Nadya stood in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection. Red eyes, trembling lips. Tears again.
“Nad, what’s taking you so long?” Oleg shouted from the kitchen. “Mom’s waiting!”
She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. Yesterday Anna Petrovna had thrown another fit over the borscht. Said the salt was wrong, the sour cream was off, that she couldn’t cook at all. And Oleg stayed silent. As always.
“I’m coming!”
Nadya walked into the kitchen. Her mother-in-law sat at the table, face like stone.
“Good morning, Anna Petrovna.”
“What’s good about it?” she grumbled. “The coffee’s cold. The bread’s stale. Olezhek, son, how can you put up with this?”
Oleg didn’t look up from his phone.
“Mom, come on.”
“Come on? Your wife has let the house go! Look, dust everywhere, the windows are filthy. In my day, women ran a household differently.”
Nadya sat at the table. Her heart pounded. She’d cleaned until midnight yesterday and washed the windows last weekend.
“I did clean everything…”
“Cleaned!” Anna Petrovna snorted. “Waved a rag around and called it clean. Back when Olezhek lived with me, our place shone! Isn’t that right, son?”
Oleg shrugged.
“Mom, don’t start in the morning.”
“I’m not starting! I’m just telling the truth. I bet you didn’t even wash the dishes properly yesterday. And the fridge? Everything in there must be expired.”
Nadya stood up and went to the sink. Her hands were shaking. She picked up the sponge.
“Anna Petrovna, the dishes are clean. Check for yourself.”
“Oh, I will!” The mother-in-law got up and came over. She took a plate, held it up to her eyes. “There! See? A spot! And here too!”
Nadya looked. There were no spots. But arguing was pointless. She’d always find something to pick at.
“I’ll wash them again.”
“Again!” Anna Petrovna protested. “You should’ve done it properly the first time! Olezhek, do you see this disgrace?”
Oleg raised his head.
“Mom, calm down. Nad, just wash them again and that’s it.”
“I always wash them properly…”
“Don’t argue,” her husband cut in. “Mom’s right. Be more careful.”
Nadya fell silent. A lump rose in her throat. It was her fault again. Always her fault.
Anna Petrovna returned to the table.
“Talk to her, would you. She’s gotten completely out of hand. Goes to the store all dolled up. The neighbors are asking where she’s strutting off to like that. I’m ashamed!”
“Mom, that’s enough,” Oleg said wearily.
“It’s not enough! A wife’s job is to keep the home, not to roam the streets! Yesterday she was gone till nine! Where was she swanning around?”
Nadya turned.
“I was working. Shift until eight.”
“Working! With those doctors of yours, I suppose… Olezhek, think about what people are saying!”
“Anna Petrovna, I’m a paramedic. I work on an ambulance. I save people.”
“People!” the mother-in-law snorted. “And you can’t save your own husband! Look how skinny Olezhek’s gotten! You don’t feed him!”
Nadya lowered her eyes. The same thing every day. Every single day. She had no strength left.
Nadya walked out of the apartment. The door slammed. Her legs carried her to the bus stop on their own.
Her phone vibrated. Oleg.
“Hello.”
“Nad, where did you go? Mom’s upset.”
“Oleg, I need to think.”
“Think about what? Come home. We’ll talk calmly.”
“Calmly?” Her voice broke. “Oleg, your mother humiliates me every day! And you say nothing!”
“She’s elderly. That’s just her character. Be patient a little.”
“How long am I supposed to be patient? I’ve put up with it for six years! I can’t anymore!”
“Nad, don’t make things up. Everything’s fine.”
She hung up. Sat on the bench by the stop. People passed by. Ordinary life. And hers? A prison of some kind.
At home, Anna Petrovna was already waiting with new complaints:
“See! She ran off! Like the last of them! Olezhek, did you see?”
“Mom, lay off her.”
“Lay off? She’s the one who should lay off us! She’s destroying our family!”
Nadya went into the bedroom. Lay down on the bed. The ceiling was gray, stained from a leak. Once, she and Oleg had planned to renovate. But then Anna Petrovna got sick and moved in with them. And that was that. Life ended.
