Twenty years ago, Elena knew everything there was to know about Viktor Petrovich—at least, everything a good secretary should. He liked his coffee without milk, always with two teaspoons of sugar. The cup had to be placed to the right of the phone, because on the left he’d inevitably knock it over with his elbow. … Read more
That evening, for the first time, I didn’t argue with Pavel. While he explained to me who supports whom in our household, there was a dinner in front of him that he hadn’t paid for, next to an electricity bill I had taken care of, and in the hallway, his work jacket was drying—washed using … Read more
When Natalia saw her husband’s morning message—”Mom has already gathered everyone, they’re leaving for the dock in an hour”—she realized Sergei hadn’t canceled the boat trip after all. The day before, he’d promised to talk to his mother and explain why it wasn’t okay to invite her relatives onto someone else’s boat, while excluding the … Read more
“Nika, someone ate the sausage in the fridge and left a note that says ‘It wasn’t me,’” Gleb stood in the kitchen doorway in just one sock, holding the note between two fingers like a piece of evidence. “That’s a kid’s handwriting,” I squinted. “Leaning to the left, and there’s a mistake in ‘wasn’t’. I … Read more
The neighbors from the third floor argued for a long time about what exactly thundered down the stairs on Saturday at half past ten in the morning. Grandma Zina insisted it was a sack of potatoes. Her grandson swore it was a washing machine. Only two people knew the truth. One of them was sitting … Read more
“Over here will be the sauna, the gazebo goes over there, and right here I’ll set up a grill the size of a locomotive!” Gleb spread his arms wide, as if he was embracing the whole lot at once. “And where are you putting the mother-in-law?” his friend Stas laughed as he opened the … Read more
A few days before the meeting, my mother-in-law called me with a question that made me think I must have misheard her at first. She wanted to know if I was planning to throw out the old workbench from the shed at the dacha this spring. “Sergey Mikhailovich will keep it for himself,” Raisa Petrovna … Read more
When Andrey saw a notification about a charge on the fuel card, he first thought it must have been a software error. The car was parked at home, his wife was at work, and he hadn’t gone anywhere. A few minutes later, he discovered the car had been fueled up in a completely different region. … Read more
That evening, for the first time in our six years of marriage, Andrey asked if I had paid the apartment bills. He was standing by the kitchen table with his phone, waiting for my answer. Next to him was a piece of paper he had written himself two weeks earlier: “Everyone is responsible for their … Read more
— Just do me one favor: if anyone asks where we met, say it was through mutual friends. No need to mention the laundromat. Nina stood in front of the mirror in the fitting room, pulling up the zipper on a deep burgundy dress. Arkady Somov had promised her thirty thousand for one evening as … Read more