Doctors admitted my mom to the hospital when she was pregnant, almost ready to give birth and at an advanced stage. Later, a young woman was placed in the same room. She looked older than her years. As it turned out, she grew up as an orphan and had no husband. She was from a village and was in critical condition.

The nurses were harsh and treated her poorly; they didn’t like that she was a country girl. She was eight months pregnant and had a high risk of miscarriage. She was a very attractive woman with long, thick hair braided into a plait and big blue eyes.

She was lively and kind. She befriended my mom. She had a resilient character, which my mom liked. My dad brought my mom various treats: mandarins, apples, chocolate candies. My mom shared everything with her. While waiting for the birth of their children, the women exchanged addresses to be able to visit each other. One night, her condition worsened. When my mom woke up, she saw many doctors and nurses in the room. The pregnant woman looked very unwell; they took her away in a wheelchair. She didn’t survive to see her baby.

My mom gave birth to twins and hesitated for a long time to tell my dad that she wanted to adopt the child of that woman. She was afraid that my dad wouldn’t approve of the idea, and the child would be sent to an orphanage, and she would have to spend the rest of her life in a children’s home, just like her. But my dad made the right decision to adopt the child.

Doctors registered the boy as the third child born to my mom. His mother often appeared in my mom’s dreams and gave useful advice. Recently, my parents decided to tell my brother that they are not his biological parents. After that, his attitude towards us did not change; he became more caring and devoted to our mom.