Oleg came in an hour later.
“Nad, why are you upset? Mom didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Didn’t mean it? Oleg, she hates me! She’s hated me since day one!”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
“What nonsense? Remember the wedding. She said in front of everyone that I wasn’t suitable for her son.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“A long time ago! And what about yesterday? The day before? It’s the same every day!”
Oleg sat on the edge of the bed.
“Nad, she’s old now. She’s sick. Where is she supposed to live?”
“I don’t mind her living with us! But why does she have to poison me?”
“She’s not poisoning you. You should get used to it.”
“Get used to it?” Nadya sat up. “Oleg, are you even hearing me? I’m exhausted! I’m done!”
“What do you want? Throw my mother out on the street?”
“I want you to defend me! Just once, defend me!”
Oleg was quiet.
“She’s my mother.”
“And what am I? A stranger?”
“You’re my wife. You should understand.”
Nadya stood up. Went to the wardrobe. Took out a bag.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m leaving.”
“Leaving where?”
“I don’t know. But I’m leaving here.”
Oleg jumped up.
“Nad, what are you doing? Are you out of your mind?”
“Out of my mind? Maybe. But I won’t stay here any longer.”
She packed her things into the bag. Her hands trembled, but the decision was made.
“Nad, stop! Let’s talk like human beings!”
“Talk? We’ve been talking for six years! No use!”
Anna Petrovna appeared in the doorway.
“What’s all this racket? Olezhek, what’s going on?”
“Mom, step aside.”
“Why should I step aside? What’s she doing?”
“I’m packing,” Nadya said. “You’ll be free.”
“That’s more like it!” the mother-in-law brightened. “Finally! Olezhek, let her go!”
Oleg looked at his mother. Then at his wife.
“Nad, don’t do anything stupid.”
“Stupid? The stupid thing was living here this long.”
“Mom, leave the room,” Oleg said.
“Why should I leave? This is my house!”
“Mom!”
Anna Petrovna reluctantly left.
“Nad, let’s be sensible. Where will you go? You don’t have money.”
“I’ll find somewhere. I do work.”
“Ambulance pays peanuts.”
“I’ll manage.”
Nadya picked up her bag. Oleg blocked the way.
“Nad, stay. I’ll talk to Mom.”
“You already have. It never helps.”
“I’ll try again.”
“Oleg, it’s too late.”
She went around her husband and into the hall. Anna Petrovna was standing by the door.
“And good riddance! Shouldn’t have been stealing sons from their mothers in the first place!”
Nadya didn’t answer. She opened the front door.
“Nad!” Oleg shouted.
She turned. Her husband stood in the hall, his face bewildered.
“What?”
“Will you call me?”
“I don’t know.”
The door slammed.
An apartment on the outskirts. A studio for twelve thousand. Peeling wallpaper, old furniture. But it was hers. No one yelled, no one nitpicked.
Nadya sat on the sagging sofa, looking out the window. The third week alone. The phone was silent. Oleg had called the first few days, asked her to come back. Then he stopped.
Money ran out quickly. The ambulance salary was a joke. Food, utilities, rent. She counted every kopeck.
She was standing by the dairy section in the store. She wanted cottage cheese, but it was expensive. She took cheaper kefir instead.
“Nadka? Is that you?”
She turned around. Lena from the hospital. They had worked together about five years ago.
“Lena! Hi!”
“Nadya, how are you? I heard you divorced?”
“Yeah. I live alone now.”
“How are things? You don’t look too great…”
Nadya glanced at herself. Old jeans, a faded sweater. Hair tied up carelessly. Yes, not a beauty.
“Everything’s fine.”
“Nadya, don’t lie. I can see it. Where are you working?”
“On the ambulance. I take night shifts.”
“Tough, isn’t it?”
“I’ll get used to it.”
Lena paused.
“Listen, want to join our group? We go to the gym. And sometimes hiking. We pool money and go on weekend trips.”
