On the outskirts of the city, in a quiet and peaceful place, there was a small establishment called “Corner.” This place did not strive for popularity among the fashionable crowd but mainly attracted locals with its homely atmosphere. For the third year, Alina had been working there. On the eve of a new workday, the … Read more
Sonya wearily climbed the stairs, dragging a suitcase behind her. Two weeks of business trips in Novosibirsk had completely worn her out, and now she dreamed of nothing but one thing – collapsing into her bed and sleeping for about twelve hours. The jangling of keys, the turning of a lock – and suddenly her … Read more
The dinner I had spent all evening preparing sat untouched, instantly losing all meaning. I slowly lifted my gaze to Andrei, who sat across from me at the kitchen table. Our cozy kitchen, which I had lovingly arranged over the past three years, suddenly felt like a suffocating, cramped roach nest. «Do you seriously think … Read more
— Do you really think this place is suitable for living with a child?” My gaze drifted over the leaning walls of the house, which seemed to be held up only by a miracle and rusty nails. “— Olga, let’s not be dramatic. I’m leaving you the whole house with its land, even though I … Read more
They talked, laughed, and then began to dance. Later, he said, “I’ll walk her home.” He only returned in the morning. Without a single word of apology. Katya sat in the kitchen, absentmindedly stirring the cooled oatmeal in her bowl with a spoon. Her face was frozen, like a mask. Fifteen years of marriage, two … Read more
Valentina stood in the middle of Yuri’s office, clutching a rag in her hands. The shelves, overloaded with old magazines, smelled of dust and something sour—like forgotten tea left in a cup. Tomorrow Yuri would turn sixty-six, and she had decided: it was time to tidy up his den. “There will be a surprise,” she … Read more
— Kolya, I’m late again! Maybe we should go buy a test? — Ksenia looked at her husband with hope, as he lay on the couch, focused on his phone. Nikolai looked up and frowned. — Ksenia, how many times do we have to go through this? I told you, now is not the best … Read more
Ksyusha, you won’t believe it! Mom’s decided to throw a huge birthday party!” Vitalya burst into the kitchen, waving his phone. “Fifty‑nine years old—quite a landmark!” Ksenia didn’t so much as lift her head from the laptop as she sorted through work documents. “What’s so surprising? She goes all‑out every year,” she said, sipping her … Read more
Snowy, we finally made it!” Marina burst into the new apartment, carrying a huge box with a cake. Snezhana smiled as she took the gift. Five years of dreaming had finally come true: their own two‑room flat in a brand‑new building. It might be on the edge of town, but it was theirs. “Come in, … Read more
I suggest we live together as a threesome,» my husband declared to me. «I’ve always dreamed of this. Tanya, why are you being so stubborn? I’ve thought it all through! Look, Alya will move in here, into your house. You’ll help her until the baby is born, and then the three of us will raise … Read more