't know where she lived, but that changed now. "

Excuse me, I'll go to my place," she said quietly, and he followed her silhouette with his eyes, heading up the stairs to the room on the corner. "

Rest, I'll visit you again before I leave.

" "Okay," she smiled weakly at him and disappeared behind the door. He didn't know what to do with himself; sometimes he felt that some kind of fate was lurking over his family. His siblings had fallen in love unhappily, and they found out about it quite late. His brother has been in a coma for two months as a result, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better. Amelia is suffering, though he doesn't show it, and things aren't getting any better for him either, because the girl he loves broke up with him and decided to marry the man with whom she will soon have a child. Something tightened. He was in a deep depression. He didn't know what to do or how to handle this wedding. At that moment, he imagined how his sister must have felt as she was being hit one after another, and by people she least expected it from. He sat in an armchair, sipping coffee that Grazyna had served him. He had bad memories of this place; his grandparents had always singled out Wiktor, and he couldn't come to terms with it. Why was that? He could hear his parents' voices from the next room. He never complained that his father's parents simply didn't tolerate him. Maybe he should, maybe they could explain it to him. Maybe there was a reason for it? Yes, he should have done this a long time ago. This place, so beautiful, had repelled him for years. He should finally put an end to it. He didn't have the strength to run away from the past, and if he wanted to see his sister and brother, he had to be there for the next four months. Right here.

He stood up and approached his parents, who were chatting pleasantly with the housekeeper and the nurse. Amelia hadn't returned yet; the encounter had certainly shaken her.

"Dad, could you take a short walk in the garden with me?" I'd like to talk to you. "I

'm going now, son. I'll just finish my drink," his father said, pointing to his almost-finished cup of coffee, which fit in a blue clay vessel. "

Okay." He walked out in front of the house and stood on the evenly laid paving stones, occasionally covered by low grass. The lawn was well-kept, and the rock gardens behind the building were a shining example for neighboring farms. He felt eyes on his back, so he turned around and saw his father, looking slightly confused, and his throat went dry.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

Dad, I don't know where to start, I know this will seem stupid, but something is bothering me

. - I'm listening...

- It may sound a bit idiotic, but really, imagine how much of a nuisance it is in my life. -

I love Amelie very much, but... -

I hope only as a brother, - the father interjected.

"Yes, of course, well, it also occurred to you. I know that since Amelia fell in love with Wiktor and he with her and they can't be together, then I could too, but I love someone else." "That's

fine, but I don't understand why you think they can't be together

." "You know!" he protested, feeling a strange taste in his mouth. What his father was saying, he was behaving like a careless brat

. "What exactly did you want to talk to me about?" he asked and moved towards the benches under the giant poplar. " I do

n't remember my childhood very well and how we spent time together with Wiktor, but the visits here are etched in my memory. I hated this house and it's not easy for me to come back here now." "

What are you talking about, why would you hate this house? That's absurd."

I always had the impression that my grandparents favored Wiktor. It really annoyed me, I don't know why, maybe I was just jealous. They always saw in me the worse

- you probably want to know why?

- and do you know the answer to that?

"Yes, I know, my mom and I were going to tell you recently, but when Wiktor had an accident, we gave up and decided to wait until he recovered. I honestly didn't realize you felt this way. I would definitely try to change it. Please wait here and I'll call your mom. I want her to be with you when you find out." Then he walked away, leaving him alone on the bench. What a terrible story it was that they delayed this for so many years, during which he had to struggle with the overwhelming reality? Why did they delay? He hoped he would find out soon. After a moment of numbness, he raised his face and noticed that both his parents were walking towards him. His mother was a little pale, something he hadn't noticed before...

76

After a moment of numbness, he raised his face and noticed that both his parents were walking towards him. His mother was a little pale, something he hadn't noticed before. Earlier, he shifted slightly on the bench, making room for her. Mother spoke first. "We knew this would have to happen someday. From what Father told me, you were going through a lot. I'm very sorry. We wanted to protect Wiktor, and I hope you'll agree with us on this matter now that you're an adult." She took a deep breath and continued. "It's not that your in-laws didn't care for you, they simply wanted Wiktor to have a happy childhood. They didn't see the harm they were causing you, and since you didn't complain, not everyone reacted or noticed.

" But why?

- Wiktor is not your father's son, your grandparents thought that he might feel inferior to you, that we would single you out, so they started singling him out

- how is he not your son? - Outraged by this news, he looked at his father, tears slowly filling his eyes.

