It was late. After putting the children to bed, Liza went to the kitchen. She boiled water in the kettle, poured herself some tea, and sat down at the table. Her husband Roma still hadn’t come home — in recent weeks, he had a lot of work and often had to stay late. His wife … Read more
— “…so tomorrow we’re going to buy the tickets! Can you imagine, Mom? Finally! Direct flights, all the way to the ocean,” Vika’s voice rang with unfeigned happiness. She set a box of pastries from her mother’s favorite confectionery on the table—a small ritual offering meant to soften the news and share the joy. Andrei, … Read more
“Katya, where is my blue tie?” Dmitry shouted from the bedroom. Ekaterina was standing in the kitchen, stirring oatmeal. Seven years of marriage, and every morning felt like Groundhog Day. He rushed off to the office chasing success and money, while she stayed between the stove and the washing machine. “In the closet on … Read more
The doorbell rang so unexpectedly that Anna flinched and almost dropped her cup of coffee. Sunday morning promised to be lazy and quiet—they and Maksim had planned to spend it at home with books and TV shows. No guests, no fuss. Bookshelves “Who could that be?” Max looked up from his laptop, frowning in … Read more
Graduation night was supposed to be a shining bridge between childhood and adult life, but for Alisa it turned out to be just another door slammed in her face. The air in the apartment was thick and stale, smelling of old cabbage and dashed hopes. “Go to the dance? Buy a dress?” Her mother, Vera … Read more
The call came on Saturday morning, while Andrey and I were still in bed, savoring a rare chance to sleep in. My husband reached for the phone reluctantly, and from his voice I immediately understood—it was my mother-in-law. “Yeah, Mom… When? For how long?…” Andrey spoke cautiously, as he always did when talking to his … Read more
Olga was slowly stirring the buckwheat on the stove when the front door slammed so hard the glass in the display cabinets rattled. The September morning had only just begun, but her husband had already dashed off somewhere and come back in a near-frenzy. “Wife, have you lost it? Why doesn’t your card work?! I … Read more
“She’s My Mom.” The chandeliers threw constellations across the marble, a galaxy stitched together by money. Richard Caldwell—real-estate emperor, widower, and man who solved problems with wire transfers—had turned his ballroom into a catwalk. Twelve models flown in from Paris, Milan, New York stood like jeweled chess pieces, gowns whispering when they breathed. It was, … Read more
— Oh, it’s so nice here! So spacious! — Tamara Pavlovna’s voice rolled through the hallway like thunder out of a clear sky. — Not like my little den. Lord, her again. Marina froze with a rag in her hand. The kitchen cabinet already shone, but she kept scrubbing—maybe if she didn’t react, her … Read more
— And what is this? Igor carelessly tossed a pitiful, crumpled scrap of paper onto the kitchen table in front of Sveta. A receipt from a cosmetics store. He held it between two fingers, as if he were disgusted to touch the evidence of a monstrous crime. His voice was calm, even tired, which infuriated … Read more