Marina lowered her head, fully aware of the futility of her visit. Even if her mother-in-law had left something for her grandson, her ex-husband would inevitably take it for himself. Now he had another woman who occupied all his thoughts and time. Anton had not only forgotten about the existence of his son, but he … Read more
— “Mom, I’m not alone!” — Oleg declared as soon as he stepped over the threshold. An elderly woman in a housecoat entered the corridor. First, she saw her son, and then behind him, a girl holding a cake in her hand. — “Wow, we have guests,” she said in surprise, and looked more closely … Read more
— Look, I still have this dress, — Olya said, placing it on top of the other clothes that her daughter no longer wore. The first one to be born was Sveta, now five years old. Just a year later, Nadya was born to her sister Vika, and a couple of months later, her sister-in-law … Read more
The midday sun burned relentlessly, heating the road surface and sending invisible waves of hot air over the earth. I was heading home after a tiring shift at work, looking forward to the coolness of the house and the reunion with my shepherd dogs — Thunder and Hurricane. The sound of gravel rustling under the … Read more
Mother raised Tatyana within strict boundaries. Even in her senior school years, she wasn’t allowed to stay out late. “Where there are late walks, trouble isn’t far behind,” she often repeated. Tanya was indignant. Her friends’ parents allowed them to meet up with friends in the evenings, while she was forced to stay home. Nevertheless, … Read more
— Denis… — Vika looked at her husband in bewilderment and extended some kind of stick to him. — What is this? — Denis twirled the object in his hands, then examined it closely, noticing two stripes, and looked up at Vika. — Is this what I think it is? She nodded. — I’m pregnant, … Read more
Pavel and Olga had long dreamed of having their own house, even though they already owned a modest but comfortable one-room apartment in a multi-family building. Construction began five years ago with the spontaneous purchase of a suburban plot. “Come on, dear,” the husband said to Olga, “we need to invest our money somewhere so … Read more
You shouldn’t have come along with me to your parents’ place!” Ira said discontentedly when she and her husband entered the apartment. “No, you should have! It’s just that you…” “And why are you always pointing your finger at me? Am I supposed to be the only one at fault for everything?” she asked Danila, … Read more
— Arina is complaining about her husband again. He earns so little, and your sister is really struggling. I didn’t sleep all night; I was so upset after she arrived,” Mom said as she began to sob into the phone once more. “— Mom, I understand, but no one dragged her into this marriage on … Read more
Alina stood frozen in the window opening, watching the solitary dampness slowly creeping along the glass surface. The snowy white dress—which just yesterday had embodied the very incarnation of dreams—now lay in a shapeless heap in the corner of the room. Only three days ago, her existence had seemed clear and predictable. Now everything was … Read more