This kind-hearted man found a baby girl left alone on a wooden bench. He was greatly moved and took the baby home. Many years later, an unexpected miracle happened.
Dmitry was a young man who lived in the city of Moscow. Since he worked as a consultant for several companies, he was not home most of the time. However, even though he lacked nothing financially, he still was not a happy man. A few months into his marriage, he lost his wife and daughter to a tragic accident. Since that awful day, things had never been the same for him.
One day, while preparing for work, he checked one of his old briefcases for documents he needed. At that very moment, a picture of his wife and daughter fell out. The young man was completely heartbroken. He remembered all the beautiful moments they shared. In between tears, he said, “I wish you both were here with me. Living every day without you both in my life has been very hard. Why does life have to be unfair to me? Why?” He cried so hard for some moments. However, he knew he couldn’t do anything to change the situation, so he picked up his bag, got into his car, and headed straight to work.
On his way back from work, everywhere around the city was freezing. It was November, which meant that winter had started in Russia. The tired man drove quietly on the road. Dmitry was stuck in traffic, so he decided to get some snacks. He parked his Lada Vesta subcompact car and walked into a snack bar. There, he got himself something to eat. However, just as he stepped out of the shop, he heard the cry of a baby. At first, he thought he was daydreaming. However, after taking a few more steps, he looked closely and found a baby abandoned on a bench. He was completely stunned.
“I really can’t believe this. Why would someone abandon a baby in this terrible cold?” the young man whispered in shock.
But how did the baby girl end up here? Well, ten months after she was born, her parents had a serious misunderstanding, so they filed for a divorce. The newborn stayed with her mom. However, after some time, the woman couldn’t keep up with taking care of her. She had no job and was barely surviving, so she left the baby on a bench, hoping that someone would notice her and help the child. That person turned out to be Dmitry.
Many thoughts ran through his head when he saw the infant. However, he knew he had to do something to help the child. He knew he couldn’t just ignore her and continue his journey home because she wouldn’t survive in the cold. So, he took her home. Just as he picked her up, the baby girl stopped crying and smiled at him. Her cute smile brightened up his day, and Dmitry felt like they had an instant connection.
When he got home, he asked his maid to look after the baby. He explained to her how he found the baby, and she felt sorry for the baby. The woman cleaned and fed the little girl. She took care of the infant as though she was the girl’s real mom. Dmitry was also very keen on making sure the baby was well cared for and provided everything the maid requested.
After spending a few weeks caring for the baby, he called her Anna. His job required that he travel across different cities, and so he couldn’t be with the little girl every time. When he had to travel for work, he brought her to the childcare center, where the little girl learned how to read and write. Whenever Dmitry was less busy, he made sure he visited her. He would buy her things and spend time with her. With time, they bonded like father and daughter. The little girl grew up knowing him not as her biological father, as Dmitry made sure she knew the true story from a young age.
One day, when he visited her, he went through some of her drawings and saw a particular one that broke his heart. The drawing showed a father and mother holding their daughter’s hand and walking down a busy street. That drawing brought back memories of his deceased wife and daughter. It reminded him of the beautiful days he spent with them, walking in the park. It was as if he could feel his daughter’s soft hand in his and hear his wife’s laughter.
He missed them immensely. This memory made him shed tears. It surprised Anna to see him that way, and she didn’t know what to do, so she hugged him and said in her sweet little voice, “I am sorry if I did something wrong. I have always wished to live in a happy family. That’s why I drew that. I love you very much. Thank you for all you have done for me.” Her words comforted him. He held her hands and told her he loved her too. However, he couldn’t tell her why he cried because she was just seven.
On her tenth birthday, he paid her a special visit and stayed with her for several days. Anna was very excited. They went out every day and had lots of fun together. When the day came for Dmitry to return to work, he told the young girl he had something to tell her. She was anxious because the look on his face showed that this was something quite serious.
Dmitry told Anna he had adopted her as his child. In between tears, she hugged him and said, “Thank you so much, Dad. Thank you for always being there for me. I promise to be an obedient daughter. You are the only father I know and the only parent I need. I love you so much and will make you proud.” As he got into his car, he told her he would come back soon to take her home with him. He also informed her he would quit his job soon and would stop traveling around. That way, he could be home with her every day.
For the next few months, he worked on preparing for her arrival. He left his job, and with some of his savings, he set up a restaurant close to his home. Thankfully, his business was a tremendous success, and he had lots of customers in no time. Finally, it was time for him to bring his adopted daughter home. He picked her up from the childcare center and drove her to his house in the city. Dmitry did everything to make her happy. After a few weeks went by, he enrolled her in a new school. There, she made new friends and was doing very well in her studies.
Every weekday, he woke her up in the morning and took her to school. Then, at noon, he went over to her school to pick her up. He made sure she lacked nothing. During the weekends, he would also take her out and buy her many things. But aside from providing for her material needs, Dmitry made sure to teach Anna about life and that she knew how much she was loved. She had filled a hole in Dmitry’s heart, and he would be forever grateful to her for accepting him as her dad.
Anna grew up under Dmitry’s loving supervision and was doing very well with her academics. She was a brilliant girl. After coming tops in her class for three straight years, the school authorities awarded her a scholarship. Dmitry was thrilled. He was proud of her achievement and could save more money for her tertiary education. When she was finally done with her secondary education, she gained admission to the university to study architecture. It had always been her childhood dream to be an architect. After completing her studies, it didn’t take long before Anna got many job opportunities. Within a few years, she became very successful. She knew her life wouldn’t have taken this amazing turnaround if not for her adoptive dad.
One sunny morning, she visited him at his home. After talking to him for a while, she told him she was taking him somewhere. He had no idea of what she was about to show him. When he came down from her car, he was standing in front of a luxurious house. Then Anna said, “Dad, this is your new house. I built it for you, and I hope you like it.
You have done so much for me, and this is just a way for me to say thank you. You also will no longer need to work. I will provide all that you need.” Dmitry was moved to tears. This was a full-circle moment. He hugged his daughter and didn’t know what to say. In that moment, he realized he had made no mistake picking her up from that bench on that chilly night.
