“Who exactly is we?” Polina asked, her hand still resting on the garment bag that held her wedding dress. Nelli Arkadyevna smiled as though the question were nothing more than a sweet little bride’s confusion, not an attempt to understand who had just decided the fate of Polina’s apartment. “German and I. And Diana, of … Read more
“You do understand, Nyuta, that this is only temporary, right? She feels lonely there all by herself. The walls are closing in on her, and we’ve got plenty of room,” Vladimir said, crouching on the floor as he struggled to tighten the straps around a huge travel bag. His voice was soft, carrying that pleading … Read more
Part 1. An Uninvited Visit The doorbell drilled insistently through the hallway, tearing apart the thick silence of the apartment. Rimma, who had been sitting at a table buried under maps of old Moscow and reference books on nineteenth-century architecture, flinched. She was not expecting anyone. In her world, made up of dates, merchant family … Read more
Part 1. The Extra Person The summer village floated in the heavy, breathless haze of late July. The air did not move, thick with the smell of overripe apples and dry dust. The old house, covered in darkened wooden paneling, seemed to breathe with effort, creaking through its floorboards even when no one was walking … Read more
Part 1. The Velvet Noose Tamara Pavlovna appeared in their apartment an hour later without even ringing the doorbell. She had her own keys — keys Sergey had given her six months ago “just in case.” She was a large, heavyset woman with hair sprayed so stiffly it looked like a gladiator’s helmet. Behind her … Read more
Part 1. The Expropriation of Space “I didn’t come here to live with you. I came to live with my son, so keep quiet,” the mother-in-law announced to her daughter-in-law, dragging her suitcase into the hallway. The wheels of the old, overstuffed bag left a dirty streak across the pale porcelain tiles. Galina Ivanovna, a … Read more
Part 1. An Uninvited Visit The doorbell drilled insistently through the hallway, tearing apart the thick silence of the apartment. Rimma, who had been sitting at a table buried under maps of old Moscow and reference books on nineteenth-century architecture, flinched. She was not expecting anyone. In her world, woven from dates, merchant surnames, and … Read more
Part 1. The Ultimatum in the Kitchen Igor sat at the kitchen table with his elbows spread wide, as if trying to occupy every inch of available space. In front of him was a plate with the remains of dinner, though he was no longer eating. Instead, he lazily dragged his fork across the tablecloth, … Read more
“You’re a broke nobody from the provinces! You arrived here with one suitcase, and you’ll leave with that same suitcase!” Inga Petrovna’s face, usually so polished and arrogant, was now twisted with open rage. Her fingers, tipped with an expensive salon manicure, dug into my wrist so hard that white marks instantly appeared on my … Read more
Marina was setting the plates on the table, counting them out loud. Eight. Exactly eight — not one extra, not one accidental place setting. Each plate belonged to someone she was truly happy to see, someone she wanted beside her that evening. “Dasha, sweetheart, take the napkins to the table, please,” she asked her daughter, … Read more