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“I’ve planned the whole summer for everyone,” he said. “Mom gets June, Svetka and the kids get July, and Vitya gets August. Clever, right?” Marina did not answer at once. She finished peeling the carrot, placed the knife on the cutting board, and only then straightened up. Besides the two of them, Svetka was sitting … Read more

“Get out of here! I’m sick of you already — always walking around, watching, sniffing things out!” Zoya Ivanovna snapped without even turning around. She stood with her back to Vera, staring out the window as if she were speaking to the street and not to her daughter-in-law. “This is my son’s apartment, by the … Read more

“I’ve already made the decision. Mom is moving in with us next week, and there’s nothing to discuss,” Artem announced, not even bothering to take off his sneakers in the entryway. Victoria was sitting in the living room beside the open window. Outside, the garden buzzed under the July heat: grasshoppers chirped lazily beyond the … Read more

Anton appeared in front of her right by the office doors, as if he had been standing there all day, waiting. Tatiana had only just stepped out onto the porch, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. The evening was warm. She had been thinking about tea with lemon and silence. Instead of … Read more

“Natalya, are you going to peel the potatoes, or are you just going to sit there like some lady of leisure?” Larisa, my sister-in-law, threw the words across the table without even looking at me. I was sitting on a bench under the apple tree. I had only just arrived — two hours by train, … Read more

“We decided with Mom that this would be the right thing to do,” her husband said, completely unaware of the consequences his words were about to bring. “Ksyusha and Vladik need a proper place to start their family. Living in rented corners with a baby is a crime. So they’ll move into your three-room apartment, … Read more

“Have you completely lost your mind? Now we can’t even get into our own house!” the relatives fumed outside the locked door. Inga stood in the hallway, looking through the peephole. One after another, three cars pulled into the yard. First came Vadim’s old silver foreign car, then Svetlana’s dark crossover, and finally the car … Read more

“Your sister has children, so the country house is always open to her. Nobody asked for your opinion here,” Ilya declared, not even trying to lower his voice. Lyudmila froze in the middle of the kitchen, still clutching the car keys in her hand. Outside the window, the hot July air shimmered. The room smelled … Read more

“Well, why are you getting worked up over nothing? I already told you, they’ve bought the tickets. Non-refundable, Sveta. The train arrives tomorrow at eight in the morning. We’ll have to go meet them.” Igor sat at the kitchen table, calmly peeling the skin off a dried fish. Tiny silver scales scattered across the oilcloth … Read more

“Again, there’s no way to get through your hallway! Is it really so hard to put your shoes in the closet instead of throwing them right under everyone’s feet?” The metallic scrape of a key turning in the lock came only a couple of seconds before that indignant complaint. Galina Petrovna pushed the front door … Read more