Tamara Petrovna was carefully wiping an old porcelain cup — a gift from her late husband. Every movement, every swipe of the cloth was like a ritual. The house smelled of pies, and that familiar aroma seemed to confirm: everything here was hers, everything rightfully belonged to her. Sixty-seven years of life, forty of them … Read more
Lena loved the morning. She would get up early, make herself a strong coffee, and open her laptop to start working on another article. In those moments, she felt confident, in control of every detail of her life. But with each passing day, that feeling of control slipped away. Artyom had changed a long time … Read more
Konstantin sat stunned, unable to grasp how he’d gotten himself into such a mess that now he couldn’t tell his head from his tail. Although, to be honest, he’d brought it on himself. He knew Rimma was married, but hadn’t given it much thought — he didn’t care. More than that, it was convenient: fewer … Read more
Marina woke up to noise from above — someone was moving furniture too vigorously. A dog started barking again behind the wall, and the March wind began to tap on the window as if on purpose. She lay there for a long time, hoping this day wouldn’t start. The hallway was cool. She threw on … Read more
Olga Petrovna was sitting at a table in a café, waiting for her long-time friend. As usual, her friend was late, and Olga, bored, was observing the other visitors. Her gaze wandered around the room, and she tensed up: her son, Anton, had entered the café, unaware of anyone around him. He was escorting some … Read more
Tatiana woke up at 6:45 — as always, to the alarm. Monday. The kitchen smelled of oatmeal — grandma was already up. Life was going on as usual: ninth grade, lessons, homework, rare meetings with friends. It seemed like everything was as it should be. But in reality, it was a little different. Since childhood, … Read more
In the spacious workshop, there was a bustling, businesslike atmosphere. Margarita bent over a complex pattern, carefully sketching the darts on a new designer dress. Ten years of hard work had turned a tiny room with a single sewing machine into a proper workshop with professional equipment and a team of five skilled seamstresses. The … Read more
Where was your head when you got involved with her?» Irina Andreevna fumed upon learning that her son was about to marry Yulia. «She’s only nineteen, what kind of wife will she be?» «What can I do now?» Nikita, twenty-three, shrugged. «It just happened…» «Just happened…» Irina Andreevna repeated after her son. «All these … Read more
The closer the wedding day came, the gloomier Illya became. Mila couldn’t understand what had happened to him. Maybe he had changed his mind, and like her, began to feel guilty toward his friend? He was tender with her, caring for Vanechka, and everything seemed fine on the surface. But Mila felt that something was … Read more
The Severny market bustled with life every morning, as if driven by an invisible engine: vendors called out to customers, students haggled over the price of tangerines, loaders cursed under their breath while heaving sacks of potatoes. But on that particular April Thursday, the usual buzz had turned edgy, as if the very air had … Read more