Valentina signed the last document and leaned back in her chair.
Outside her office window, rows of sewing machines could be seen. Their small women’s clothing factory was operating at full capacity. After major Western brands left Russia, orders had tripled. Domestic stores were literally lining up for their products.
Five years earlier, she and Volodya had started with a single workshop and three sewing machines in her father-in-law’s garage. They had sunk deep into debt, and for the first two years they barely slept, dealing with suppliers and clients. Back then, Valentina did the cutting and sewing herself, while Vladimir hauled bolts of fabric and looked for orders.
“Val, we’ve got a problem,” Vladimir entered the office with a grim expression.
“Another defective batch for Fashion Line?”
“Worse. Mom called. Tomka is pregnant.”
Valentina slowly took off her glasses and looked at her husband.
Tamara had just turned twenty. She worked for them as a senior quality specialist. A responsible, ambitious girl, but… very naive.
“By Anton?”
“Yeah. The wedding is in a month.”
Vladimir paced the office nervously. Valentina was sure he was angry not so much at Anton as at his sister.
After their parents’ divorce, Volodya had become Tamara’s support and protector. He had helped her get into college to study fashion design and then got her a job at the factory.
“And what kind of guy is this Anton? I’ve only seen him a couple of times.”
“He seems normal. Works as a cashier at Pyaterochka, studies programming by correspondence at a technical college. Quiet, polite. But damn, Val…” Vladimir stopped by the window. “Twenty years old! What was she thinking?”
“The same thing all twenty-year-old girls in love think about. Love, passion, clouds… contraception somehow doesn’t fit into the romantic picture.”
“You’re defending her?”
“I understand her. Especially when I remember myself at twenty.”
Vladimir turned to his wife.
“Mom is in tears. Says she doesn’t have money for the wedding and will have to take out a loan. The restaurant, the dress, the rings…”
“How much do they need?”
“Two hundred, maybe three hundred thousand, I guess. They want to make it modest, but decent.”
Valentina got up and walked over to her husband. They could afford it. Over the last year, the factory had been running at such a turnover that sometimes it was hard to believe it was all theirs… created with their own hands.
“We’ll help them, of course. Tomka is a good girl. She deserves a beautiful wedding.”
“You really don’t mind?” Vladimir hugged his wife. “I just… don’t want her wedding to be in some miserable café with plastic chairs. I can’t allow that. She’s my only sister.”
“Volodya, we’re family. And family helps each other.”
Lidiya Illarionovna had always been a special issue in their relationship. On the one hand, she sincerely rejoiced in her son and daughter-in-law’s success. On the other, Valentina felt something double-edged in that joy, as if her mother-in-law still couldn’t quite believe that her dear Volodenka and some simple girl from a working-class family had managed to rise so high.
“Call your mother right now and calm her down. Tell her we’re covering the wedding expenses.”
Vladimir took out his phone and quickly dialed.
“Mom? It’s me… Yes, Valya and I discussed everything. Don’t cry. We’ll pay for the wedding… Yes, all of it. The restaurant, the dress, everything else… Mom, stop sobbing already. Tomka is my sister. Of course we’ll help.”
Valentina listened to the conversation and smiled. It was good when you had the means to help your loved ones. They themselves had gone through a difficult path and knew what it was like… to count every penny.
“Mom says thank you,” Vladimir put away the phone. “She’s crying with happiness.”
“Let her make a list of all the expenses. We’ll transfer the money tomorrow.”
The next day, Lidiya Illarionovna arrived at the factory with an entire folder of documents. Valentina was just receiving a shipment of Italian silk.
“Valechka, dear!” her mother-in-law kissed her on both cheeks. “You can’t imagine how grateful I am to you! I didn’t sleep all night, making plans.”
“Come into the office, Lidiya Illarionovna.”
Her mother-in-law settled into the visitor’s chair and began laying out papers.
“Look what restaurant I found! It’s called Golden Lion, in the city center. A banquet for thirty people will cost one hundred and eighty thousand. Expensive, of course, but just look at the interior! Tomochka will be like a princess!”
Valentina studied the price list. The restaurant was not cheap, but it was a respectable place.
“And here is the dress Tomka chose,” Lidiya Illarionovna took out a wedding salon catalog. “Seventy-five thousand, but it’s so beautiful! With a train, with lace… and matching shoes… eighteen thousand.”
“Hm, and this is called saving money?” Vladimir entered the office. “We talked about two hundred thousand, and here it’s already up to three hundred.”
“Volodenka, but this is your only sister’s wedding!” her eyes filled with tears. “Are we really going to economize on such an important event?”
Valentina silently added up the amounts. Restaurant, dress, hall decorations, musicians, photographer… it came to about a million rubles.