"When you were very little, our marriage was falling apart. Your father and I had our partners on the side. Actually, it was my fault because I was the first to leave Jerzy. Nevertheless, Amelia and Wiktor were conceived then. As you noticed, they are the same age, not even a big age difference between them. We got back together and both families were saved. However, Wiktor had a much easier life than Amelia. She was hated for existing. Her father, although not the real one, loved her more than his own children, but the rest of the family still mentally tortured her. I

simply don't believe what you're saying,

but it's the truth

. Don't you know how much harm you've done to them! He shouted. They thought they were siblings. It's your fault that my brother is now in bed and has been unconscious for two months.

What are you talking about?" his mother asked, and he didn't care. It's a bit of a fact that he starts crying

- only the truth, I suffered for so long with my own sister because she decided to bear this burden alone and didn't tell him they were siblings. But when he found out that Sunday when he had an accident, because of me, because I accidentally spilled the beans, he was in such a bad condition that I'm glad he didn't cause a car accident. They love each other more than life itself, and you forbade them this love by hiding their origins from them. I'm disgusted with you. Did it take such a tragedy for you to say that? Although you didn't - he shouted - you wouldn't have continued if I hadn't asked

- son, don't say that, it's not true, after all, they only considered themselves siblings, nothing else connects them. After all, Wiktor will be with Justyna, she is to bear his child, it's not true that they suffered because of it

- true, and you knew it perfectly well - he shouted to his father - don't tell me you were so blind to that. You didn't notice, damn it. When Amelia had amnesia and didn't remember who he was, they were dating and fell in love. You can't tell me, Dad, that you didn't know that! And Mom, do you think she's pregnant with someone? She wouldn't be able to cheat on him with anyone, and you were the one who advised her not to abort the child, even though I advised her against it because it's immoral.

I didn't realize they might suffer because of it.

Who do you think they are? Do you think they're so unintelligent that they didn't realize they were siblings, when they were clearly presented to them? What did you expect, that they would indulge in love even though they knew they were siblings? God, I don't believe what I'm hearing. I don't want to know you. You hurt my siblings too. I'll never forgive you for that and I don't even want to think about it. What will happen when they find out about it

- don't say that, Daniel

"Don't touch me," he shouted, pushing her hand away and running into the house. He entered the building and for the first time felt relief, albeit mixed with bitterness. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and an indescribable cry tore from his soul: "Why did they have to suffer so much, why!" He quickly ran up the stairs and, without even knocking, ran into her room. She was lying on the bed, crying quietly. When she saw him, she paled and hugged him.

"What's wrong with you, why are you crying?" she asked quietly, and larger streams of tears began to flow down her cheeks. "Please don't cry because I'm sorry too, do you hear me?" "

Amelia, I hate them, I hate them because of you, because of you and because of Wiktor, they...

" "Honey, what are you talking about? Who do you hate? Tell me, what happened? Are you talking about Filip and Justyna?"

-No- he shouted and noticed the fear in her eyes- I'm sorry, I hate my parents-

What are you talking about, what happened, little brother?

- Wait, can I use the bathroom?

"Yes, go," she said, and he saw the incomprehension on her face. He went into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His face was a bit dirty and covered in tears. The hair that touched her hair was slightly curly. He remembered well that he had this tendency, just like Amelie, probably from their father, because after all, they had him in common. He wiped his face vigorously with a towel and, somewhat calmed down, went out to her...

77

He wiped his face vigorously with a towel and, somewhat calmed down, went out to her. He entered the room and saw her on the bed in the same place as before. She was terrified by his behavior, and it was obvious, although she was clearly trying to hide it and not show it. "

I'm so sorry." He knelt before her and hugged her knees, still staring into her large, frightened eyes

. "Are you kidding? What do you have to apologize to me for? You better tell me quickly what happened, why?" You hate your parents, and what do I have to do with it?

I feel so much resentment towards them. I love you so much, and they hurt you so much. I hate them so terribly for it. How could they? How? She said nothing, just listened to him. It seemed to him that she was afraid he would stop talking, so he continued. "Amelia, you're not his sister

—who?" she asked, not understanding.

"Wiktora, my father and mother had an affair, as they just explained to me. During this affair, you were both conceived, and they returned to their families. Wiktor has a different father. It's funny, isn't it? It's just like you." He laughed bitterly, and she just covered her mouth with her hand and ran to the bathroom. He heard her vomiting, and only after a long moment did she return to him, hugging him. She was very pale. His little, defenseless sister, so much unnecessary suffering.

-Oh my god, how terrible, so...

-Yes, Amelia, you could have been together

-but why?

