Marina sat on the edge of the couch and counted her breaths so she wouldn’t snap. In the bedroom—a wheeled suitcase; in the hallway—Alexei’s jacket, smelling of someone else’s perfume. Behind the wall, their son was asleep. The apartment was breathing silence, like a hospital ward before an operation. Alexei was carefully folding his … Read more
We’re not going to the restaurant for your birthday. I’ve already canceled everything,” Marina said, neatly folding the wrapping paper into the box. Groceries Her voice was even, almost flat, but there was something tired in it. A birthday should have been a reason to celebrate, but instead of anticipation she felt irritation mixed with … Read more
Olya will cook something, like always…” Viktor’s voice rang out as he answered his relatives, staring at the empty fridge. I didn’t start cooking—I decided to make a record of the food that had been eaten. I opened the fridge and froze for a moment, peering into the emptiness. On the middle shelf stood a … Read more
“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 lay a … Read more
When I got married at thirty, I didn’t have a penny to my name. No, I wasn’t poor—I just had no savings, no inheritance, no financial cushion. My wife, Anna, came from the same kind of family, where every kopek was accounted for. Her only close relative was her father, a quiet, taciturn man in … Read more
Do you have any idea how I feel when I come home and see that everything’s been moved around?” Polina stood in the middle of the living room, looking at her husband. Her voice was tight with tension. “I’m the one paying the mortgage, and yet your mother has somehow decided that she owns part … Read more
“Larisa, just a little more… Come on, dear, you can do it!” She barely moved her legs. Every step was taken with tremendous effort, as if heavy weights were strapped to her feet. “I want to take a shower…” Larisa whispered, feeling her strength finally leaving her. “Gleb, I can’t anymore. Honestly, I can’t!” … Read more
Vera was wiping dust off the windowsill when Maksim walked into the room and handed her a sheet torn from a notepad. “Here, sweetheart—these are my mother’s bank details. Take them to payroll so your salary will go to her.” She froze, rag still in her hand. “What?” “Send your salary to Mom. She’ll … Read more
The phone rang in the middle of dinner. The whole family was at the table—Katya with her husband Denis, his parents, and his younger sister Angela. Family games “Don’t answer,” the father-in-law grunted. “It’s rude to be on the phone at the table.” But it rang again. Katya gave the relatives an apologetic look and … Read more
Anna dried her hands on a towel and stepped back to admire the bouquet of white roses she’d just finished for a loyal client. Outside, a thin October drizzle polished the street to a gray shine; inside, the air was crisp and alive—the complicated perfume of greens and petals she always called “the scent of … Read more