Fyodor Petrovich had long hoped to visit his son’s resting place. For years, his health made the journey too difficult. But one morning, feeling stronger than usual, he decided the time had come. His tools and paint had been prepared for months, waiting for a day like this.
Two months earlier, he had noticed that the fence around his son’s grave was leaning, and the small gate had begun to sag. It wasn’t surprising—almost a decade had passed since Sasha had been laid to rest.
Sasha wasn’t his biological son, but Fyodor had loved him as his own. He and his wife had spent two decades together without children before deciding to adopt. At the orphanage, a quiet, sad-eyed five-year-old boy named Sasha immediately caught their attention.
“Why is that boy always alone?” Fyodor asked.
“Sasha is special,” replied a staff member. “His mother left him here several months ago. It was very hard on him. Since then, he’s become withdrawn.”
Fyodor and his wife couldn’t look away. They began visiting the boy regularly. Though he joined them on walks and accepted treats, his eyes remained guarded. It took nearly a year for Sasha to trust them.
One evening, he looked up and asked, “Will you really never leave me?”
