“The realtor will come on Saturday at eleven, so make sure you tidy up and get the house papers ready,” Igor said matter-of-factly, not even looking up from his smartphone. Polina froze, dish still wet in her hands. The water kept noisily running over the stack of plates until, almost automatically, she turned it off. … Read more
Nastya took off her boots at the door and stood there in her favorite woolen sweater, gray and full of little pills but so beloved. The air smelled of fresh renovations, furniture dust, and just a hint of paint. The apartment—even if it was just another panel house—was her pride and joy. When her parents … Read more
When Lena decided to marry Denis, her friend said she must have lost her mind. “Divorced with three kids? What are you thinking? He’s only asking you to marry him so he can get free help! You’ll end up cooking for all of them, doing laundry, cleaning up… Why do you want this?” That was … Read more
Zhenya, don’t worry, everything will be fine,” Mikhail tried again to comfort his fiancée. But Zhenya, her cheeks flushed either from the cold or from all the worries, put her hands on her hips and shook her head. No, Misha, nothing will be fine. It won’t. Not with your mother involved. What did you tell … Read more
“Open your banking app right now, I need to see the exact number!” Irina Semyonovna commanded. She sat sideways, closer to the fridge, deliberately sticking her arm out to block me from opening the door. It was a scorching Thursday evening in July. I had just come home from work, after a brutal subway ride … Read more
My mother-in-law was yelling so loudly into the phone that I could hear the membrane rattling even with the phone at arm’s length. Artyom stood barefoot in the middle of the living room, wearing a wrinkled T-shirt, staring not at me—but at the wall. I was sitting on the floor by the disassembled vacuum cleaner, … Read more
“Give me your bank card, I’ll just take what I need myself,” declared my mother-in-law as she carefully wiped her mouth—with my own linen napkin. “You’re always busy anyway, and I have to get ready for the anniversary. Restaurant, menu, outfits. I’m an elderly woman, it’s too late for me to learn these bank transfers … Read more
“Come on, it wouldn’t cost you anything! The apartment is just sitting there empty anyway—well, except for the tenant, but she’s just a renter. And this is family! My nephew really needs to get his start in the city, find a real job. He could stay for six months or so, just to get oriented. … Read more
Gleb called that same evening. Nelly stared at the screen, where his name showed as “Gleb,” realizing she still hadn’t changed the contact note. For eight years, it had said “Glebushka,” but at some point, she’d deleted the affectionate diminutive. She couldn’t remember exactly when—probably when he first didn’t come home for the night and … Read more
Irina was standing by the stove, stirring borscht, when she heard the key turn in the lock earlier than usual. Viktor walked in, dropped his bag on the floor, and mumbled without looking at her: “Ira, we need to talk.” She froze, the spoon trembling in her hand. Nearly thirty years of marriage had taught … Read more