Like a returning wave..

In the silence of the narrow, empty street, the sudden screech of tires from a car emerging from around a bend rang out. The glare of its headlights, dispelling the darkness, momentarily blinded the girl, who suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, forcing her to bury her face in her hands and squeeze her eyes shut. It made no significant impression on her—she even considered that this unpredictable driver, who had decided at the last moment to let her live, might have finally freed her from her suffering.

He could have, but he didn't...

Before the tenth second had passed, the girl calmly crossed the sidewalk, ignoring the obese man's blasphemies, undoubtedly directed at her. The evening breeze ruffled her dark, slightly wavy hair, damp from the salty rain, gently caressing the skin of her neck.

She wrapped herself more tightly, aware that she had reached the destination she had been pursuing rather subconsciously. After all, she hadn't even considered standing before that familiar gate. The darkness radiated intimidation, but she decided to go inside, taking advantage of the open door.

"This must be a sign..." she thought, and headed for the stairs, the clatter of her heels on the stone floor echoing around her. Her heart sank as she realized that the last time she'd climbed those wooden stairs, she'd been the happiest woman in the world.

Now her entire world had crumbled, and she was walking toward the man who had contributed to her despair. Despite her dislike for him, she finally stood at the door to his apartment. She knew that even though he couldn't hurt her any more, she would never be able to hate him. A tiny spark of love still flickered within her.

She didn't have to wait long for him to open the door. He stood before her, astonished to see his ex-girlfriend, in his ever-present jeans and black T-shirt.

"Majka?" His dark, almost black eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and pulled her inside. "What happened?" he asked in a voice that had always so unnerved him, and which had once meant everything to her.

She looked at him with reddened eyes. He no longer knew if she was still crying or if the rain had just soaked her face. He hadn't seen her in three months, since the day he'd broken up with her. Now she stood before him, drenched, and a despair radiated from her eyes that gripped his heart for a moment.

"Adrian..." she began in a whisper, but he interrupted her.

"Wait," he decided. "Go to my room, and I'll make you something warm to drink, and we'll talk, okay?" Even though he asked, he didn't expect an answer, gently pushing her toward his room.

Majka guessed that this time her ex-boyfriend was alone in the apartment, something that had never happened during their time together. She sighed but said nothing, following his instructions. She knew this apartment well, this separate part of the old building where Adrian's room was located. Whenever she visited, they would withdraw into their own little world, absorbed only in themselves. Nothing interested them then except each other... Tears welled in her hazel eyes as she realized it had been only three months ago.

"Sit down," she heard Adrian's voice suddenly enter the room.

He closed the door, as was his habit, then placed a steaming mug of liquid on a small stool in front of her. Majka glanced at the boy but decided not to sit on the bed where he offered her a seat.

"I shouldn't have come..." she whispered, not looking at him, though she knew he had sat on the other side of the bed, as far away from her as possible. "I'll go now..."

Adrian jumped up from his seat and grabbed the wrist of a passing girl.

"Stop," he said firmly, turning her toward him and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean you can't come to me with a problem."

"Come on..." she said casually.

She lowered her head, unable to look into those dark eyes that had once looked at her with such love. Her world suddenly spun as she realized another wave of bitter, hot tears was welling up in her own. It terrified her... She didn't want him to see them after everything he'd done to her life.

"Tell me..." he whispered as he had before, leaning over her.

Majka swallowed hard, then backed away and sat down on the other side of the bed. She knew Adrian would once again occupy the other end. She slowly reached for the hot mug, holding it in both hands, which warmed her a little. She felt the boy watching her every move. She took a sip, but then looked at him calmly. The bright light of the night lamp hanging on the wall behind her illuminated the immediate surroundings, so the boy was in the shadows of the room. For a moment, they stared at each other, but finally Majka decided to speak.

"I don't know why I came here," she said quietly, enunciating each word clearly. "I shouldn't have... I don't want to drag you into this...

" "So you do have a problem..." he simply stated.

She smiled wryly. Yes, she did. Her whole life had fallen apart.

"Yes, I do..." she confirmed.

"Can I help you somehow?" he asked, frowning, his hard expression still unchanged.

"I don't think..."

"Majka, stop it," he leaned toward her. "I think you can tell me. Maybe it will work after all...

" "I have HIV," she interrupted him, watching him absorb this devastating news.

