— I’m not going to eat this slop,” Darina pushed away the plate of mashed potatoes with thick meat gravy. “Rostislav, we had an agreement. I’m on a strict regimen, I’m calibrating my receptors.” My son gave me a guilty look, then looked at his wife. He reminded me of an old rope being tugged … Read more
“Mom is moving in tomorrow,” Kirill said, eagerly putting a piece of roasted chicken into his mouth. He said it as casually as if reporting tomorrow’s weather forecast. There was not a hint of doubt or question in his voice, only the statement of a fact wrapped in the smug complacency of someone who had … Read more
Mom, wait! I asked you not to touch my documents!” — Marina burst into the study, but it was already too late. Galina Petrovna was standing by the open safe, holding a folder, her face frozen in shock. In her trembling fingers, she gripped a notarized document — the will of Marina’s late grandmother, which … Read more
“Mom, wait! I told you not to touch my documents!” Marina burst into the office, but it was already too late. Galina Petrovna stood by the open safe with a folder in her hands, her face frozen in shock. Clutched in her trembling fingers was a document sealed by a notary—the will of Marina’s late … Read more
— I’ve decided—I’m going to my mom’s on Saturday. Probably for about three months. The words fell on the table between the plate of fried potatoes and the salad. They fell lightly, mundanely, like breadcrumbs. Artyom said them without breaking from his food, carefully spearing a browned piece of chicken on his fork. To him, … Read more
The first phone call from Sveta caught Irina off guard. 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 dishes after dinner and Andrey was watching the news, the phone rang insistently. “Hey Andryusha,” … Read more
Once again, Rudolf came home from work and literally did not recognize his wife: he hadn’t seen anything like this since he was a child. Svetka, his neighbor in the village where little Rudik used to visit in summer, had bees. And one bee had stung Svetka on her lower lip, causing it to swell … Read more
“He’s with Liza now. And I’ll tell you a secret: she suits Vitya very well. Beautiful, well-groomed, and ambitious. And you… well, you understand—just a schoolmarm, in a word. You’re not what my son needs. So it’s time for you to pack your things and move out of the apartment. That’s what’s right,” the mother-in-law … Read more
The July heat was melting the asphalt in the courtyard of the nine-story building. From the seventh floor balcony, clothes were flying down — lace lingerie, jeans, dresses. They drifted like autumn leaves, settling on the scorching asphalt in a patchwork carpet. “There won’t be a wedding!” Igor’s voice carried across the entire courtyard. “I … Read more
Oleg slammed the fridge door so hard that the shelves inside rattled. One of the magnets fell to the floor with a dull clunk. Lena stood across from him, pale, her fists clenched. “Feel better now?” she exhaled, lifting her chin. “You’re driving me insane,” Oleg’s voice cracked, though he tried to speak more quietly. … Read more