“Understood,” the doctor said, pressing her lips together. “Alright, we’re taking him. Please give your contact details, as the police will get in touch later.”
Christina, automatically reciting her phone number and passport details, felt her heart pounding. The medics wrapped the baby in a special warm blanket and placed him on a small stretcher. “Boy—” the doctor murmured, “just a little one.”
Christina stepped outside after them, watching the ambulance drive away. Neighbors nearby continued to gasp: “Wow! What kind of mother is that? Terrible!”
She stood there, hands falling limply, even forgetting about the bag with bread and curd snacks she had left somewhere in the entrance hall. Her mind echoed: “Do people really act like that? Abandon a newborn in the entrance hall like trash…”
That very day, Christina couldn’t return to normal. Once home, she placed the shopping bag on the kitchen table but had no strength to cook. She called her friend Oksana:
