- Ethan?! It's you?! What happened to you, you look like a psycho maniac who escaped from a mental hospital! - he shouted.

- Oh, are you talking about this? Well, a lot has changed here while you were gone, so…- Ethan smiled sheepishly, and got off of him. Toby, holding on to the IV, stood up.

- I'll go to my mother ... I want to visit her ... - and he hobbled into the laboratory. Ethan followed him.

...

- Hello, Mama ... - Toby said quietly, going up to Annya. She had a lot of bandages on. Toby sat next to her.

- I'm sorry I didn't know about this earlier. I'm sorry... Thank you for at least being so close to me... I love you, Mama... I'm sorry that I couldn't take you from my father... - he cried. Ethan sat down next to him.

- Toby... It's not your fault... Your mom will be fine, don't worry... Let's go?

- Let's go to. - Toby stood up with Ethan and looks on his mother. She may not have regained consciousness yet.

- Thank you, Mama ... - Toby, and just as he was about to leave, he heard in his subconscious:

"Toby?"

It's... His mother's voice... Ethan heard it too and turned around. Annya lay with opened eyes and looked at them:

- Mama ... You woke up ... - Toby said happily. - Everything is fine?

"Yes, my dear, it's all right. Don't worry about me."

Toby walked over to her and hugged her. He didn't even need words.

...

After month

He did not notice how one bottle of cognac turned into three, then six, ten ... Tord was losing touch with reality, thanks to alcohol.

"She betrayed you!"

- No ... - Tord said quietly.

"She's a traitor!"

- No...

"This child is not your son!"

- No that's not true...

"He's to blame for this!"

- No... It's not like that...

"You should have killed him!"

- I do not want to do this...

"If not for him, she would be with you!"

- Please stop...

"You don't need him. Kill him."

- ENOUGH!!! - in the office of Tord there was a sound of breaking glass. He won't be like that anymore. Never.

- I never thought that you would become such an alcoholic as Tom. - Tord heard a woman's voice. He turned around and saw Annya. She sat on his desk and looked at him. But it wasn't the real Annya. It was Annya who was created by Tord's imagination. Therefore, she was different from the real Annya. The ends of this Annya's hair were similar to the color of her sweater, and turned into a long fluffy tail. Instead of nails, she had claws, and instead of legs, she had hooves. She had ram's horns on her head. And she was naked.

- Annya ... My Min Rose ... You should not appear when I am in this state ... - said Tord. She snorted.

- Yes?! Are you serious now? Now I see... You're weak, Tord.

- Why am I suddenly weak? - he asked her irritably.

- You failed to save our son from himself. And you drink a lot. What if Toby sees this? What will he think of you?

- Annya! I don't care what Toby thinks! He took you away from me with his birth!

The sound of a slap. Annya stood facing Tord, and her eyes turned pink because of anger:

- How dare you... HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT HIM! He didn't take me from you, you did! And you dare to transfer your guilt to him, to my poor baby?! Didn't you freak out?! Tord? - from a surge of emotions, Annya could not stay on her feet, and Tord had to pick her up.

- Forgive me, Min Rose... I didn't know it would offend you so much... I didn't mean to...- he told her softly. She buried herself in his chest and cried:

- I hate you, why are you doing this to me?!

- Quiet, quiet, Min Rose, everything is fine ... I was wrong ... I'm sorry ...

After a while, Tord nevertheless returned to reality:

- Oh my God... God, how much did I drink?! - he cried looking at a whole mountain of bottles of alcohol. He drank too much. He remembered that today Toby was due to be released from the hospital wing.

- Papa! - came the boy's voice.

"Oh my god, there he is..."

- Papa, open the door!

- N-Now, wait a bit! - Barely getting up, Tord straightened his military uniform a little, and went to the door, putting one of his gloves on his hand (with his normal hand, Tord broke the bottle in delirium, so that his hand was slightly injured.) Opening the door, Toby attacked him with hugs:

- Papa!

- Ah, h-hi, Toby… How are you feeling?

Toby looked at his father in surprise.

- Me? I'm fine, Papa. But... What's wrong with you? You're all battered, and on your hand... Blood...

Tord looked at the hand that was real, and with which he broke the bottle. Since his gloves were white, the blood on them is very clearly visible.

- Oh, you're talking about it... Don't worry, I'll deal with it.

...

After Tord's hand was treated in the hospital wing, he went to work, and... He saw Toby in his office.

- What is it, Toby? I thought you were playing with your friends now ... - Tord was surprised. Toby looked sadly at his father.

- I... I just wanted to be with you... Now I don't have anyone to play with... Ethan hasn't finished his treatment in the mental hospital yet, Max is still sick, and Theo... The two of us are not interested in playing...

Tord sat down on his knees:

- My dear, dad is also unfortunately busy now. You can go to your mom's for now, or stay with Beth.

