I always knew that my in-laws were very cunning and mercenary people who loved freebies, but I never suspected how far they could go. And when we went on a family vacation together to Georgia, their audacity showed itself in full glory. They clearly forgot that every patience has its limit. Including mine! “What a … Read more
— Didn’t understand?! — Misha’s voice cut through the silence of the stairwell, echoing off the concrete walls. — What is going on here?! The key wouldn’t turn. The lock… the lock was different. Completely different. Misha crouched down, staring at the metal lock plate as if it could explain what had happened to his … Read more
“Dima, come have breakfast!” Katya called to her son, setting a plate with golden pancakes on the table, a small bowl of thick jam, and cups of steaming tea. The ten-year-old boy, as usual in a downcast mood, slowly entered the kitchen, sat down on a chair, and looked gloomily at his mother. “Mum, can … Read more
Nika stood by the window, thoughtfully looking out into the yard, holding a cup of tea in her hands, long since cold. Outside the glass, ordinary life was bustling: children were playing on the playground, and their mothers sat on benches, absorbed in their own affairs. Some chatted nonstop, some buried their faces in their … Read more
Anna stood by the gray, peeling doors of the maternity hospital, like a figure carved from stone — motionless, compressed inside by the weight of loneliness. In her arms, she tightly held newborn Svetka, wrapped in a thin blue blanket that seemed too bright for this gloomy night. Blue — the color they had so … Read more
A snow-white veil, pure and fragile like a cloth just taken from an ancient loom, wrapped the earth. The frosty air trembled in the pre-dawn silence, and the sky above — muffled, ink-black, as if smeared with thick shadows of past sins — was slow to release the new day into the light. Along the … Read more
Victoria woke up at half past six—as always, without an alarm or delays. Outside the window, a gray strip of dawn was barely visible, and the house already demanded attention. The coffee maker started as usual, filling the kitchen with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The woman mechanically took out three cups: for herself, … Read more
Darya was coming back from work in a stuffy minibus when her neighbor, Valentina Ivanovna, sat down next to her and began excitedly sharing some news. “Your mother-in-law has a brand-new car!” the woman exclaimed, adjusting the bag on her lap. “A beautiful one, silver. Yesterday I saw your Egor handing her the keys. What … Read more
I was standing by the kitchen window, mechanically stirring the borscht when Andrey came back from his mother’s. I immediately saw from his face—the conversation hadn’t gone the way we hoped. He went to the table, sat down, rested his elbows on the countertop, and rubbed his temples. “Well?” I asked, although I already guessed … Read more
Lena stood by the window of her empty apartment and looked out at the yard where her children used to play. Now Misha was twenty years old, working in St. Petersburg, and Katya was eighteen, studying at university. The apartment seemed huge and uncomfortable without their laughter, without the constant running around, without the pile … Read more