The apron flew into Andrey’s face so fast he didn’t even have time to flinch. The fabric—bright and cheerful with red poppies—smacked his cheek and then slid lazily to the floor. “Lena, have you completely lost it?” he blurted, picking it up and smoothing it out, as if pressing the wrinkles away could undo what … Read more
Marina first spotted it in an appliance store three years earlier. A double-door model in warm ivory, with chrome handles and pull-out freezer drawers at the bottom. It stood in the far corner under gentle showroom lights and looked less like a refrigerator and more like a doorway into a different life—one where a woman … Read more
“Lizzie, where are you? We’re already here!” Liza stopped short in the doorway of her own apartment, keys still in her hand. Her mother-in-law’s voice carried from the kitchen—brisk, loud, and possessive, the way someone sounds when they feel at home. Liza slowly slipped off her shoes and walked down the hallway. At her table … Read more
Her mother-in-law walked into the apartment without calling—like she always did. She’d had a key from day one, back when Denis first brought Natasha to that cramped two-bedroom Khrushchev-era flat. Five years ago, Valentina Petrovna had smiled sweetly and said, “Just in case, kids—what if you need help urgently?” Now the key wasn’t “help.” It … Read more
Irina stood by the window, staring at the gray October clouds. Outside the glass, the first yellow leaves slowly spun down from the poplars in the courtyard. The apartment where she had spent her childhood and youth had now become her only refuge. Three years earlier, her mother had signed it over to her as … Read more
Olga closed the door of the notary’s office and stepped outside. An autumn wind tousled her hair, and yellow leaves rustled beneath her feet. In her hands was a folder of documents—certificates of inheritance rights. Five apartments. Everything her mother had left behind. Family Relationship Counseling Four months had passed since the funeral. Four … Read more
— The apartment is mine. You’re moving out. Sergey was standing in the bedroom doorway. One hand on the doorframe. Not drunk—just certain. Behind him hovered Kristina from his department. About twenty-eight, a short skirt. She was studying the photos of us on the wall, as if deciding what to keep and what to throw … Read more
December turned out to be bitterly cold. The snow lay like a heavy blanket, and every morning Olga stared out the window at the white courtyard, unable to force herself to leave the apartment. Two weeks had passed since the funeral, but time seemed to have stopped. The apartment felt too big and too empty—three … Read more
Part 1 “Valera, you’ve got visitors!” Irina called out when she heard the doorbell ring on Saturday morning. She had just sat down to check her eighth-graders’ tests, spreading the exercise books out on the kitchen table. Sunday was tomorrow, and on Monday she had to submit the academic performance report. Off to the side … Read more
— “Are you trying to give Mom a heart attack on purpose?” Nikolai flared up, tossing the TV remote onto the table like it was a grenade. — “Don’t be dramatic,” Elena replied wearily, not pausing from washing the dishes. “Let her at least stop rummaging through my cupboards first.” — “She wants what’s best … Read more