“Lena, I don’t have money for the gym.”
“Oh, come on! The membership costs pennies. And hiking is really cheap. Plus the people are great.”
Nadya shook her head.
“No, I’m a homebody.”
“You’ll sit at home till you’re old? Nadya, you’re fifty-eight, not eighty! You’ve got to live!”
At home Nadya thought about the conversation. A gym… She hadn’t worked out in ages. In marriage there’d never been time. Anna Petrovna was always demanding something.
A week later she went to the gym after all. Mirrors everywhere. She looked at herself—awful. Her figure had gone soft, her posture was bad. Young girls fluttered nearby, and she looked like a sack.
The trainer came up.
“First time?”
“Yes. I haven’t worked out in a long time.”
“That’s okay. We’ll start simple. What’s your name?”
“Nadezhda.”
“I’m Sveta. Come on, I’ll show you some exercises.”
After a month it got easier. Her muscles ached, but her mood was better. Lena dragged her on a day hike. At first she refused—embarrassed. Everyone was young, and she was an old woman.
“Nadya, stop fixating! We’re going!”
A bus, a forest, a campfire. Friendly, easygoing people. No one asked about her personal life. They sang with a guitar, laughed. Nadya sat to the side, listening.
“Aunt Nadya, why so sad?” a guy of about thirty sat down next to her. “I’m Sergei.”
“Just tired.”
“Tired of what? We’re relaxing!”
“I’m out of practice with people.”
“Then practice! Life’s interesting if you don’t hide from it.”
Gradually she got into it. Every weekend they went somewhere. To Kolomna, to Tula, or just into the woods. They took pictures, ate shashlik, chatted till night.
Home felt easier. The apartment was the same shabby place, but it didn’t press on her anymore. Plans appeared. The next hike, the next workout.
The reflection in the mirror changed. She got toned, stood straighter. She cut and dyed her hair. Bought new jeans and a bright top.
Lena was delighted.
“Nadya, you’ve become a beauty! Unrecognizable!”
“Don’t be silly.”
“Silly? The men on the hikes are all looking at you!”
“Lena, I’m over fifty.”
“So what? Life’s just beginning!”
They noticed at work too. Colleagues were surprised.
“Nadya, what is it—are you in love? You’re glowing!”
“No. I just have a good mood.”
And she really did. For the first time in many years. No one nagged, no one picked at her. She lived how she wanted.
Oleg called sometimes.
“Nad, how are you?”
“Fine.”
“Maybe we could meet? Talk?”
“What is there to talk about, Oleg?”
“Well… Maybe it’s not too late to fix everything?”
“It’s too late.”
“Mom’s gotten older. She’s sick a lot.”
“I’m sorry. But that’s not my problem.”
“Nad, we were together so many years…”
“We were. Not anymore.”
She hung up calmly. Without anger, without resentment. Just stating a fact.
Two years later she got an invitation. Oleg’s niece was getting married. At first she wanted to throw it out. Why did she need those people?
But then she thought—why not? Let them see the new Nadya. They’d be surprised, no doubt.
A restaurant on Tverskaya. Nadya walked in and looked around the hall. Elegant tables, fresh flowers, music. Masha’s wedding, Oleg’s niece.
“Miss, are you with us?” a waitress approached.
“For the Korenev wedding.”
“Please, right this way.”
Nadya walked between the tables. A new dress, blue, fitted. Heels. Her hair styled, makeup neat. She felt confident.
“Nadya?” she heard a voice behind her.
She turned. Aunt Vera, Oleg’s sister.
“Vera, hi!”
“Nadya! I didn’t recognize you! What, did you turn ten years younger?”
“Thank you. How are you?”
“Oh, fine. But you! Gorgeous! Where are you sitting?”
They found a place at one table. People were gathering, familiar faces. Everyone greeted her, were surprised, asked questions.
“Nadya, how’s life?” asked Larisa, Masha’s mother.
“Life’s great. I work, I travel.”
“You travel? Where have you been?”
“Karelia recently. I want to go to Baikal next summer.”
“Alone?”
