About Kristina’s Kind Heart Everyone in the neighborhood knew about Kristina’s kind heart. The grandmothers on the benches would either admire her, saying, «You can’t find such people these days,» or shake their heads, saying, «This simple girl will perish—she won’t survive in our cruel world.» Her coworkers cleverly took advantage of her helpfulness, knowing … Read more
– “Sergey, please pop into the store on your way. I forgot to buy bread. We don’t eat it ourselves, but we probably need some for the guests.” – “Alright,” her husband replied cheerfully, and Asya smiled. – “Yes, and also get some milk. In case someone needs it for tea. No, better get some … Read more
Svetlana cautiously closed the door to the room. She felt an overwhelming pity for her husband. Lately, he had been so exhausted that he would fall asleep on his feet. And even now—as he rushed home from work, quickly swallowed a bowl of “navy-style” pasta, and collapsed onto the sofa—he managed only to say: — … Read more
– “Mom, forgive me, but how do you and Dad plan to dispose of the inheritance?” asked Irina, as she once again visited her parents. – “What inheritance?” her mother replied in surprise. – “Well… our apartment. After all, you’re well over seventy. It would be best to settle this matter in advance.” – “Are … Read more
Olga was tidying up the kitchen as usual. The day began calmly, but she knew that her mother-in-law, Lyudmila Petrovna’s visit was only a matter of time. Lyudmila Petrovna always appeared unexpectedly, disrupting plans, but Olga had long since learned to adapt. In the first few months after the wedding, the mother-in-law’s interference seemed harmless. … Read more
Buy a house outside the city? Olga, are you out of your mind? Why would you want this headache? You already have a nice apartment, and with Lesha, you have everything you need,» Anna Pavlovna pressed her lips together, eyeing her daughter-in-law over her glasses. Olga slowly took a sip of tea, trying to … Read more
Mom, are you home?” — Andrey’s voice sounded oddly muffled over the phone. “Yes, sweetheart. Has something happened?” — Elena sensed trouble at once. “May I come over?” “Of course, you don’t even have to ask. You’re scaring me.” “I’ll be there soon.” Pavel poked his head into the bedroom, where Elena stood motionless before … Read more
Sofia’s handbag almost slipped from her hands. «Mikhail, this is impossible,» she breathed out. The man laughed loudly and hugged her tightly. «As you can see, it’s possible. Anything can happen in life.» «Where did you come from? You left without a trace. I heard everything was going great for you, and you weren’t planning … Read more
In the train car traveling from Novy Urengoy to Moscow, the air was heavy, saturated with the smells of fried food and unventilated space. Valeriy, a man of average height with a square jaw and tired eyes covered with a murky film of sleepless nights, absently wiped the foggy window with his palm. Three months … Read more
Alexei stepped into a small grocery shop to buy some coffee and a snack for tea. The day had gone off the rails from the very morning: his alarm hadn’t gone off at the appointed time, his phone battery had died, and a nasty autumn drizzle pattered outside. He felt that nothing was going according … Read more