Margarita was slowly turning the pages of an old photo album when a sharp ring at the door cut through the quiet. She set the album down on the coffee table and went to answer, puzzled about who could be calling at such an hour. On the threshold stood a young woman in a bright … Read more
The evening looked exactly the way November usually paints it: dark, glued together by drizzle, the windows of the apartment blocks fogged over as if every resident were hiding something of their own. Olga’s apartment smelled of cooled borscht and blood-pressure pills—the familiar scent of family dinners after fifty. A cup of tea sat on … Read more
“We need your card,” my husband announced while I, with my heart in my throat, stared at the endless string of zeros on the ATM screen. The hum of the old machine spitting out stacks of crisp banknotes sounded deafening in the silence of the half-empty branch. I felt like either a lucky robber or … Read more
Larisa, hi! I’ve got news—and not just any news, great news!” Yegor’s voice, booming and smug, burst into the cozy silence of the kitchen like a draft into a heated room. He tossed his briefcase onto a chair—it landed with a dull thud—and strode in after it, looking like a triumphant conqueror. Larisa lifted her … Read more
“Hi! I was just thinking what to cook… Maybe pasta with mushrooms, the way you like it?” Sasha walked into the kitchen, shrugging his jacket off onto a chair as he went, and froze. Lena didn’t turn around. She was sitting at the table with her hands on her knees, staring at one spot in … Read more
Your mother just announced that I’m supposed to hand over the keys to OUR apartment!” Marina burst into the bedroom, where Pavel was calmly scrolling on his phone while lying on the bed. He looked up and shrugged, as if it were something completely ordinary. “So what’s the big deal? Mom wants to have a … Read more
— I need two hundred thousand. Urgently. I’ve already told the girls we’re going to the best spa club in the city. On Saturday. Angela fluttered into the kitchen like a bright tropical bird that had accidentally flown into a gray city apartment. The air instantly filled with the thick, sweet scent of her new … Read more
— I’m going to hit you, Andrey! — Olga said, slamming her palm on the table so hard that the spoon jumped out of the mug and clicked sharply against the laptop lid. — Do you even understand what you’ve done? He sat there with his eyes downcast—like a little boy caught doing something stupid. … Read more
Lena, why aren’t you picking up? We’re already on the Novorizhskoye Highway! One hour left—put the kettle on!” Irina’s voice—my sister-in-law’s—was so shrill I had to turn the volume down so the speaker wouldn’t rattle. I glanced at my phone screen. December 30th, 2:15 p.m. Outside the window, wet Moscow snow was drifting lazily down, … Read more
— Alyon, I’ve been thinking… about Archie.” Yegor said it while standing in the middle of the living room. He didn’t sit down. He had just come in, taken off his jacket, and was now fidgeting with his car keys as if they were prayer beads that could calm him down. Alyona was sitting on … Read more