“All right,” said the daughter-in-law. “Let it be a beautiful wedding. But that’s really all!”
“Well… there are also the rings, of course. And a suit for Anton. Oh, and the car! There absolutely has to be a car with ribbons!” her mother-in-law pulled a notebook from her purse. “Now let’s move on to gifts. I’ve been thinking what to give them. A tea set, a bedding set, a frying pan set… modest, of course, but from the heart.”
“Very nice,” Valentina nodded.
“And what are you going to give them?” her mother-in-law suddenly asked.
Vladimir exchanged a confused glance with his wife.
“What do you mean what? We’re paying for the wedding…”
“Volodenka, dear,” Lidiya Illarionovna shook her head. “The wedding is one thing, and a gift for the newlyweds is quite another. How can it be otherwise? All the guests will come with gifts, and the older brother and his wife will arrive empty-handed?”
“But Mom…”
“No ‘buts’! What will people say? ‘Wealthy relatives, and they gave the young couple nothing.’ Why, that would be a disgrace!”
Valentina felt the familiar irritation. She could not stand her mother-in-law’s classic excuse: “what will people say.”
“All right,” the daughter-in-law said dryly. “We’ll think about the gift.”
“Wonderful!” Lidiya Illarionovna beamed. “Just, my dears, don’t forget… a young family, a baby on the way, they need so many things! And besides…” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “everyone knows your business is going well. People are watching, comparing…”
The secretary poked her head into the office.
“Valentina Sergeyevna, you’re wanted on the phone. A major client from Novosibirsk.”
“Excuse me, Lidiya Illarionovna, it’s an important call.”
The conversation with the client dragged on for twenty minutes; they had to discuss the terms for delivering a new batch of blouses. When Valentina returned, her mother-in-law was finishing her tea and quietly speaking with Vladimir about something.
“What were you talking about?”
“Mom was telling me how nervous Tomka is,” her husband answered wearily. “And how Anton is worried because he can’t properly provide for the family.”
“Poor boy,” Lidiya Illarionovna sighed theatrically. “He tries, of course, but where is a supermarket cashier supposed to get money?”
Valentina glanced at the clock. The workday was in full swing.
“All right, we understand everything. We’ll decide on the gift in the next few days.”
“Just don’t delay,” her mother-in-law asked. “There’s less than a month until the wedding, and a good gift needs to be ordered in advance.”
After she left, the spouses were silent for a while.
“What do you think?” Vladimir finally asked.
“I think your mother is right about one thing… without a gift, we really will look odd.”
“So what will we give?”
Valentina thought for a moment.
“I think five hundred thousand. Let them decide for themselves what to spend it on.”
“I agree. A worthy start for a young family.”
Three days later, Lidiya Illarionovna turned up at the factory again. This time without warning.
“Lidiya Illarionovna, did something happen?” Valentina met her in the lobby.
“Valechka, I need to talk to you. To you and Volodya. It’s very important!”
It was obvious from her face that the conversation would be serious. The daughter-in-law led the woman into the office and called her husband.
“I thought all night,” Lidiya Illarionovna began as soon as Vladimir closed the door behind him. “About your gift. And I realized you mustn’t give them money.”
“Why not?” Vladimir was surprised.
“Because they’re young. Foolish. You’ll give them half a million, and in a month they’ll waste it on nonsense. New phones, fashionable clothes… and what good will that do?”
Valentina immediately sensed a catch in her mother-in-law’s words, but silently waited for her to continue.
“They need a serious gift. Something that will help them in life.”
“For example?” the daughter-in-law asked cautiously.
Lidiya Illarionovna took printouts from real estate websites out of her purse.
“Look! A one-room apartment in a new building. Only thirty-two square meters, but their own! No mortgage needed, low utility bills.”
Vladimir took the sheet and looked at the price.
“Mom, four million!”
“So what?” her mother-in-law spoke in the tone one might use for buying a loaf of bread. “For you that’s no money! You have a factory, good income…”
“Mom, it’s an apartment! A whole apartment!”
“Exactly!” Lidiya Illarionovna brightened, pleased that her son understood her. “An apartment! A roof over the head of a young family with a child!”
Valentina silently leafed through the printouts. All the listings were in the same district: not the most prestigious, but not the outskirts either. Quite respectable new buildings.
“Lidiya Illarionovna, but we already chose a gift. Five hundred thousand.”
“Valechka, dear, is that really serious?” her mother-in-law leaned forward, looking straight into her daughter-in-law’s eyes. “Just think for yourself… what is half a million to a young family? A month or two of living expenses, and that’s it! But an apartment… that’s for life!”
