The sun had just begun to rise when Dmitry awoke from his sleep. He turned to the other side of the bed—empty. Erina was gone. Panic gripped him. Dmitry quickly got up, checking the kitchen, the living room, and even the terrace. Still, no sign of her.
Finally, he opened the bathroom door, and there she was—Erina, taking a shower. Startled, she shrieked,
"You pervert! At least knock first!"
Dmitry just laughed.
"Why should I knock? Haven't we been married for five years?"
Stripping off his clothes, Dmitry stepped into the bathroom. Erina's face flushed red. Even after years of marriage, their behavior remained like that of newlyweds.
"Erina, scrub my back," Dmitry said, turning his muscular frame away from her.
"I don't want to," she replied, her face burning hotter.
"Come on, don't be shy," Dmitry teased with a laugh.
Hesitant but tender, Erina eventually began scrubbing his back. Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around him from behind. Dmitry smiled faintly. Even without a child, their happiness was intact.
After bathing, they got dressed and had breakfast together. At the table, Erina broke the silence.
"Dmitry, do you have any problems at work?" she asked, her tone curious.
"No problems at all," Dmitry replied flatly.
"Then… do you feel comfortable working there?"
Dmitry nodded, a small smile on his lips.
"Yes. I feel very comfortable—because I'm always surrounded by children."
Erina's eyes grew misty. Those words pierced her heart. She knew, no matter how much Dmitry loved her, she would never be able to give him a child.
After breakfast, Dmitry left for the hospital, leaving Erina behind. On the way, her sad expression lingered in his mind. Deep down, Dmitry knew—Erina longed for a child more than anything.
At the hospital, Dmitry went straight to the special ward where Alexander was kept. The boy was still fast asleep. Dmitry stood by the bed, watching the child's innocent face. Then an idea struck him—wild, but irresistible. What if I adopt him? That way, Erina and I will never be lonely again.
Moments later, Alexander stirred awake. Dmitry smiled unconsciously.
"Why are you smiling, Doctor?" Alexander asked hoarsely.
"I was just thinking… what if I adopted you?"
The boy froze for a moment, then gave a faint nod.
"It's up to you, Doctor. As long as I can recover from this brain illness."
"Good," Dmitry replied firmly. "Then I'll take care of the paperwork."
But before he left, Alexander called out, "Wait, Doctor!"
"What is it?"
"I haven't had breakfast yet."
Dmitry chuckled. "That's easy. Your food will be here in ten minutes."
"All right," the boy replied simply.
With that short exchange, Dmitry left the room. He took off his white coat, replacing it with a black jacket. His face calm, though in his mind he had already set his next course of action.
---
Dmitry, now dressed in black, walked into the civil registry office with a stack of documents in hand.
Upon arrival, the staff quickly assisted him. None of them suspected a thing—the papers he carried clearly stated that Alexander was a war orphan, a boy without family, and Dmitry was simply a doctor with a noble heart, seeking to adopt him.
The process, however, was grueling. Form after form, stamp after stamp, verification after verification. Hours passed, and before Dmitry realized, the day had already turned into evening. He sighed deeply. The truth was unavoidable: completing all the paperwork would take not one or two days, but more than two weeks.
---
Exhausted from the long day, Dmitry finally returned to the hospital to fetch Alexander and bring him home.
When he arrived, Erina greeted him at the door. Her eyes widened the moment she saw Dmitry standing there with a young boy.
"Dmitry… who is this child?" she asked, confused.
Dmitry took a deep breath.
"This boy is a victim of war. He's an orphan… and he suffers from a brain illness. So I brought him here."
Erina's gaze lingered on Alexander. Her voice softened.
"But why does he seem so calm? He doesn't look like other children."
Dmitry lowered his head, his voice heavy.
"Because of his illness, little by little, he's been losing his emotions… his ability to think normally, even his motor functions. I've done everything I could. All I managed to preserve is his basic intelligence and physical functions. But his emotions… they're gone."
Tears welled in Erina's eyes as she looked at the boy with pity.
"How tragic… Dmitry, what if we adopt him?"
Dmitry turned to her, a faint smile breaking his stern face.
"Of course, Erina. I'll handle the paperwork tomorrow."
For the first time in a long while, Erina's face lit up with pure joy.
"Then let's eat first. Oh, by the way… what's your name, child?"
The boy glanced at her blankly. His voice quiet, almost emotionless.
"My name is Alexander."
"That's a good name," Erina replied gently. "Come, let's have dinner together."
The door to their home closed. That night ended with Erina glowing with happiness. For the first time in years, she felt a spark of light in her life again—an innocent boy she could finally call her family.