Maria stood in the middle of the living room, silently surveying her surroundings. Everything looked foreign—even the walls on which she had once lovingly hung photographs. Now they were empty. Only hooks and the traces left by frames remained. In the corner were several boxes, fitting twenty years of her life. And now her husband … Read more
Svetlana realized she wouldn’t be able to carry all her purchases by herself. The market day had been so successful that she hadn’t restrained herself and had bought a huge amount of fruit. The shopping was done—but how to get it all home? She’d have to take a taxi. Pushing through the crowd, she searched … Read more
– Natasha, what are you thinking about? – Sveta nudged her friend with her shoulder. – Are you staring at Igor? Natasha blushed and smiled uncertainly. The answer was obvious, but she had no intention of sharing her feelings. She knew full well that her dreams of happiness with him were nothing but fantasies. They … Read more
Lera, not those blueprints again! My mom already made the decision,” Dmitry waved dismissively without even glancing at the plans laid out on the table. Valeria sighed and let her hands fall to her sides. Yet another attempt to convince her husband had failed. An architect with honors, she sat before the project of their … Read more
— “What is that supposed to be?” Valera pushed his dinner plate away, grimacing as though he’d found something inedible rather than stew. — “Stew,” Kseniya looked up from her own serving, surprised. “The same one I’ve made dozens of times before. Is something wrong?” — “The meat’s tough,” Valera shook his head. “And there … Read more
Vera was sitting on the edge of the bed, sorting through the children’s clothes that she had recently dumped out of the closet. It was time to update her daughter’s wardrobe. She was growing so fast, and most of her clothes were already too small. Time flew like sand slipping through one’s fingers… too quickly … Read more
Olya came to after an excruciating headache. With great effort, she managed to pry her eyes open, and she had no idea where she was or how she had ended up there. Her memories seemed to have been wiped clean. Pitch darkness surrounded her, and nearby, sounds could be heard. These cries cut through her … Read more
Alexey stopped the car. How many times had he planned, intended to come, but never found the time? While his mother was alive, he wasn’t around—and after she was gone, it was no different. The memories filled him with disgust toward himself. All it took was a little shake for him to realize that the … Read more
— Dima, let’s call it quits. Five years of marriage, and I still can’t conceive a child. Why torture each other? I don’t want someone else’s children. Surrogacy is not for us. We wasted our time and money on IVF. — I think the same, Lena, that all of this is useless. Love alone is … Read more
On Saturdays, Ksenia hated having to get up early. She longed to spend a well-deserved rest after an exhausting work week, wrapped in a warm blanket and enjoying some peace. However, the phone vibrated relentlessly on the bedside table, yanking her from the embrace of sweet sleep. — What now? — she mumbled, groping along … Read more