“Mom, do you realize how much money that is?” Vladimir still could not believe what he was hearing.
“I do. So what? Isn’t Tomochka worth it? Doesn’t your only sister deserve help?”
She looked at her son with hurt in her eyes.
“Volodenka, you have everything. A factory, a car, a three-room apartment in the center. And what does Tomka have? She works for you like a dog, lives with me in an old two-room flat…”
“Mom, what does that have to do with anything? She earns well. Let her rent a place.”
“Spend money on a rental?” Lidiya Illarionovna was horrified. “That’s money thrown to the wind! But here, one move… and they have their own apartment. The young couple is happy, and the baby grows up in normal conditions!”
Valentina gave a displeased smirk.
“You make everything sound so simple! And what does Tamara herself say about this?”
“Tomochka? She’s shy! She would never ask for anything. But I can see how she dreams of having a place of her own. Especially now, with the baby coming…”
“Lidiya Illarionovna,” Valentina turned toward her mother-in-law, “but that is a lot of money.”
“I understand, but Tomochka is Volodya’s only sister!”
“Mom, stop pressuring us,” the man asked irritably.
“I am not pressuring you!” Lidiya Illarionovna cried indignantly. “I’m simply saying it as it is!”
Vladimir sighed heavily.
“Mom, this is too serious a decision.”
“Of course, sonny. I understand. But you should understand me too!”
The man said nothing and helplessly shook his head.
That evening the spouses discussed the situation over dinner for a long time. Vladimir was doing calculations on a napkin.
“It comes to more than a million total,” he said. “Wedding, gift…”
“That’s a lot,” Valentina agreed. “But we can afford it.”
“The question isn’t whether we can afford it. The question is where the line of what’s acceptable lies.”
His wife nodded. That was exactly what worried her. First, two hundred thousand for the wedding had turned into eight hundred. Then the gift appeared. Now her mother-in-law was demanding a four-million-ruble apartment.
“I think five hundred thousand is more than a worthy gift!” the woman said firmly. “Plus paying for the whole wedding. Isn’t that enough?”
“I think so too. Tamara is a smart girl; she’ll know how to use the money properly. I’m sure of it.”
“Then that’s what we’ll tell your mother. It’s settled.”
The next day her mother-in-law rushed to the factory with new printouts. This time she had found a cheaper apartment… for three and a half million.
“Look what luck!” she exclaimed happily as she entered the office. “The owners are in a hurry to sell and agreed to knock off five hundred thousand!”
“Lidiya Illarionovna, that doesn’t matter, because Vova and I are not going to buy any apartment. Our gift is five hundred thousand.”
The happy smile instantly slipped from her face.
“What do you mean… five hundred thousand?”
“Exactly that. We believe it is an excellent gift for a young family.”
“But we talked about an apartment!” her voice sharpened.
“We talked, discussed it, and made a different choice.”
Vladimir walked into the office.
“What’s going on? Why are you arguing? You can hear your voices even in the corridor.”
“Five hundred thousand!” his mother turned to him. “Five hundred thousand! That’s mockery! The height of stinginess!”
“Mom, what does stinginess have to do with it?” the man asked in surprise. “We’re spending more than a million on the wedding.”
“Volodenka, how can you not understand!” Lidiya Illarionovna threw up her hands. “An apartment is forever! Money… they spend it and it’s gone!”
“Money can be spent very wisely,” the daughter-in-law replied calmly.
“They’ll waste it on nonsense! How can you not see that? And they’ll go on living in a rented apartment!”
“That’s their choice and their responsibility,” Valentina snapped.
“What responsibility?!” Lidiya Illarionovna’s face turned red. “They’re twenty years old! They’re still children!”
“Old enough children if they’re getting married. Besides, the bride is pregnant.”
“Volodya! Do you hear how your wife speaks about your sister?”
Vladimir was uncomfortable, but he supported his wife.
“Mom, Valya is right. Five hundred thousand is a very good gift.”
“A good gift?!” Lidiya Illarionovna laughed hysterically. “My neighbor Petrova gave her daughter a car for her wedding! For one and a half million! And you… rich brother… won’t even buy a one-room apartment! Ugh!”
“We’re not unwilling, we just think it’s wrong,” Vladimir said firmly.
“Wrong?! Helping your own sister is wrong?! You’ve become completely spoiled!”
“Mom, don’t shout!”
“I will shout!” she screeched even louder. “Greedy people! Selfish! You have a factory, expensive cars, and you don’t want to support your own sister!”
“We are supporting her!” Vladimir finally exploded.
“Five hundred thousand? Is that really a worthy wedding gift for a sister?! We expect at least a one-room apartment from you!”
The man’s patience snapped.