-I have no idea, I think they were afraid to tell us, they were afraid of our reaction and thus caused more harm than good.

"I simply can't believe it, how is it possible that I'm only just finding out about you? I have to go to him, my dear," she said incomprehensibly to him and walked towards the door.

"Who are you going to?" She turned and said sadly, "I'm going to Wiktor, I've been holding back for so long and now, God, how is this possible?" she said as if in a trance and left, leaving him alone in her room. He didn't know what to do, he felt such enormous resentment towards his mother and even more towards his father, who was perfectly aware of what was happening and could have prevented it all. The worst thing, however, was not their suffering, but the fact that it caused the accident. After all, Wiktor was shocked by the news that Amelia was his sister and that's why he fell off the horse. At that moment, he had no mercy for his parents. He wanted this meeting to be the last, he wanted them to disappear from his life because what they had done to them would never be forgiven. He'll forgive me, he himself didn't suffer directly because of them, but how many times did his heart break at the sight of his distraught sister, how many? He couldn't count it, and his brother, when he came to him to practically beg him to leave Amelie, loved her so much, and in front of him he had to play the doting fiancé of Amelia, with whom he would be forever. He had to somehow release all this, but he had no idea how to do it. He left his sister's room, closing the door behind him, and went to the ajar door on the other side of the corridor. He noticed that Amelia was sitting in Wiktor's room and crying. The nurse who came out of the next room was a bit worried

- what happened to her? She kicked me out of his room and cried terribly

. - Calm down, don't worry, she's actually very happy, look - he said to Żaneta, pointing to Amelie's hand, who was pressing her hand to Wiktor's face, hugging it and I miss her every now and then. "I feel so sorry for her, I'm sorry, but I think I'll go downstairs." Then he headed for the stairs and went downstairs. When he saw his mother in the hallway, he passed her and headed for the kitchen. "Son ,

please, don't ignore me

." "What do you expect? She already knows, you can't even imagine how she reacted. Guess where she is now!" "She

has no idea ." "

She's with him, and I think she suffers even more that once again there's an obstacle on her path to happiness, on their path. I don't even want to think about how he'll hate you when he finds out." "Please

don't break me down, it would never have turned out this way if I'd known,

if I hadn't let it slip." "I'm sorry, but you can't turn back time, and the wounds are too deep. Eat now. I don't want her to see you here, I don't want her to suffer again." "

Do you love her that much?"

-Mom, she's my beloved sister and I will always defend her! Always! Do you understand?

78

He said goodbye to Amelia and went home, to her house, to their house. It was all so sad. He couldn't understand his parents, he loved them very much, but they had hurt people close to his heart so much. It was a big scar and it would take a long time to heal. He couldn't imagine how Amelia would bear it, after all, it was she who suffered, she and Wiktor. They suffered senselessly, and that was the worst. He knew his parents would be rejected by them, he felt so sorry for them. Now his thoughts shifted to Natalie, he loved her so much and she was hurting him, it was so tragic. They were going to have a child and were getting married irrevocably. He was happy that he would be able to see her for the last time on her wedding day. He should have been in this man's place, no one else. He remembered perfectly how they wanted to have a child together, how they made love secretly in Amelia's absence, she still She thought she was being unfair to her friend, and he couldn't and wouldn't tell her the truth. He drove up to the house and, exhausted, got out of the car, sighing heavily at the thought of the imminent wedding. After all, it's supposed to be next Saturday, it's terrible, I have to at least try to contact her. He entered the house and greeted Dorota with a hug.

"Someone's waiting for you in the living room.

Really?" he asked, surprised. He looked at his watch and realized it was well after ten. Who could it be? Maybe their parents? Definitely not! It couldn't be them. He entered the room that Amelie had set up as a living room and went numb as Natalia appeared before his eyes. She was so beautiful, her long, straight blond hair resting lightly on her shoulders, covering them like a carpet. "I must be in heaven," he thought, and quickly snapped out of his stupor.

"I'm so happy to see you," he approached her and tried to hug her, but she pushed him away.

"Please stop, don't touch me.

"But you've always liked my touch, don't deny it," he said, devastated .

"Maybe, but now it irritates me." He gently ran his finger along her arm, and goosebumps appeared. "

Are you saying you don't like my touch anymore? That's not true. You see how easily I can prove it to you .

"No, I don't, please don't torment me anymore. You keep calling and writing, you try to contact me at work, but I don't want that, and I don't even want that! We understood each other.

"Why did you come?" He stood up, angrily, and looked down at her.

