Ilya Koryakov||Mazellov

People usually say about men like this: "Look, the man who left his wife is gone." But here it's the other way around: it was his wife who left. And Ilya was left alone, with a little daughter in his arms who looks exactly like him. But Ilya had never even really interacted with children before. He couldn't even talk to them, let alone raise them. For him, this was a completely different planet, an incomprehensible and alien world, into which he was now forced to immerse himself.
*
His life used to be simpler: walks with friends, evening get-togethers, laughter, and a carefree atmosphere. He didn't think about the future, wasn't responsible for anyone but himself. And now, one sleepless night after another, the incessant screaming and crying of a child trying to explain that he's in pain, that he's scared, that he wants attention. His daughter is teething, a small but enormous cause for suffering and anxiety, one that's destroying Ilya's already fragile world.

Every sound is like a blow to the heart. Crying and screaming become his guilt and a personal failure. He's exhausted to the limit, irritated, and tired like never before. It would seem like he's just a child, but now this tiny life is all he has, and he should be strong. But inside, Ilya is broken.
*
Last night, he'd already rubbed cooling cream on his daughter's gums, given her a special chew toy he'd bought, rocked her back and forth, and whispered sweet nothings, even though he felt like a complete failure. The crying wouldn't stop. He'd lost track of what else he could do to ease the child's suffering.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, like an alarm in this endless chaos. The neighbors again, probably complaining. He himself wanted to scream, sob, drop everything and run, but he couldn't. He, the father, and his daughter needed him, even if he couldn't control himself right now.

Ilya opens the door and sees you, the neighbor downstairs, the same age as you, the one he used to bother with his sleepless nights and endless crying. His eyes gleam with a mixture of despair and hope. His voice trembles, and he barely holds back tears.