“You know what, Mom,” he hissed quietly, “if our gift doesn’t suit you, then there won’t be anything at all.”
“Volodya…” Lidiya Illarionovna looked stunned.
“Nothing! No wedding payment, no gift! Handle it yourselves!”
“Sonny, what are you saying…”
“I’m saying exactly what I think! No one helped Valya and me! We built everything ourselves! We worked like mad, risked our last money! And now we’re supposed to provide for all our relatives?”
Lidiya Illarionovna turned pale.
“Volodenka, that’s not what I meant…”
“That’s exactly what you meant! But we don’t owe anyone anything!”
“But Tomochka…”
“Tomochka is an adult! Let her deal with her own problems!”
His mother began to cry.
“I don’t recognize you, son… what has she done to you…” Lidiya Illarionovna looked at Valentina with hatred.
“What does my wife have to do with it?” Vladimir laughed. “She worked herself to the bone beside me day and night so we could achieve something! And all you do is hold out your hands!”
Lidiya Illarionovna grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
“Then don’t come to the wedding at all! We don’t need relatives like that!”
The door slammed. The spouses were left alone.
A week passed after the scandal with her mother-in-law. Vladimir kept glancing at his phone, expecting a call from Tamara.
But no call ever came from his sister. And on Monday morning she came to the factory with a resignation letter.
Valentina was just checking the quality of a new batch of blouses when the secretary announced:
“Valentina Sergeyevna, Tamara is here to see you. She says it’s urgent.”
The relative entered the office and handed over a sheet of paper.
“My resignation letter.”
“Sit down,” the woman pointed to a chair. “Let’s talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. Mom said… after everything that happened… it’s awkward for me to work here.”
“Really? And what do you think about it?”
Tamara raised her red, tearful eyes.
“I think you’re right. Five hundred thousand is a lot of money. Almost my yearly salary.”
“Then why are you resigning?”
“Because Mom cries every day. She says Volodya betrayed her, that you turned him against the family…”
Valentina sighed. A classic story… the mother-in-law had turned the daughter-in-law into the main culprit of all their troubles.
“And you believe her?”
“I don’t know what to believe. It feels like the whole family fell apart because of me.”
Vladimir entered the office.
“Tomka! Finally…” he broke off when he saw the resignation letter on the desk. “What’s this?”
“I’m resigning,” she admitted quietly.
“Since when?”
“Mom says…”
“And what do you say?” he cut her off sharply. “Are you an adult or Mom’s puppet?”
Tamara burst into tears.
“Vova, I didn’t want any quarrel… I’m grateful for everything you wanted to do… But Mom said that if you come to the wedding, she won’t show up.”
“So you choose Mom.”
“I choose peace in the family!”
Vladimir fell silent. Valentina noticed how tense he was.
“Do as you think is right,” he finally said. “I accept the resignation.”
“Volodya…”
“That’s all. Conversation over!”
Until Saturday, Vladimir was a bundle of nerves. He would pick up the phone, then put it down. Valentina did not pressure her husband, understanding that this was the hardest decision of his life.
On Friday evening her husband declared:
“We’re not going to the wedding. If Mom gave us an ultimatum, then so be it. But I’m not going to buy my relatives’ love.”
A month passed. Then another. They learned about Tamara’s wedding from mutual acquaintances: the celebration had been modest, around thirty people, in a small café. Lidiya Illarionovna had taken out a loan and managed on her own.
Three months later, Tamara appeared at the factory.
“Can we talk?” she asked Valentina.
“Of course.”
“I wanted to apologize. And ask… would you take me back?”
Valentina looked at her sister-in-law attentively.
“Did your mother allow it?”
“Mom… Mom doesn’t interfere anymore. She realized she was wrong.”
“Did she realize it, or are they simply short on money?”
Tamara blushed.
“Both. Valya, I really understood that you wanted what was best. Five hundred thousand plus the wedding… that would have been a great start.”
“Would have been,” Valentina agreed. “But now that train has left.”
“I know. I’m not asking for money. Only for work. I’ll work until maternity leave, then I’ll come back earlier…”
The woman was silent for a moment.
“All right. Come back. You’re a good employee. No one can take that away from you.”
That evening Vladimir hugged his wife tightly.
“Thank you for not letting me break back then. For supporting me and being there.”
“Hm, what interesting statements you’re making! Isn’t that what a wife is for?” Valentina smiled slyly.
Outside the window, the city lights glowed. Somewhere in a small rented apartment, the young couple sat counting their money until payday. An elderly woman was calculating whether her pension would be enough to cover the loan.
And here, in the cozy apartment, there was peace. Hard-won, deeply suffered for, but honest.