He stared at her as if he didn't understand what she was saying. He digested her brutal words, feeling panic rising within him. He knew he was Majka's first man; he just couldn't be sure if, until that evening, he'd be the only one.

"Are you saying..." he began quietly, "that it was me... who infected you...

" "I couldn't have gotten infected anywhere else..." she whispered, finally letting her tears flow down her already flushed cheeks.

Adrian buried his face in his hands as if trying to come to terms with the nightmarish thought of destroying his ex-girlfriend's life. Moments of pleasure would be mourned by a cry of despair...

"Maja..." he looked at her, and she was astonished to see that his eyes, too, sparkled with tears in the dim lamplight. "I didn't know..."

She closed her eyes. She had already forgiven him, and that wasn't exactly what she wanted. She wanted to finally hate him, not rekindle her positive feelings for him. She didn't see Adrian reach out his arms toward her; she only felt him pull her closer. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his waist, as she always did, but even when she realized the position she was in with her ex-boyfriend, she didn't pull away. Enfolded in his strong arms, she nuzzled her cheek against his firm chest, inhaling his familiar scent.

"Indeed, I can't help it..." he whispered into her hair.

"I should tell you something else..." They spoke in whispers, as if afraid they might awaken memories hidden in the corners.

She lifted her head and looked into his worried eyes. She knew he was going through all of this just as she was, which made her feel more at peace now that she no longer had to bear this burden alone. He frowned, but she merely grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly.

He didn't need to say anything. The gesture alone was enough to make him squeeze his eyes shut, but he knew perfectly well that he wouldn't be able to escape what he had to do.

"We'll be married this month," he said, then looked at the surprised Majka.

She tried to pull away from him, but he held her in his arms, never taking his eyes off her.

"I told you once that if it came to that, I'd marry you," he continued.

"I didn't come here to force promises of marriage!" She suddenly, completely unexpectedly, raised her voice.

"I'll force you to marry me." Adrian ignored her open protest. "My child won't grow up without a father.

" "But...

" "You don't want me, do you?" he frowned. "I'm not the one you'd want as your husband."

"Come on, that's not what I meant..." She dropped to a whisper again, which didn't surprise him either, though he'd never seen her moods change so quickly before, lowering her head.

"What?" he asked again, placing his hand on her belly.

There, inside, was his child growing, a part of him and the woman he'd left three months ago. He didn't love her as much as he had at the beginning of their acquaintance, so he decided there was no point in continuing. Meanwhile, like a returning wave, the circle had closed, and the woman he'd broken up with was to become his wife, his companion for the rest of his life, the mother of his child... He closed his eyes again...

"I don't want to force you into anything..." he heard Majka's quiet, uncertain voice. "You didn't want me, after all, and now..."

"Majka, don't talk nonsense." He became angry. "That's not why we broke up. I simply stopped feeling the way I did at the beginning, and I didn't want to deceive you." It burned itself into me...

"Either way, you won't marry me for love..." she concluded.

"Sometimes a marriage of convenience is much better than one entered into for love," Adrian stated in a voice that brooked no argument, and he rightly suspected she wouldn't object.

Majka looked around. Everything looked the same as it had a month ago when she went to her gynecologist's office, and yet everything seemed completely different than usual. She went there already aware that a new life was growing inside her, one that needed to be examined again, whereas the last visit to the doctor had been routine.

She didn't want anything to threaten her child's life, so that day she informed her gynecologist that she was HIV-positive. Returning home, she wondered if the doctor's look truly expressed disapproval or if it was just her imagination, but she wasn't going to dwell on it any longer. She just wanted the little one who was a part of her and Adrian to be born completely healthy.

The doctor told her it would depend on how the delivery was managed. The most important thing was to prevent the mother's infected blood from coming into contact with the baby's, so he suggested a cesarean section under special precautions. Majka, who had wanted a natural birth, unfortunately, for the baby's sake, had to change her mind... She sighed softly.

"Majka!" a familiar voice suddenly reached her.

She turned, seeing Adrian rushing toward her. He kissed her on the lips, just like before, though nothing was the same anymore.

"Where are you going?" he asked as they continued walking.

He put his arm around her, and although Majka didn't sense any compulsion, she felt uneasy. She had become unused to these tender gestures that showed how much he cared for her. And now she was getting used to them again, albeit in a new role. She wasn't just a girlfriend; she had become his fiancée, the mother of his child.