“With friends. We’ve got a good group.”
“Good for you!” Larisa admired. “We just sit at home.”
In the corner she saw Oleg. He was sitting with a young woman. A new wife, probably. He’d aged, put on weight. The bald spot had grown.
Next to them sat Anna Petrovna. Stooped, completely gray. Looking around, displeased.
“Nadya, Oleg saw you,” Vera whispered. “His eyes popped.”
“Let him look.”
The music started, the newlyweds entered. Everyone stood and applauded. Nadya clapped too, smiling. It was a good, cheerful wedding.
After the first toast, Anna Petrovna walked over to their table.
“Nadezhda? What are you doing here?”
“Hello, Anna Petrovna. I came to congratulate Masha.”
“I see.” The mother-in-law looked her up and down. “All dressed up. Hunting for men, are you?”
“Anna Petrovna, I’m just a guest at a wedding.”
“A guest! Got divorced and now you’re partying. And Olezhek is suffering.”
“Anna Petrovna,” Vera stood up. “Enough already. It’s a celebration.”
“What celebration! She destroyed our family! She abandoned my son!”
“Mom, step away,” Oleg appeared. “Hello, Nadya.”
“Hi, Oleg.”
He looked flustered. The new wife stood beside him, face sour.
“You… look good.”
“Thank you.”
“Maybe we could talk later? In private?”
“About what, Oleg?”
“Well… In general. How you are, how life is.”
“Life is excellent. Sorry, I need to get back to the table.”
Oleg lingered, then left. Anna Petrovna snorted:
“Showing off! I bet she doesn’t have a kopeck to her name!”
“Mom, let’s go,” the new wife took the mother-in-law by the arm. “Don’t spoil your mood.”
“I’m not! I’m telling the truth!”
They led her away. Nadya sat down and had some champagne.
“Nadya, you’re great,” Vera said. “You’re handling this with dignity.”
“How else? Make a scene at a wedding?”
“Many wouldn’t hold up. Anna Petrovna’s become completely unmanageable.”
“That’s not my problem, Vera.”
The evening went merrily. They danced, sang, laughed. Men invited Nadya to dance, and she didn’t refuse. She danced easily, with pleasure.
“Nadezhda Mikhailovna,” the groom’s nephew came up. “May I have this dance?”
“Of course, Dima.”
They swayed to slow music. People looked on approvingly.
“You dance so beautifully,” Dima said. “And you look stunning.”
“Thank you, dear.”
“I thought you were much older. You’re my mom’s age, but you look younger.”
Nadya laughed.
“Flatterer.”
“Honestly! Mom sits at home and ages. But you’re so full of energy!”
After the dance Larisa came up.
“Nadya, everyone’s asking about you. Masha wants to get to know you better.”
“Oh, come on, Larisa. I’m the ex-relative.”
“What ex! We loved you. Only Anna Petrovna was the wild one.”
Toward the end of the evening, Oleg came up again.
“Nadya, give me your phone number.”
“What for, Oleg?”
“To call. To talk properly.”
“About what?”
“Nadya, I realized… Mom really overdid it. Maybe it’s not too late to fix things?”
Nadya looked at him carefully. Tired face, sad eyes. The new wife stood a little way off, watching warily.
“Oleg, it’s too late. You have a new family; I have a new life.”
“But we…”
“Were we happy? Honestly?”
Oleg was silent.
“Maybe now we could make it work.”
“It won’t. And it shouldn’t.”
Nadya picked up her purse, said goodbye to everyone, and left the restaurant light-footed, without looking back.
Outside the air felt free. She called a car, got in, leaned back in the seat. The evening had been a success. She’d shown everyone the new her. Proved that life goes on.
Tomorrow it would be work again, a workout, friends. Weekend plans, a trip next month. No one would nag, criticize, or humiliate her.
At home she brewed tea and sat by the window. The city glowed with lights. Somewhere out there were Oleg, his wife, and Anna Petrovna. Let them live how they want.
And she was free. At fifty-eight she’d started a new life. And this life was hers.