“Your ex pays child support—so spend that, and I have to help my mother,” Igor said calmly, without looking up from his phone. Anna stopped mid-sentence and absentmindedly ran the cloth over the table, though it already gleamed with cleanliness. A pot of pasta was cooling on the stove; a cup of half-finished tea sat … Read more
“I said we’re not going!” Marina exhaled, looking at her husband, who stood in the doorway with a guilty expression. Pavel shifted from foot to foot, not daring to step into the bedroom. Behind him loomed a figure—his mother, Lidiya Petrovna—who was clearly eavesdropping on their conversation. “Marin, don’t be childish,” he began in his … Read more
When Pasha was not yet five, the ground fell out from under him. His mother was gone. He stood pressed into the corner of the room, stunned, trying to understand the hush that smothered the house. Who were all these strangers? Why did they whisper, avoid his eyes, keep their hands folded like they were … Read more
My name is Tamara Alexeyevna. I am seventy-four. Once, my days were full—there was a husband I adored, work that felt like calling rather than duty, a house that held warmth even in winter, and three children whose laughter braided itself into the walls. Then, ten years ago, my husband’s heart failed him. After his … Read more
Keys clattered against the expensive hallway console with a sound like a gunshot. The noise sliced through the heavy, ringing silence that had settled over our home for the past half hour. I stood with my arms wrapped around my shoulders and looked at Igor. My husband. The man with whom I had shared twenty … Read more
“Marina, open up already—we’re freezing!” came a familiar, imperious voice from behind the door. Marina froze with the keys in her hand. With her new hairstyle, spring-lilac manicure, and boutique shopping bags, she felt like a queen. There were still two hours before her romantic dinner with Igor—time to change into her new dress, light … Read more
Midnight had finished its dark ball outside the Khrushchyovka windows when Veronika, practically dragging her feet, slid the key into the lock. It felt as if even the metal resisted, unwilling to let this exhausted shadow of a woman back in. Not “without hands and feet”—that would be too gentle. She felt like a broken … Read more
— I know you think this is a gift, but how could you? — Elena held the white envelope between two fingers, as if it might burn her hand. — On our wedding anniversary, Nikolai! Our fifteenth anniversary! Nikolai stood by the window, looking out at the yard flooded with July sun. His broad shoulders … Read more
Alyona had just kicked off her work shoes when the sharp ring of the intercom sliced through the evening quiet of the apartment. The voice on the handset sounded cheerful and carefree: “We’re almost there! Open up!” Tatyana. Her sister-in-law. The one who never thought it necessary to warn about her visits in advance. Alyona … Read more
— “Mommy, where’s my bunny?” Katya tugged on Marina’s sleeve. They were standing in the entryway at her mother-in-law’s place, where they’d stopped literally for a minute—to pick up the toy. From the living room came the rich aroma of meat fried with garlic; glasses clinked, men’s laughter sounded. Marina took a step toward the … Read more