A year had passed since my wife passed away, but someone left flowers by her grave every week: one day I decided to find out who was bringing the flowers

45

— What did you say?.. — I am her son. She gave birth to me when she was twenty.

Her first husband was my father. After the divorce, I stayed with him. She left and started a new life… with you.

She rarely spoke about me. She wanted me to be happy and not feel like “unwanted baggage.”

I fell to my knees. I thought I knew my wife.

I thought I knew everything. But it turned out I didn’t know the most important thing. — Why didn’t you come sooner?..

— I whispered. — I came. Only when you weren’t there.

I didn’t want to disturb. I just wanted to be with her too. I wanted her to know — I forgave her everything.

And then we sat side by side by her grave. Two men, connected by one woman. One knew her as a wife, the other as a mother.

We were silent. It hurt both of us. The woman we loved had lied her whole life.

And now, how do you live after that?