The silence in the village house was its own kind—thick and ringing, like ice on a winter well. It didn’t soothe; it pressed down. Every clink of her mother’s spoons against the bottom of the enamel bowl, every rustle of her housecoat echoed in Liza’s soul as a quiet yet unmistakable reproach. Her mother never … Read more
While tidying the entryway, Milana heard her mother-in-law’s voice and looked out the window. Her husband was sitting on the front steps, talking to his mother over a video call. She went back to sorting the shoes, deciding not to eavesdrop, but Nina Yevgenyevna was speaking loudly enough that it was impossible not to hear … Read more
“Lilia, what are you doing to the curtains?” her mother-in-law’s voice cut through the living room’s silence. “How can you hang them like that? The pleats come out uneven.” Lilia froze on the stepladder, the heavy drape in her hands. Valentina Petrovna paced below, critically assessing her daughter-in-law’s every move. “It’s just easier for … Read more
Artyom stood by the fresh grave, and the world around him lost all color, turning into a damp, gray watercolor. They had just lowered the coffin with his mother, Sofya Mikhailovna, into the wet earth. He didn’t try to hold back his tears—they flowed of their own accord, hot and salty, leaving damp tracks on … Read more
After getting married for the third time, Serafima Grigoryevna got into the habit of visiting her son and daughter-in-law. Her new husband, Igor, was nine years younger, and she was very proud of that. “If a younger man looked my way, then I must be a beauty,” she would think, glancing at herself in the … Read more
It wasn’t a sound that ripped through the quiet of their bedroom, but an icy wave of his hatred. He stood in the doorway—his figure, usually so confident and upright, now hunched as if under an invisible weight. The face Alisa loved was twisted into a grimace she had never seen in seven years of … Read more
Irina stood by the kitchen window, watching as October leaves swirled in the air before falling onto the wet asphalt. Ten-year-old Katya was fussing with her homework at the table, glancing at her mother now and then in the hope of getting help with math. “Mom, how do I solve this problem?” the girl asked, … Read more
Through the heavy curtains, the last rays of evening light seeped in, spreading across the expensive Persian rug in weary, dull streaks. The air in the living room—usually scented with rare flowers and exquisite perfume—felt heavy today, electrified, charged with the sense that a storm was coming. “Katya again? Valery, do you seriously think I’m … Read more
“Get away from me immediately! I can’t stand my sister and her kids anymore!” “Sveta, get out of my apartment—right now!” I can’t put up with my sister and her brats any longer. In a small town near Vladimir, where the morning shouts of the market mix with the smell of fresh rolls, my life … Read more
— “Olya, we need to go to Mom’s this weekend. She’s feeling bad again and asked for help,” Sergey’s voice, as he walked into the kitchen, was his usual carefree tone. He tossed his keys into the wicker basket on the shelf; the jingle of metal was as ordinary as the ticking of the wall … Read more