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“Lyosha, come in,” the man commanded, pushing his ex-wife away from the door. The woman was shocked! Not only did Arkady show up uninvited, but he also brought his stepson! “You’ll stay here a few days. Aunt Oksana is, of course, a difficult woman, but we don’t have many options. Don’t worry, she’ll feed you, … Read more

Lena stood by the window of her two-room apartment, looking out at the familiar yard where an old linden tree grew. Her mother used to say that when Lena was little, they would gather yellow leaves together under that tree. Now her mother was gone, but the apartment remained — the only thing that connected … Read more

“Stepanych, if I pull through one more shift without days off — I’ll marry the first woman who’ll just feed me borscht,” Igor Viktorovich Mednikov said wearily, closing his eyes and leaning back on the worn seat of the old Gazelle van. His voice was hoarse, as if fragments of fatigue were rolling in his … Read more

— Lada, did you take the white shirt? And the sweater? It’s not warm outside anymore — autumn is ending, winter is near. And don’t forget to pack some socks, — Maria Sergeevna said with care, rummaging through the things as if she were packing her son not just for a trip, but for a … Read more

“Alexey, can you hear me or not?” Maria Ivanovna clicked the phone as if it were not a smartphone but a cockroach on the wall. “Tomorrow. I said — tomorrow. Not the day after, not whenever your fancy ‘deadlines’ are. My potatoes are sprouting. If you don’t come, then forget it — you’re no longer … Read more

Alina stood in the middle of her brand-new two-room apartment with gray walls and windows overlooking an equally gray new building opposite. The apartment still smelled of concrete dust, but she already loved it. Here would be a kitchen with a blue set, a living room with a large sofa, and a bedroom — finally … Read more

Sometimes relatives think they can just walk all over you simply because you’re related by blood. That’s exactly what my sister Veronika decided — since I was lucky enough to get a summer house (which, by the way, I worked my butt off for five years without any vacations to afford!), now this summer house … Read more

“Syoma, are you sitting down?” Lida began, stepping over the kitchen threshold and pulling off her scarf. Having just returned from the notary’s office, she was still in a slight daze — her face showing a mixture of surprise and childlike joy, as if she had found an unexpected gift where she least expected one. … Read more

“Marina Ivanovna, how can you say such things? Smelov and I have our wedding tomorrow!” Renata was shocked to hear the accusations from her mother-in-law, who suddenly showed up at her workplace. Colleagues froze in confusion, watching the scene unfold before them. It felt as if a play was being acted out right in the … Read more

Valeria closed her eyes and slowly inhaled, trying to calm the storm inside her. In her chest, it felt as if a conflicting sea was boiling: pity for her family, resentment toward her mother, heavy disappointment in her own future, and bitter fatigue from constant decisions she had made not for herself. With every breath, … Read more