Strong character is a definite advantage. A person must be the master of his life. Nobody questions these truths. That is why, at forty-two years old, Moscow artist Maya feels like a “supporting woman.” After all, fate has deprived her of a strong character; she does not know where the course of life is taking her. In this sense, she succeeded in being the grandmother of Seraphim Igumentsev. In her post-war youth, she was unable to compete either for love or for a place in the sun. But grandma knew: a ray of happiness can peek out from behind the clouds when you don’t expect it at all. Should Maya hope for this?..Excerpt