Polina scrutinized the new curtains. Light blue, with a small floral pattern—exactly what she wanted for the living room. She carefully adjusted the pleats, stepped back a couple of paces, and smiled. — Sergey, how do you like it? — Polina turned to her husband, who was sitting in an armchair, absorbed in his phone. … Read more
When it seemed like everything was lost, she appeared…” The small hospital room was dimly lit. The faint glow of the nightlight barely illuminated the face of the teenager. She had just turned fifteen, but fate had already given her trials that would have broken even an adult. Katya was left without parents after a … Read more
I love the morning light — it always seemed like a promise to me. I’m making breakfast, humming a song that was playing on the radio yesterday. It’s quiet at home. Boris is still in the shower, and I’m setting the cups — a blue one for him, the one with the chipped handle for … Read more
The sun was barely breaking through the kitchen window when Olga was already bustling around the house. The morning greeted her with the usual silence, only interrupted by the mumbling of the television from her mother-in-law’s room. Olga straightened the tablecloth, brushed off invisible crumbs from the table, and opened the fridge. Eggs, milk, cottage … Read more
Yana stared at the laptop screen, double-checking the numbers in the table. The last payment on the loan had been sent. Three years of monthly payments, strict budgeting, and constant side jobs had come to an end. The house was officially hers—fully paid off, with no encumbrances. Outside, the maple leaves rustled, gently swaying in … Read more
— Are you leaving garbage in the hallway again? — Artem stood in his coat, with a bag in his hand. — I’ve been at work all day, then I went to the store, and now I still have to clean up your mess? — The bin was full, I tied it up and put … Read more
Two years. Exactly two years since he’s no longer with us. Sveta stood by the window, gazing at the gray industrial landscape. The factory pipes released plumes of smoke into the sky, just like they did that day — the day everything collapsed. When the world turned upside down and split into “before” and “after.” … Read more
Vera sat by the window, absentmindedly watching the rare snowflakes lazily fall outside the glass. The room was filled with the scent of flowers—friends and acquaintances had brought armfuls of white roses, as if their sheer number could drown out her inner doubts. But the anxiety inside only grew stronger. “You’re happy, right?” came a … Read more