The night was unusually dark, and Elena couldn’t sleep. An unexpected creak from behind the door made her freeze. She glanced at the clock—it was three in the morning. Who could come at such an hour? Through the silence, short, precise knocks sounded. Elena held her breath and crept to the door, trying not to reveal her presence. She cautiously looked through the peephole, but saw only darkness. Suddenly, a silhouette appeared from the semi-darkness—standing at the door as if waiting for Elena to notice him.

“Elena, open up. It’s important,” came a muffled, familiar voice. Her heart stopped: it was her younger sister Olga, with whom they hadn’t spoken for several years after a terrible quarrel. The echoes of that quarrel still resonated in her soul. Elena didn’t know what to do. Her mind wrestled with emotions, and fear was replaced by a mix of curiosity and pain. Why had she come now? Why this night?

She hesitated, standing in front of the door, when the voice behind it sounded again, this time almost a whisper: “Lena, forgive me… I have nowhere else to go.”

Those words carried longing and despair, and something stirred inside Elena. She struggled to unlock the door, and there stood Olga, weary and subdued, with dark circles under her eyes. Elena invited her in without asking anything. The silence between them was heavy but eloquent.

They sat in the living room, and Olga, lowering her gaze, began to tell the story that explained her unexpected appearance. It turned out that her life had gone downhill in recent years. Olga had entered into bad relationships, ended up in debt, and when there was no one else to hope for, she realized she was alone. At some point, it became clear to her that there was only one kindred soul left—her sister, with whom she had severed all ties. The path to Elena’s door became her last chance for salvation.

“I didn’t know you had your own troubles, and I guess I was just scared when we argued back then,” Olga said, holding back tears. “I had nowhere to go, and I couldn’t cope alone…”

Elena silently listened, not knowing what to answer. All these years, she had been angry and offended by her sister, thinking that she had betrayed her, but now she saw before her a person sincerely repenting for her past. Elena felt the coldness of her grudges gradually melt.

Suddenly, Olga burst into tears, and Elena, for the first time in many years, felt a desire to protect and comfort her. They sat together all night, talking, discussing their past, and recalling happy moments of their childhood. The resentment disappeared, giving way to understanding and forgiveness.

At dawn, Elena hugged Olga and promised to be there for her, no matter what. This night became for both of them the beginning of a new chapter, free from the past and full of hope.