How wonderfully life is arranged! Yulia was born in this town—this very place was where her childhood unfolded.

How wonderfully life is arranged! Yulia was born in this city; it was here that her childhood unfolded. It had been somewhat clouded by her parents’ divorce, and yet the girl had felt happy. Her relationship with her father was good, and her mother, Natalya, did everything for her daughter’s comfort. Yulia remembered that she … Read more

Listen, what if we teach them a lesson and buy the meat just for ourselves? Let them see what it’s like not to get any shashlik!” — his wife said slyly.

Larisa, come on, let’s go visit my relatives for the May holidays, huh?” Kostya pleaded with his wife in a pitiful tone. “No way! They’ll pull the same stunt again and make us buy the meat! They’re such cheapskates!” Larisa snapped. “But Larisa, why just sit at home? The weather’s great!”   “Kostya!” “At least … Read more

Tomorrow they will come to look at your village house. We are selling it,» said her mother-in-law, as if it were her property.

Natasha stroked the wooden wall with her palm, feeling the roughness of the old log. This house had witnessed her first steps, her first tears, her first joys. A sturdy, albeit old, village house with a carved porch and a small, well-kept garden had been her sanctuary since childhood. After the death of her grandmother, … Read more

The friends didn’t understand what Varya saw in Pasha. He was always frowning, never smiled, didn’t like to have fun.

The friends couldn’t understand what Varya saw in Pasha. Always frowning, never smiling, he didn’t like to have fun. «You’re so young, so lively, and you got together with this… old man,» her friends once said with a touch of disgust. «Old man?!» Varya laughed. «Pasha is only three years older than me.»   «But … Read more

— How much longer is this going to go on? — Lisa threw the towel on the table. — I came back from work an hour ago, and I didn’t even have time to change!

The silence descended, but something sinister lurked beneath it. «How much longer is this going to go on?» Liza threw a towel on the table. «I came home an hour ago and haven’t even had time to change!» «What are you starting again?» Andrey stood in the doorway, blocking the way. «Mom just popped by … Read more

Vadim looked at the homeless man and recognized the surgeon who had saved his life ten years ago.

Let’s stop by the church,» suggested Polina. Vadim looked at his wife and smiled. They had been married for nine years, and throughout this time, they had been trying to have a child. They visited doctors and underwent examinations everywhere they could. They did everything they could, took every possible test, but nothing helped. Polina … Read more

The call from the notary’s office caught Varvara off guard. The spoon with her morning porridge froze halfway to her mouth after the very first words about her grandmother’s inheritance.

The call from the notary’s office caught Varvara off guard. The spoon with her morning porridge froze halfway to her mouth as soon as she heard the first words about her grandmother’s inheritance. Alexey, Varvara’s husband, turned away from the stove with a questioning look. «Yes, yes, I understand. In six months, I’ll have to … Read more