- Thanks, Papa, but... I just wanted some advice, what should we get mom for her birthday? Today is April, and it's tomorrow...

Tord already forgot that Annya's birthday is in April (April 5), but he was not taken aback:

- Well, this will be a surprise for her, I didn’t tell anyone about this, since it’s still a surprise for everyone. - here he pulled the key from under his shirt and handed it to Toby:

- What is it? - the boy asked.

- This is... The key to your mother's room... If you want, you can go there. - Tord answered him.

- Okay.

...

Turning the key in the lock, Toby opened the door. There she is. The room where his mother lived... All pink. With various soft toys. Posters of his father hung on the walls. So, mom was crazy about him ... Then Toby saw her laptop and decided to see what was there. And in the files, he found the very video where Annya left a message to the future. Toby wanted to watch it again and turned it on. And then his mother appeared before his eyes, who was at that moment in the last stages of pregnancy. From time to time she stroked her swollen belly.

- Hello Toby ... Here, your time is coming to be born. Your dad wanted me to make this video to show you in the future. I'm glad that I have you ... I love you very much ... No matter what happens, I will always love you, my baby ...

With every word Toby got sadder and sadder. She didn't know... She didn't know that it was her penultimate minutes when she looked like that... And when he was born, she didn't have time to be with him...

- Mama... - after watching Toby turned off the computer and put it on charge. He sat down on the bed. Toby was apparently about to go to sleep, and put on his pajamas beforehand. He noticed the sweater. It was his mother's sweater. Toby took it in his hands and wept.

...

- Hello, Annya ... - Tord came to her after his next trip to the bar.

"Oh my God, you're drunk ..." - flashed through Annya's head, but she immediately fell asleep. Tord walked over to her.

- It's the fifth of April, 4 o'clock in the morning... Happy birthday, Min Rose... - he muttered, and took out a syringe with some kind of serum. He injected the contents into Annya's neck, but she was already asleep.

- This is my gift... Soon it will all be over and you won't be a monster anymore... Bye...

...

Toby woke up still clutching his sweater. He went out to the balcony. It was getting light. Toby had already seen the dawn, but not in reality. And... It's really beautiful.

- Are you there, son? - here came Tord. Toby looked at him. Tord smelled of alcohol:

- Papa, what are you? Drinking again? - Toby asked. Tord lowered his head.

- Yes. I got drunk again. Now the hangover is gone.

- You drink because of the guilt towards my mother, right? - Toby asked.

- Yes...

Then they were silent and looked at the dawn. Toby looked at his father. He had never seen him in the worst condition. The military uniform in black and red (and Toby thought the uniform of the red army was very beautiful) had slipped off the body a little. Tord's long hair (which he usually wears in a ponytail) was disheveled. There were black circles under the gray eyes, which indicated that Tord had been very tired lately.

- Papa, when was the last time you had a rest? - Toby asked.

- I don’t remember ... I already forgot what rest is ... - Tord said wearily.

Silence again. A warm April breeze blew. This time Tord broke the silence:

- Nice, isn't it?

Toby nodded.

- Yes very nice...

- You know who could compare with this dawn? - asked Tord.

- Who?

- Your mother, Toby ... She was beautiful like this dawn ... - Tord spoke about this with tenderness, love and nostalgia. - It’s too bad that I turned her into a monster… After all… We could be a great family…

- Yes... We could... - Tears appeared in Toby's eyes.

- I'm sorry, Toby ... I deprived you of your mother ... Forgive me ... I didn't mean to ... - Tord also became sad, and hugged his crying son.

...

- Everything is fine, my baby, everything will be fine ... I promise ... - he said, stroking his back. Tord brought Toby to him, and silently listened to his sobs. A tear also ran down his cheek. It took them a while to calm down.

And when they calmed down they lay together in bed. Toby was lying on Tord's chest, and he was stroking his back.

- Toby, I didn't tell you about your mom? - he asked him. Toby shook his head.

- No... You always spoke of her as a mistake of nature...

- Yes, I said that... I remember... But... It was all a lie. I need to tell the truth.

Toby raised his head. Tord put his hand on his head.

- Your mother was a very interesting person. When I met her, she was a little thin girl, but then... She turned into a beautiful woman, whom I fell in love with without memory... And she was the best person I have ever met in my life. I wish you knew her better, son... Her kindness, figure, eyes, hair... I've never met such a person... And... I'm sorry that I did this to her... She deserves better... Especially after all that she's been through...

Tord continued to tell Toby about his mother until he fell asleep.

- Already asleep? Good night, Toby ... I love you, my little son ... - Tord kissed him on the top of his head, and began to fall asleep himself. He really felt so calm and happy next to his son. And perhaps this is the only time when he rests like that.