"I want to ask you to leave me alone and to... "

Yes?"

-Please don't come with Amelia to my sub, you won't be a welcome guest

-What are you even talking about?

-Please - she said quietly and got up from the couch.

"Please, tell me you don't love me and you won't see me again, tell me you don't feel anything for me and I'll disappear from your life like thin air." He grabbed her hands and felt a shiver run through him.

"Understand, I won't give up on this wedding, it will happen regardless and nothing will change it. It doesn't matter what I feel for you, not one bit. But

why?" He knelt before her in despair and started crying. She was pushing him away even though he knew she loved him, he knew it and she couldn't deny it.

"Please, get up and leave my life like you said, forever." He looked at Nai and saw tears on her face.

"Why do you want to marry him at all costs? Why?"

"Because I'm pregnant and my child must have a father

. I could be one too, I would love it like my own!" he shouted in despair, but besides turning pale, she didn't react. She probably couldn't say anything. "Yes, you're right, you never loved me because you wouldn't be with another man. Get out of here, I don't want to see you anymore, get out of here." She turned even paler, but she couldn't move. He left angrily, and all he could hear were the doors closing behind him one by one. It was so terrible, so many emotions in one day. He took off his shoes and threw himself on the bed. He couldn't stop the tears that welled up in his eyes. After all, he loves her, he can't let her go, but she betrayed him! He couldn't hate her anyway. After all, it was because of his lie that everything had gone wrong, because of He just ruins everything, can't do anything right. He wished Amelia were with him now, wanted someone close to him to cuddle, someone who could whisper words of comfort, someone who would console him. He was so embittered. He couldn't bear it. He got up and tidied himself up a bit. He left the room and went downstairs. Mrs. Dorota was in the kitchen, watching him anxiously.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you, I'm going horseback riding

. But it's terribly risky, it rained today!" she said, trying to discourage him.

"So what? I don't care, I have to relieve myself somehow. Since this morning, I've been experiencing nothing but unpleasantness, I don't matter to anyone, no one will suffer if something happens to me. "Please

don't say that, Amelia has enough troubles already, she wouldn't be able to bear it..."

79 "

Please don't say that, Amelia has enough troubles already, she wouldn't be able to bear it. He loves you so much, she wouldn't be able to bear another horseback accident." He shuddered a little at the thought of it, but, carried away by depression, he didn't pay much attention to the maid's words. "I'll be back in about an hour." He shouted as he left and left.

"I hope so, young master, I hope so!" He didn't hear it anymore, though. He hurried out to the front of the house and saw a light in the stable. He headed there and noticed the gardener's son, who was still there. He ordered his horse ready and, despite the boy's protests, he rode out. "A wonderful feeling, just me, the forest, and the darkness," he thought, galloping quite fast on his horse. He took Amelia's horse because it had the temperament to match Daniel's mood. He rode around the nearby grounds, every now and then seeing shadows, probably of animals; there were many of them here. At one point, the horse collapsed, crushing him with its weight.

"What's wrong with you? Horse, I can't help you because you're lying on top of me. Try to get up!" But the horse didn't even move; he probably broke his leg. Daniel couldn't move, and his anger grew. He tried to get his legs out from under the horse, but he felt he couldn't, and his legs were torn apart by terrible pain. However, he felt it getting weaker and weaker until his vision blurred and he couldn't see anything. He drifted off into unknown depths. He only woke up when he heard a faint phone signal. It must be Amelia, he thought, recognizing the signal. "Where am I?" He opened his eyes and noticed he was in the forest, with his sister's horse lying on it. He quickly recalled the whole incident, and he clumsily pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. "

Hello?"

"Daniel? Little brother!" he heard his sister's desperate voice. "Where are you?" "

I don't really know, I had an accident, your horse... I'm sorry, he must be dead

." "Oh God, what happened, are you okay? What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know, he's on top of me, I can't feel my legs and I can't get them out, I can't move," he said pitifully, feeling terrible pain. "

Concentrate on where you are so I can send help to you, quickly!"

"I'm not sure, but I think I'm near a cliff, not far, I think..." "

What happened? Daniel?"

"My leg, it hurts terribly, something just happened, but I'm not sure what, it feels like a heavier weight on my feet, I think something fell on them." "

Someone will come for you soon, calm down, little brother

." "Thank you..." Then he hung up and waited. He waited for help, which was slow.

He fell asleep again and dreamed of Amelia. Wiktor and his parents were there too, somewhere nearby, but he wasn't sure where. He woke up to Amelia screaming, but he didn't know where he was. He was lying in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar view from the window. "Where

am I?" he asked himself, terrified.

