A rumor pierced the autumn air of Zaozerye like the first cold wind before a storm. It flew over the leaning fences, rang in the empty buckets by the well, and whispered on the benches where old women gossiped. A “medichka” was coming to them. Not another inspector from the district center, not some mythical … Read more
— “Well, that’s it, we’re here,” Tamara Petrovna looked around with distaste at the tiny entryway of the rented apartment where her son Igor had brought his things after the wedding. “Now you’ll be living in this hovel.” Alina, Igor’s wife, gave an awkward smile as she took the heavy bag from her mother-in-law. “Come … Read more
Natalia stood in front of the bedroom mirror, assessing her appearance. The dark-blue dress with an elegant stand-up collar fit her perfectly, accentuating her waist and concealing small imperfections. It hadn’t been cheap—Natalia had spent almost half of her monthly salary as a design engineer on it—but her mother-in-law Raisa Dmitrievna’s jubilee seemed a worthy … Read more
Anna carefully parted the curtain and looked out the window. The familiar white Logan pulled up to the gate, and behind it came two more cars. The girl’s heart clenched in exasperation. Again. “Seryozha,” she called to her husband, who was fixing the kitchen faucet at the time. “Your mother’s here. And she’s not alone.” … Read more
The first sound forced its way through the thickness of a heavy, dead sleep like a rusty nail through rotten wood. Faint, thin, it was barely distinguishable from the creak of floorboards or the wind moaning in the stove pipe. But a mother’s heart—that tireless, eternal watchman—answered it instantly, clenching tight in her chest. Arina … Read more
Elena closed the last drawing of the project and stretched in her chair. Three years ago, this spacious apartment had been only her refuge. Now Oleg lived here. Her husband was flipping through student papers at the dining table. “Working late again?” Oleg asked without looking up from the notebooks. “The project is on fire,” … Read more
That evening, I stayed in the kitchen longer than usual. Sergey was already asleep, but I couldn’t tear myself away from the phone—I was scrolling through the statement of our joint card. Something was wrong here. “Seventy thousand… Another fifty… And here,” I muttered to myself, taking a sip of cold tea. “What does this … Read more
Svetlana stood by the stove, silently stirring the soup. Steam from the pot hit her face, and her eyes stung not only from the onions. She no longer heard exactly what her husband was saying — the usual tone, the usual intonation: irritation, dissatisfaction, reproach. Lately, Vadim seemed to be looking for any excuse to … Read more
Her own son had turned her away… but she was quietly holding onto $1.5 million. That morning was dull and quiet, broken only by the soft thuds of two heavy suitcases rolling over the garden stones. Margaret Walker, 76 years old, said nothing as she stepped away from the house she had called home for … Read more
Vera was washing the dishes after dinner when her husband hugged her from behind. Usually such a gesture was pleasant, but today for some reason it made her uneasy. After seventeen years of marriage, she had learned to sense when Igor was up to something. “Verochka, remember when I talked about the vacation?” His voice … Read more