Part One. Five Years and a Bouquet Vlada hopped over patches of light near the building entrance, clutching a bouquet as if it were a life preserver. Five years of Ksenia and Ruslan’s marriage—a milestone too important to be late for. Her phone vibrated for the third time in her pocket. “Yes, I’m almost there, … Read more
Veronika strolled down the boulevard, feeling the small grains of April sand crunching under her sneakers. The poplar trees were still bare, but the air was already soft and alive, making her want to slow her pace and savor it. She purposely skipped the bus—walking these three stops felt like a gift. Half an hour … Read more
Lyoha pulled himself up to the playpen bar all by himself, swaying like a tiny captain on deck. Zhenya dropped down onto the mat nearby and held her hands out just in case, not touching him. He balanced for a whole four seconds before plopping onto his diaper, kicking his feet in pure delight. “Eight … Read more
Alina moved her phone away from her ear and slammed it down onto the café table. Her face was flushed, and her fingers gripped her coffee cup tightly. “Was it your mother-in-law again?” Darya asked, pushing her salad aside. “You look like you just got hit over the head!” “Again. The fifth request this month. … Read more
The key slipped in easily, but turned without catching—someone had already unlocked the door today, maybe even more than once. Yana pushed the door with her shoulder and stepped into the hallway, only to find everything out of place from how she’d left it that morning. The coat rack had slid up against the wall, … Read more
Timur’s workshop smelled like… well, it doesn’t really matter what it smelled like. What mattered was the raccoon sitting in a cage by the window—it had been rescued that morning from a fifth-floor balcony—and was now staring at Veronika as if it knew something she didn’t. Timur was wiping his hands with a towel and … Read more
“Here, Mom sent this,” Misha said, placing a folded notebook sheet on the kitchen table. “She said everything needs to be paid by Friday or Dasha will be in serious trouble.” Anna wiped her damp hands on the kitchen towel, turned off the tap, and slowly faced her husband. Mikhail looked exhausted, his eyes avoiding … Read more
“Your aunt left her apartment behind, and to be fair it should go to your brother. You and Anton already have your mortgage, you’re making it work somehow, but Denis and Lika have nowhere to live,” declared Galina Ivanovna in a confident, no-nonsense tone as she began serving steaming homemade cutlets with pasta onto plates. … Read more
We spent fourteen years married. The apartment had belonged to Oleg long before our wedding, so I never really saw it as mine. I worked as a clothing alterations specialist at a studio—hemming pants, replacing zippers, fitting dresses, and reworking curtains. Oleg was a shift manager at a warehouse and made significantly more money than … Read more
“It’s just unnatural, Polina. Your salary is way too high for a woman who spends all day at home in stretched-out sweatpants.” Tamara Ilinichna took a sip of tea from a delicate porcelain cup and looked at her daughter-in-law with clear disapproval. The mother-in-law sat at the kitchen table with perfect posture, dressed in a … Read more