From the very morning everything was going to hell, and I understood that better than anyone. Not because I felt unwell—no. But because overnight my life had cracked like a badly soldered pipe, and now a biting cold was seeping out of that crack. “Are you getting ready?” Lera, my cousin, asked when I paced … Read more
Are you serious right now, Dashenka?” Galina Petrovna’s voice crackled through the line as if she wasn’t holding a phone, but a microphone at a podium. Dasha pinned her cell phone to her ear with her shoulder and kept drying a plate—so she wouldn’t splash her anger all over the kitchen. “And what’s not serious … Read more
Lena stood by the window, watching as the January twilight tinted the snow with bluish shades. Behind her came the sound of running water—Andrey was washing the dishes after dinner. They had just finished pasta with chicken, an ordinary weekday meal, nothing fancy. Those were the dinners Lena loved most: quiet, homely, just the two … Read more
Darya was sitting on the couch in her small one-room apartment reading a book when Igor came home from work. He looked pensive, even a little tense. After hanging up his jacket, he went into the kitchen, poured himself some water, and stood by the window for a long time, staring out at the evening … Read more
Natalya ran her palm over the smooth countertop of the new kitchen set and smiled. Three years earlier, when she had inherited this three-room apartment from her grandmother, it had looked completely different: old Soviet wallpaper, creaky parquet, a tiny kitchen with flaking paint on the walls. Now it had a modern renovation—light walls, comfortable … Read more
— How could you refuse to register my daughter at your address?! — the mother-in-law burst into the apartment” Lena closed the door of the rented apartment and leaned wearily against the doorframe. Another workday was over, and another paycheck had partly gone toward rent. She kicked off her heels and walked into the kitchen, … Read more
Nina was signing the last document at the notary’s office and could hardly believe her happiness. The apartment was hers. Completely hers. A bright three-bedroom place in a good neighborhood. She had saved for it for five years, denying herself everything, and then took out a loan for the remaining amount. “Congratulations on your purchase,” … Read more
Elena left the office and headed for her car. The workday had been intense—three client meetings, a pile of documents, and nonstop calls. She had been working as a lawyer at a large company for five years and was used to that pace. Elena had always been driven; even at university she worked part-time so … Read more
Irina came out of the bathroom, drying her wet hair with a towel. Five years ago, when she married Kirill, she had thought they would build a strong family. Back then she still believed in fairy tales about love that could overcome anything. But reality turned out to be completely different. Irina had bought the … Read more
Right before lunch, her boss, Valery Andreyevich, called her into his office. “There’s a little matter, Varvara Sergeyevna,” he said. “I’d like to ask you to handle a delicate assignment. We need to congratulate a client on behalf of our company—make him a surprise. For certain reasons I can’t do it myself—I’m busy this evening—and … Read more