"It's so good that you're awake." He saw Amelia approaching him and starting to stroke his face. "

Where am I?

" "In the hospital, don't you remember what happened?" she asked calmly, enjoying the sight of him. He thought, and only after a moment did he realize he'd had a horseback riding accident . "

I had an accident, I fell off your mare." "

Yes." "

What about her?"

"She didn't make it, she broke her leg pretty badly when she fell on an animal paw."

"So she fell into a poacher's net?"

"Yes, she bled

to death." "I'm sorry, really." He lowered his head and felt hopeless. He could have taken his horse, not hers. "

Don't worry, I'll buy a new one, you know I haven't had time to get used to her.

" "But I'm still sorry." "

Wait, I'll call the doctor." With that, she disappeared behind the door leading to the corridor, as he noticed...

80

After a moment, the doctor appeared in the doorway, and his eyelids, growing increasingly sleepy, opened. Doctor S. said good morning and sat down next to him.

"How are you feeling? "

"Fine, but I feel a sort of numbness in my body.

" "More precisely?"

"I can't really move." S. pulled a metal device from his coat pocket and lightly tapped his hand. He felt pain when the doctor hit the bone, and a slight grimace appeared on his face. "Does it hurt

?"

"A little bit

, that's good," the doctor said, repeating everything on the other hand until he heard that it hurt too. Then he moved on to the lower part of the body, i.e., the legs. He tapped both, but Daniel felt nothing. The doctor started massaging his feet, but it was to no avail.

"We did an X-ray on you right after you arrived here. I want to be honest with you and I won't hide the fact that we discovered a spinal injury. We were afraid you might have paralysis in some part of your body.

But that's impossible. How did that happen? I felt perfectly well when the horse was on top of me. "Not

that, you had a spinal injury from the fall, and it also connected with a tree that crushed your feet. You've already put them back together, but they were in terrible condition. If it weren't for your sister, we would have had to amputate them." Daniel couldn't believe what was happening. "You can't have paralysis in your legs. Dorota was right, and so was the stable boy. He should have listened to them. Why was he so stupid and stubborn?" "

But please don't give up. There's a solution," S. said, smiling at him.

"What do you mean?"

"First, a minor and relatively easy surgery, and then exercises. I think if you want to recover, you'll succeed very quickly. A year of exercises and you'll be jumping around like a goat

- a year..." Daniel echoed. The doctor left, leaving him alone with his sister. She sat in the armchair across from his bed and didn't say a word. He knew she was only doing it because she understood him, that was the truth; he wasn't in the mood for conversation. However, he continued the conversation because he didn't want to hurt Amelia. "

Why did the doctor say it was your fault?"

"Oh, because I called, but you insist, it's nothing serious." "

Why not? Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, you'd be at my funeral right now."

"Don't talk like that," she stood up and glared at him. "You acted like a child, a spoiled brat, but I won't hold it against you because you'll pay for it. You'll suffer for a long time for acting so stupidly and unwisely, but I know you'll get over it, and if you don't get your act together and exercise while I'm gone, I'll disown such a brother. Do we understand each other?"

"Sister, calm down, you're more distraught than I am.

" "That's exactly what's upsetting me that it hasn't affected you. Don't you want to have good legs? Well, tell me? Don't you want to ride a bike, a car, by yourself, of course. I hope that despite this fall, we'll ride horses again someday. How will you do that if you can't move your legs?"

"Amelia, all this doesn't make sense anymore, it doesn't give me the same zest for life as it used to," he said, seeing the sadness in her eyes, but he couldn't lie to her. It was the truth, after all. Something had burned out inside him when he'd spoken to Natalia last evening.

"Please don't do this to me. I'll find you the best rehabilitation specialist. Just please, promise me you'll do your best to get back on your feet soon. Please." He wouldn't promise her, but when she looked at him like that, he couldn't refuse. "Okay." "

Thank

you, really, it's lifted a stone from my heart." She smiled broadly at him and hugged him. "You probably won't want your parents to take care of you. So, while you're in the hospital, the person I employ will come here and then come home, and Mrs. Dorota will take care of you. Okay?"

"Yes, Amelia, shouldn't you be in Łódź right now?"

"I'm on leave," she said mysteriously.

"What about Wiktor?"

"He's still unconscious, I wish he'd wake up and I could tell him that we could be together, that we'd have a child together, so much..." She sat down sadly in an armchair and dreamed of something as her face slowly changed expression, he felt a cold stab near his heart, he also wished everything could be that easy...