“What was your gynecologist thinking?!” the doctors shouted during the delivery of a 56-year-old woman. And when they saw who she gave birth to, they were simply speechless

That Saturday morning, Claudia would never forget. She was tidying up the house as usual and planning to head to the garden when the phone rang. “Claudia Mikhailovna, it’s Lyudmila, the paramedic. Your test results are in. Can you come by today?” “Yes, Lyudochka, of course I can,” Claudia agreed immediately.

An anxious pause hung in the air, as if Lyudmila wanted to say something but hesitated. Claudia’s heart sank; her intuition told her something was wrong, and the paramedic’s poorly concealed worry was evident. “What’s wrong with me, Lyudochka?” Claudia asked as she stepped into the clinic.

“Am I dying?” “No, Claudia Mikhailovna, goodness no, you’re…” Lyuda faltered. Then, in one breath, she blurted out, “pregnant.” Hearing those words, Claudia sank into a chair and froze like a wax figure.

It took a few seconds for the meaning of Lyudmila’s words to sink in. “What?” Claudia paled, her eyes widening in horror. “That’s not true!” she screamed, startling the paramedic so much that she jumped back.

A moment later, it dawned on Claudia. “My tests must have been mixed up with someone else’s. That’s it, that’s what happened. I can’t be pregnant at 56, it’s impossible.” “This is nonsense, Lyuda, check again, there’s been a mistake.”

Lyudmila shook her head. “Claudia Mikhailovna, there’s no mistake. These are your tests. Yes, you’re at an advanced age, and it’s very rare to conceive at this stage. It’s an exceptional case, one in a million, and it’s yours. You need to stay calm and not panic.” Claudia’s hands and feet went cold, and then, furious at the world, she exclaimed, “Stay calm? Are you serious? I don’t want this pregnancy, not at all. If I’m pregnant, I want an abortion immediately. I’m not giving birth again!”

It was hard for Lyudmila to withstand Claudia’s outburst, but she found the strength to respond. “It’s too late for an abortion; you’re almost four months along. And that’s not all—there’s not one baby, but two.” At these words, Claudia slumped in the chair. Her arms hung limply.

She stared blankly at a single point. Alarmed, Lyudmila rushed to her, offering water. “It’s okay, we’ll monitor the pregnancy, everything will be fine.”

Lyuda did her best to reassure her, though she herself was deeply shaken. This was a first in her medical practice. “Is there anything else I can help with?” Lyudmila asked as Claudia somewhat regained her composure.

“No,” Claudia said detachedly and shuffled toward the door, carrying the weight of the misfortune that had befallen her. Lyuda watched her go in silence, lost in her own thoughts. For her, a pregnancy would never be a tragedy but a true blessing.

She and her ex-partner, Egor, had tried for years to have a child, but countless failed attempts led nowhere. Eventually, they parted ways, unable to build a family. Things got worse after that. Lyudmila faced relentless teasing from colleagues at the children’s hospital, who mocked her as a “cobbler without shoes.”

Unable to bear it, Lyudmila left everything behind and moved to a remote village. At least here, no one knew her past. Today, learning of Claudia’s pregnancy, Lyudmila was beside herself, as if someone had reopened an old wound in her heart.

Claudia Mikhailovna saw her pregnancy entirely differently—as divine punishment, a curse for sins committed. But for what sins? She and Miron had always lived honestly and conscientiously in their childhood village. They raised their daughter, Irina, a beautiful and intelligent girl…