Tanya was going through documents in the drawer of her desk, trying to tidy up the papers that had been accumulating over the years. Among the old receipts and instructions for long-broken appliances, she found the divorce certificate. December. Four months had already passed. The divorce from Misha felt rather mundane. No shouting, no breaking … Read more
Kira froze in front of the door, as if rooted to the floor. The key in the lock felt as painful as a splinter in her finger. Sounds came from the apartment, telling her only one thing: they were taking over. And that voice… of course, it was her mother-in-law. Who else could it be? … Read more
— Dasha? What are you doing here? — Svetlana was so shocked she could hardly speak. Her thoughts were tangled, and jealousy and resentment bubbled up inside her. Why were they treating her like this? Hadn’t she loved her husband? Was she a bad wife and mother to their son? But what happened next was … Read more
At the cafeteria of Lyceum No. 6, there was always the smell of burnt pea soup and stale bread crusts, as if the air itself absorbed the same scent as the meat patties. The long tables rattled with trays, someone was banging their spoon against a glass, grumbling that the compote was more sour than … Read more
Nearly two years had passed since that cold October day when fate struck Masha a heavy blow. The funeral had been quick, as if life itself was hurrying to hide the pain as fast as it could. But the internal wound remained open, still bleeding. And only now, after many months, did Masha finally dare … Read more
The baby’s almost here,” the midwife whispered, wiping the sweat from Galina’s face. Galina clenched her teeth and gripped her mother’s hand. A sharp pain ripped through her, but she stayed silent—she was afraid of frightening the neighbor’s children. “Viktor should have been back long ago,” she rasped. “He only went out for baby shirts.” … Read more
— Mom, I’m hungry! — Olya tugged at Anna’s shirt hem while she was sorting through the empty bags in the kitchen. Anna stifled a sigh. In the fridge, there was a bag of milk and three yogurts. For three kids. — We’ll figure something out, honey, — she absentmindedly patted her daughter’s head. — … Read more
In January, the frost around Novomikhaylovsk was so intense that the hoarfrost on the wires sparkled in the sun. Seven-year-old Kirill Timofeev would wake up earlier than his mother’s alarm clock on Fridays—only on that day of the week. The rest of the time, everything went as usual: kindergarten, school, work, stores. But for the … Read more
Tatiana Leonidovna was just pouring the tea—regular, with bergamot. Suddenly, her mobile phone rang. She flinched—it was already almost nine in the evening. — Aunt Tanya? It’s Rita! Margarita! Do you remember me? Of course, she remembered. Her niece. Loud, red-haired, with a mole above her lip. The last time they saw each other was … Read more
— Why has your mom already made the menu for the celebration without asking me? — I asked, irritated, almost imprinting the words in the space between us. Oleg looked up from his phone with an expression as though I had interrupted him while reading a state document of vital importance. I knew that look … Read more