Wu Lina reached the entrance of her parent's house and opened the small iron gate. It was a small house surrounded by concrete five feet wall all around. The gate opened into a narrow pathway that lead into the main house. On both sides of the pathway there were tiny gardens that were very nicely maintained by her mother. The gardens were lined with yellow blooms, which were fighting for the space in the flowerbeds and had rebelled to dance over the green grass.

Wu Lina smiled at her mother's efforts to maintain the lawns. She remembered helping her out planting saplings when she was younger. She had returned home, on the same streets, to the same people. Yet everything had moved on in her absence. She was foolish to think that things remained the same. Life went on in its natural flow.

As she neared the main door, she heard voices from inside. Her heart skipped a beat. Was father inside? What would he do if he saw her out of blue? She turned around for an instant biting her lips. Her nervous gaze fell upon the blond man who was standing out near the black car. He was staring at her intensely. She felt uncomfortable and looked away. Gathering courage she turned back and walked towards the house.

The voices inside had settled down. She realized that her mother was talking to someone while she was also crying. Was it the right time to come? She wondered if showing up would create another havoc in her mother's life. She decided not to go inside and stopped her hand midair before knocking the door. Once again she turned back when all of a sudden she heard the manly voice. It wasn't that of her father. The man inside spoke in broken English. But why was mother crying?

Wu Lina knocked on the door, first softly, and then when no one opened it, she knocked loudly.

After a few minutes the door opened slowly, and her mother's warm, loving face was revealed. Both mother and daughter looked at each other with shocked expressions. Wenqian expressions were a mixture of fear, love, anxiety and daze. Her warm round face was a little strained now. In a split second her face was illuminated by the sunlight as she opened the door further. She appeared elated. Wenqian couldn't hold herself and threw herself in the arms of Wu Lina. Wu Lina embraced her in a tight hug, suddenly wondering why she hadn't returned earlier.

"Wu Lina, my child! How are you?" she kissed her on the forehead and the cheeks.

Wu Lina was overwhelmed with emotions. She started crying. "Mother…" she hugged her mother tightly and stood rooted to the ground. She missed her so much. She missed that warm embrace, that feeling of having a parent. She wanted to speak but her voice faltered into unintelligible croaks. She wanted to tell how she loved her and she couldn't utter a sensible word. Did her mother know how she longed for her? She wanted to tell her about all the troubles she had faced in her life after she left them. She wanted to tell about Yang Xinyu. But she curled herself in the warmth of her body. Wenqian held Wu Lina's hands and dragged her inside.

She made her sit on the sofa and wiped her tears. Her mother became angry but there was no anger in her. All she had was love. "You didn't come to meet me even for a day," she complained. She tucked one of Wu Lina's lose strands behind her ear and said, "You look like such a kid, still growing in your adult body."

Wu Lina nodded and blinked through her tears. "Mother, I am good. How are you doing?" While saying so she sensed the presence of a man behind her, a tall, well built slightly old man who was staring at her like hawk. He was so handsome that she kept looking at him for a long time before words could enter her brain. She was dazed. It was a moment of emotions that had swirled inside of every person present in that room. Noticing him closely, Wu Lina froze. This was the man in the photo that Ying Yue had showed. Her biological father!

She broke her gaze from him and looked at her mother, a chill going down her spine. Her mind had gone numb. She brought her hands to her mouth and tightly closed it. She couldn't even say that she knew who the man was. What was he doing here? Has he come to take her mother?

"Wu Lina, this is Vladimir Yankov," said her mother bringing her back to reality.

She was dying of curiosity to meet this man and must have thought hundred time how to ask her mother about him, and there he was – standing behind her body and soul.

Vladimir circled around the sofa and came in front of her. He knelt in front of her at a distance. He wanted to touch his flesh and blood. He was like a starved man in a desert who had seen the oasis. His happiness showed in his eyes that were now flowing with tears. He stretched his hand towards her hoping that she would hold it, without realizing that they hadn't been even introduced. He wasn't alone in this world. He had an heir. His was on the moon. Even though Wenqian was his no more, he had Wu Lina.

Wu Lina eyebrows furrowed. She looked at her mom who was smiling with nervousness. "Wu Lina, I am sorry for all this. I didn't know that I would be facing so many situations, so much happiness, in one day. I don't know how to even say this. Please forgive me Lina if I have ever put you in a difficult situation."

Wu Lina nodded and said, "Mother, please never blame yourself ever for anything. I missed you so much these four years that the word 'forgive' has lost it's meaning. Please tell me whatever you want to say." Wu Line encouraged her to speak the truth.

Wenqian looked at Vladimir and said, "Wu Lina, this man here is your biological father. When I was eighteen, I had gone to Bulgaria where I met him."