With Zakhar, our meeting took place at a book presentation by an author. We started talking then and soon delved into a discussion about literary works. Zakhar left his phone number, and I shared mine. We continued communicating after that. Our interaction didn’t develop too fast, but that pace suited me. A year after we … Read more
Masha finished the remaining coffee and tossed the disposable cup into the trash can. Grabbing her purse, she strode energetically toward the crosswalk. “What a wonderful morning!” she thought, feeling a surge of joy from the first moments of awakening. And for good reason—the day had started exceptionally well: she had woken up earlier than … Read more
He clearly did not expect this meeting; his face stretched into a look of astonishment, and his eyes widened. The woman stared at the guest in amazement, not understanding what he was doing there. The banquet was in full swing—guests were chatting animatedly and frequently raising their glasses in a toast to the birthday woman, … Read more
Her head was spinning; she was on the verge of believing in the existence of magic, but everything turned out to be much more prosaic. Nastya stood by the bookcase, holding a large school album filled with photographs from those years, and she gazed at each picture with tender admiration. For half an hour, the … Read more
It seemed that the whole village knew that the general was coming to live with them permanently. Moreover, there were rumors that he was a local. Vera was the most anxious of all. First of all, she would become his neighbor, and the old owner had given her the keys to his two-story cottage so … Read more
A phone call shattered the morning silence so unexpectedly that Natasha jumped. The screen displayed the name: “Aunt Lyuba.” — “Natashenka!” an excited voice came from the other end of the line. “Can you imagine, we’re coming to your country house!” Her cup of coffee froze mid-air. Aunt Lyuba was the very one who had … Read more
Fate took a dramatic turn for Alexandra when the state-funded organization where she had long worked as an accountant was shut down. The stability in her life disappeared along with her modest but steady paycheck. At 35, she found herself alone with three schoolchildren in her care – her husband had chosen to leave her … Read more
When the elderly woman’s consciousness returned, she found herself in an unfamiliar room resembling a hospital ward. A sharp pain throbbed at her temples, as if struck by something heavy. Her memory refused to reveal where she was or how she ended up there. Squinting her eyes shut, she tried to piece together the chain … Read more
— You only earned money on this wreck! — those words lashed at Zhenya all the way. — What did you expect, Zhenka? A happy life? Well done, you got what you deserved! She threw down her heavy bags and sank onto an old tree stump. Everything had started so well… Or was she merely … Read more
Maria fell in love with her new classmate at first sight. His name was Rustam. Such guys are usually called “majors” — they drive expensive cars, wear branded clothes, and the case on their phone costs more than the average monthly salary. But it was him, not his status, that attracted Maria. She loved everything … Read more