Katya smiled and nodded.
How kind they were, both father and son. Before leaving, Mishka also hugged her tightly.
– You come! If dad said he would help, then he will definitely help!
She nodded again.
She wasn’t going to refuse. For the first time in a long time, there was a glimmer of hope in her chest – small, fragile, but real.
The doctor examined Katya for a long time, studying the notes she had written in her notebook, shining a light into her eyes and throat, and testing her reflexes. Then he turned to Kirill.
Will you leave her with us?
“I hope I can,” he said.
– Okay.
Let us try. Most likely, these are the results of extreme stress. The vocal cords appear to have turned to stone.
Psychosomatics. We will work on hypnosis, therapy, and speech restoration.
Kirill nodded.
– Of course. I’ll pick her up now, we’ll go shopping, and we’ll be back in a couple of hours.
– Great.
When they were already leaving, the doctor lightly nudged Kirill with his elbow:
– A pretty girl… Maybe it’s better for her to keep quiet?
“Well, Mikhalych, you’re something else…” Kirill shook his head, although he himself didn’t notice a hint of a smile in the corner of his lips.
— The ideal bride would be…
Two weeks later, Katya said her first word.
Completely by accident. She tripped, struck her toe, and, unable to control herself, yelled out:
– Ow!
The nurse laughed.
– Typically, the first word is “mama” or “dada”. For you, it’s “ouch”!
Kirill and Mishka arrived less than half an hour later.
Katya was still shy, and speaking was tough for her. She spoke! After years of silence, her voice returned.
– Now you’ll live with us,’ Kirill decided.
– Mishka will have you chatting till the end. He’s an expert at chattering nonstop. Then we’ll think about where to go.
You should surely study.
When Katya finally got in – albeit not to the university she had hoped for in her youth – Mishka took the chat with his father seriously:
– Dad, if you marry Katya, I wouldn’t be against it.
Kirill smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow:
– Why is that so?
– Because she’s normal! She doesn’t pretend to be a princess, she doesn’t show off. And if she can’t do something, she doesn’t pretend, she says it straight.
That’s the whole reason.
Kirill laughed:
– Okay, Mishanya, I’ll take your advice into account.
But the boy had already run away, pleased with himself. And a month later he was happily spinning around the wedding cake at a noisy, joyful celebration – where his father and Katya, hand in hand, stood before the guests as newlyweds.
