Irina raised Zhenya strictly. She brought up her son alone, not spoiling him much. Yet the boy had everything no worse than others. The war years were behind them; in the fifties, life began to settle down, as if the country’s wounds were healing… Irina gave birth to her son in 1951. Stanislav, a very … Read more
— Sasha, did you talk to your mother again about moving? — Vera stood by the window, arms crossed over her chest, watching her husband spread papers on the table. Sasha paused for a second but then continued sorting through the documents as if nothing happened. — Nothing special, just asked how she’s managing on … Read more
Roma, what did you do to my dresser?” Vika froze in the bedroom doorway, unable to believe her eyes. The old mahogany dresser, inherited from her great-grandmother, was gone, replaced by some modern minimalist cabinet. “That?!” Roma didn’t even look up from his phone, sprawled out on the bed. “Threw out your junk. Ordered proper … Read more
Natasha ran her palm over the wooden wall, feeling the roughness of the old log. This house remembered her first steps, her first tears, her first joys. A sturdy, though old, village house with a carved porch and a small but well-kept garden had been her refuge since childhood. After her grandmother Anna Mikhailovna’s death, … Read more
“Ugh! What is this disgusting stuff?” Nina Viktorovna demonstratively pushed the bowl of soup away, pursing her lips. Yulia took a deep breath. Another lunch with her mother-in-law was turning into torture. As usual, the mother-in-law had shown up unannounced—she simply rang the doorbell when Yulia was still in her robe and just starting to … Read more
Lyudmila placed a cup of tea in front of her, absentmindedly stirring the cooling liquid with a spoon. Her hand trembled, and the metal quietly tinkled against the porcelain — the only sound in the oppressive silence of the kitchen. Their kitchen. Thirty-five years of life shared between two, and suddenly… just like that? — … Read more
Olga Vasilyevna — a renowned surgeon whose name was well known among colleagues and patients — had just finished a very complex operation. She stepped out of the operating room, staggering — not from anxiety or uncertainty, but from sheer exhaustion. Every muscle ached from fatigue, but her face remained firm and focused, as always. … Read more
— Alice, come up with something interesting for the class reunion! — Jeanne addressed her twin sister. — I already have an idea! — Alice, the redhead, winked slyly. The only difference between the sisters was their hair color — Jeanne preferred deep black to stand out from the crowd. — What’s the idea? — … Read more
Darkness. Thick, dense, infinitely deep. And suddenly—a brightest flash of light, as if someone had sliced through the darkness with a sharp blade. Karina tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids wouldn’t obey—heavy as lead. A pulsating pain throbbed in her head, radiating to her temples in rhythm with her heartbeat. “Looks like she’s … Read more
Elena woke up first, as usual. Maxim was sleeping next to her, arms spread over the blanket. The sun pierced through the thick curtains, illuminating the familiar outlines of the bedroom. Three years ago, she had brought her husband into her home. Now, it sometimes seemed that it was Elena who was living as a … Read more