The phone burst into a ringtone at five in the morning. Ira jerked awake, nearly falling off the bed, and automatically reached for the bedside table. Through the pre-dawn haze in her head, one thought broke through: “Don’t wake Misha.” Her husband was asleep, turned toward the wall, his steady breathing undisturbed—neither war nor flood … Read more
“Ir, how much longer?” Kirill’s deliberately calm voice, though tinged with barely concealed nervous trembling, cut through the cozy evening silence. Irina, sitting in a deep armchair under the floor lamp, didn’t immediately lift her eyes from the stack of bills and advertising brochures she had just taken out of the mailbox and was sorting … Read more
The blood froze in my veins when I heard the click of the lock on our front door. It was her again — without warning, without a call, like a ghost from the past materializing in my new life. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried to set boundaries — Galina … Read more
— I thought we had discussed everything, Nikita! — Kristina crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the kitchen table. — Your daughter visits, but she does not live with us! — She’ll just stay for a couple of days! — Nikita didn’t look her in the eyes, instead burying his face in his … Read more
Misha, pour me some more tea,” I asked without taking my eyes off the laptop. Numbers were flashing on the screen — the daily revenue of my store. A good figure. Very good. Five years ago, I couldn’t have even dreamed of such money. “Anya, you’re working late again,” Misha said, placing a steaming cup … Read more
She entered the hall filled with the hum of voices, the clinking of dishes, and the shuffling of waiters between tables. Everything around was buzzing—as if the restaurant were a living creature, pulsing in time with the clock. And she—a quiet shadow amid the chaos. She wore a simple dress without any fancy patterns, her … Read more
Why are you so gloomy?” Ira looked into Sergey’s eyes. “Nothing.” He answered curtly. “Come on, I can see you’re not yourself! Sergey, what happened?” Irina asked insistently. “I got fired.” Sergey grabbed his head with his hands and leaned his elbows on the tabletop. Sergey had long been afraid of getting fired, and his … Read more
One autumn day, an emergency call came into the ambulance station: “A five-year-old child, high fever, loss of consciousness, possible cardiac arrest.” The team was dispatched to a neighborhood of expensive mansions — not the typical place for ambulance work. Usually, such families prefer private doctors or their own clinics. Doctors Olga and Igor arrived … Read more
Svetlana woke up before the alarm clock — as always. The room was filled with a soft twilight: that very ghostly light that appears before dawn, when night is no longer the ruler, but day has not yet taken its rights. Outside, there was deep silence, so dense it seemed as if time had frozen. … Read more
A morning mist slowly spread over the village, hiding the tops of the birch trees as if someone had gently covered them with an airy veil. Dew sparkled on the grass like scattered diamonds, and the air was cool, moist, and filled with the scents of autumn. A light breeze barely stirred the yellowing leaves, … Read more