Lena set the kettle on and leaned against the refrigerator, eyes closed. The December evening had dragged on forever—work meeting ran late, the subway was a stampede, and at home there was nothing waiting for her except an empty fridge and the need to improvise dinner fast. A key turned in the lock. “Len, you … Read more
It all began with that phone call on a Wednesday night. I was at the counter chopping vegetables for stew when Andrey pressed the phone to his chest and, in a guilty voice, said: “Len… it’s Mom. They want to come stay with us for a bit. Aunt Valya and Uncle Sasha too. And Marina—with … Read more
Anna woke to crying. Third time that night. Without fully registering where she was or what time it was, she reached for the crib on instinct. Miron’s warm little body wriggled in her arms as he rooted for the breast, snuffling and hiccuping through tiny sobs. “Shh… shh, sweetheart,” she whispered, shifting higher on the … Read more
“You’re pathetic, Vitya! You wanted to play the nice guy for everyone at my expense? No. I’ve had enough!” Lena came home late—again, just like she had been doing for the past six months. Her meeting with investors had dragged on until eight, then came the traffic, and after that she still had to stop … Read more
“If you’re going to give me ultimatums, then I’m leaving,” she said—Marina was done being submissive. Marina stood at the window, staring down into a drab February courtyard. The snow had already turned black, beaten into dirty slush that the janitors kept scraping off the asphalt with no real success. From the kitchen she could … Read more
When Marina stepped into the director’s office, her heart was hammering as if she were taking her very first exam again. But she wasn’t scared—she was buzzing with anticipation. She knew they hadn’t summoned her for no reason. For the last six months she’d been running on fumes: two major projects delivered ahead of schedule, … Read more
Marina first felt that something was wrong the day she noticed Igor hiding his phone. He did it so smoothly it looked almost automatic—the screen would go dark the instant she walked into the room. Five years earlier, when they’d just married, he left his phone anywhere: on the kitchen table, on the couch, even … Read more
Lera sat on the floor in the small room, moving baby clothes from one box to another. The eighth month of pregnancy was making itself known—her back throbbed, her feet were swollen—but she didn’t want to stop once she’d begun. Tiny bunny-print bodysuits, soft swaddles, rattles—everything was scattered around her, waiting for its time. The … Read more
Olga was driving along the usual streets when a message from her mother-in-law popped up: “Olechka, don’t forget to help this month—the utility bills went up.” It didn’t even annoy her anymore. After five years of marriage, those texts had become background noise. She would just send the money and keep living her life. Dmitry, … Read more
“Just look at how she moves—would you? Light as a feather. It’s actually pleasant to watch. And what do we have here? A crash and a bang like a freight train shunting through the kitchen.” Sergey stood at the window, pulling the lace curtain aside and openly admiring the yard next door. On the perfectly … Read more