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Watching the last departing guests, Yulia sat in the gazebo of the country house waiting for Kirill to return—now no longer a fiancé, but her lawful husband. Their modest but homely cozy wedding, attended only by relatives and closest friends, went exactly as Yulia had planned. With one exception: at the height of the celebration, … Read more

The first phone call from Sveta caught Irina by surprise. Her sister-in-law never called just like that—usually, their communication was limited to holiday greetings and rare meetings at family gatherings. But that June evening, when Irina was washing the dishes after dinner and Andrey was watching the news, the phone rang insistently. “Andryusha, hi,” Sveta’s … Read more

Alexander Mikhailych and Avdotya Pavlovna had already lived most of their lives neither in peace nor in harmony, but somehow they lived together — they never divorced. “Well, what, mother, it’s been 50 years since you married me, huh?” Alexander Mikhailych suddenly remembered the memorable anniversary of their wedding celebration. “Remember? And I thought you’d … Read more

The dinner plate flew into the trash can. The sharp clink of porcelain against plastic made me flinch. “Even the dog won’t eat your cutlets,” my husband laughed, pointing at the dog, who had deliberately turned away from the piece offered to him. Dmitry wiped his hands on the expensive kitchen towel I had bought … Read more

— “What do you mean, they’ll ‘stay here for a while’?” — “Well, since I’m not paying child support right now, my wife told me that for this month I have to take care of the kids myself.” — “Actually, I’m your wife.” — “Well, ex-wife—slip of the tongue. Why do you always nitpick?” — … Read more

  — Tomorrow I’m going to my mom’s dacha. For a week, maybe longer. And who’ll wash and iron your shirts—that’s not my problem.    — What do you mean you’re leaving? I thought you’d be at home. You’d finally do a proper cleaning. — No, I’ve decided I’d rather rest at my mother’s. Sasha … Read more

“Katya, come here, quick! Look at this machine! This isn’t a motorcycle, it’s a dream!” Denis’s voice, full of boyish, genuine excitement, burst into the kitchen, cutting through the steady hum of the extractor fan and the soft clink of dishes. Without turning, Katya finished rinsing a plate and set it in the rack. She … Read more

“Mom, I need to talk to you. It’s important,” Oleg said the moment he stepped into the living room. Alina Ivanovna didn’t look away from the television. “What now? You’re so serious, it’s almost frightening.” “I’ve taken an important step in my life,” he began. “I have a fiancée. Her name is Vika. We’ve already … Read more

When Anna first took her newborn daughter in her arms, the world fell still. The air in the delivery room seemed to grow denser, filled with emotions that defied words. The young mother’s eyes brimmed with tears—not from pain or exhaustion, but from that incredible, almost sacred force that is born the moment you first … Read more

— Irina Petrovna, did you by any chance not notice that no one invited you over?” Marina pressed her lips together, wiping her hands on her apron. “— Oh, come on, Marish! We’re like at home here. We’re your own people. What, were you expecting strangers or something?” Sveta laughed, setting her boots right down … Read more