– “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
Marina sank wearily onto the edge of a chair, absentmindedly rubbing her aching lower back. Outside the window, the October evening was slowly fading, painting the kitchen in warm shades of orange. The day had been particularly exhausting: little Dima woke up with a fever, older daughter Katya was preparing for a geometry test, and … Read more
— Oh, really?! Let him try it! If he so much as lays a finger on me, he’ll be the one sent packing for a couple of years. And you— I’ll throw you out right now so I don’t have to look at that shriveled face of yours. — “How many times have I told … Read more
Ivan met Alena at a volunteer center. However, he wasn’t there to help the disadvantaged, but to look for a girlfriend for a relationship. A friend persuaded him to this odd action. «If a girl volunteers and carries heavy bags of food for elderly strangers on her own, she will do everything and even more … Read more