"I'm going home," she replied, and looked at him. "I went to the gynecologist to check if everything was alright with the baby.

" "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked resentfully, a frown appearing on his forehead.

"I didn't think you cared so much," she replied, and looked straight ahead again.

"It's my child," he said emphatically. "So it's natural that I'm interested in what's happening with him.

" "I'll let you know next time," she said conciliatorily, looking into his dark eyes.

She saw that he truly wanted to go with her, but the sadness that shone in his eyes gradually eased, and Artur accepted that next time he wouldn't be rejected.

"So? Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes. The doctor suggested it would be best if I gave birth by cesarean section," she replied, becoming increasingly empathetic to what was happening between them. "Then there's less chance of infecting the baby."

Adrian suddenly turned right, surprising Majka.

"I'm just going to pick up the test results," he explained. "For the virus. Come with me."

Majka considered his statement for a moment, frowning, then asked,

"Do you think I could have gotten infected somewhere else?"

"Possibly," he replied, looking at her. "Have you never come into contact with another person's blood without knowing if they were healthy?

" "No," she said firmly. "Never."

Adrian lowered his head in resignation. He always withdrew when he had a problem, and that was clearly never going to change. Silence led them to a low, white building. The boy stepped inside with a firm step and asked the woman at the registration desk for the results, but only looked at them once he was outside.

He stared at the black writing for a long time, unable to believe what he saw. He glanced at Majka, who was waiting tensely, then looked at the paper again.

"Majka..." he finally began, "I'm not sick..."

The girl felt dizzy and, if not for the boy's quick reflexes, she would have fallen to the ground. However, in Adrian's arms, holding her tightly, she began to whisper hysterically:

"It's impossible... There's nowhere else... I don't believe it... Adrian... It's impossible..."

"Shh..." he pulled her closer, feeling her embrace him too. "I'll marry you anyway. It doesn't change anything..."

"But..."

"Shh. Calm down."

"I want to go home," she suddenly said loudly, pulling away from him just enough to look into his eyes.

He kissed the tip of her nose, then placed another kiss on her lips and said,

"I'll walk you home."

They didn't speak the entire way, lost in their own, yet identical, thoughts. And only before the door leading to her gate did he speak.

"We should talk to your parents. I'd like us to take care of all the necessary paperwork this week.

" "Do you want to talk today?" she asked with dismay, having not given it much thought until now, too preoccupied with her own suffering.

"Not necessarily today, unless you feel ready." He followed her up the steps.

"I don't think so..." she whispered.

"Yeah, right. That's what I thought."

Majka stopped in front of the mailbox and looked at the boy.

"Do you want to tell them just about the baby, or...

" "Just about the baby." "He paused, knowing she was referring to her own infection. "And the fact that we're getting married.

" "Adrian, how do you even imagine that?" she asked quietly. "Where are we going to live?

" "You'll stay in my room for now," he said, as if he'd already thought about it. "I'll throw away half the stuff you don't need, and you can settle in." He raised his hand to touch her skin with his fingertips, running it along her cheek. "Don't worry. Everything will work out."

The confidence emanating from his eyes began to rub off on her. She smiled slightly, thinking that maybe the future wasn't as bad as she'd imagined. She turned to check if there were any letters in the mailbox.

"For me," she said. "From where we were today." She frowned.

Adrian followed her into her room and sat down beside her, watching her tear open the envelope to get inside. She pulled out a white piece of paper and quickly scanned the writing.

"No... One more time..." she whispered, and only then did Adrian lean in to read it all with her.

A moment later they stared at each other in disbelief. Majka's eyes filled with tears, falling freely into her hands, which still held the note. She no longer tried to stop them. Adrian stretched out his arms and pulled her close, and she returned the gesture.

"I can't believe it..." she whispered.

"You see. It's not that bad..." he smiled and pulled her closer. "Notice that if they hadn't made a mistake, you wouldn't have come to me...

" "Probably not..." she agreed, after all, she had kept the news of her pregnancy a secret for a whole month.

"Exactly... And this way I can be with my child..." he continued in a whisper.

Majka closed her eyes.

"And with you..." he added.

They sat in silence for a long moment before Adrian laughed softly.

"What irony!" he said. "First we were both infected with HIV, and now neither of us is!"

Majka smiled wider and hugged her future husband tighter.