And the judge, who so far looked at the pile of medical documents with that patient, expressionless person, who judges acquire after years of work, raised his head.
A man stood on the doorstep.
He was tall, weak and silver-haired. He was wearing a dark suit that was a little wide in his shoulders. In one hand he held an old leather bag, and in the other — cane.
He seemed at least eighty.
But when our eyes met, I did not see his age.
I saw the boy she had known more than fifty years ago.
— Todor — whispered.
My breath got stuck in my throat.
He took a few slow steps inside.
— Good morning, Elena — said.
His voice has been changed over the years.
Deeper.
Quieter.
But I would recognize him everywhere.
Todor Stoyanov.
My first love.
The boy who was waiting for me after class in front of high school in Veliko Tarnovo. The boy who brought me wild daisies because he knew I didn’t like roses. The boy we once imagined a small house near Yantra, a dog in the yard and three children who will run barefoot in the summer.
The man I had lost.
And my daughter’s father.
Sylvia sat down again.
Her face was white as a sheet.
— Who is this? — she asked.
No one answered right away.
Todor turned to the judge.
— I apologize for the delay, Judge. There was a traffic jam from Ruse and my car was damaged near Svishtov. But I will not allow Mrs Mileva to be declared incapable of making decisions before the whole truth is heard.
The judge examined him carefully.
— Are you?
He pulled out his ID card and several documents from the leather bag.
— My name is Todor Stoyanov. The biological father of the child.
There was such silence in the hall that the air conditioner was heard buzzing under the windows.
Mikhail exploded first.
— This is absurd!
The judge looked at him abruptly.
— Mr. Milev, I warn you for the last time.
— He is eighty years old! My mother is seventy-nine! How can he say he’s the father of a baby?
Todor did not turn to him.
Just put the documents on the table in front of the judge.
— No need to believe my words. There is medical research.
My lawyer, Mr. Stefanov, pulled out another folder.
— Your Honor, here are the results of DNA tests certified by an independent laboratory. They confirm Mr. Stoyanov’s fatherhood.
The judge overplayed several pages.
Then take off your glasses.
He looked at me.
Todor looked at.
