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Nina never liked that blazer. It hung at the very back of the wardrobe—a bulky, polished monster that took up a third of the room and smelled of mothballs mixed with old paper. Vitya called the blazer his “concert one,” even though the last time they’d been to the conservatory was in 1989. Now the […]

Victoria held the key in her hand—small, metal, yet heavy with an entire lifetime. As if it wasn’t a key at all, but a medal for surviving a strange discipline called “five years without joy.” The cold, prickly metal burned her fingers, and not because of the February frost—because of what it meant: every morning […]

“What are these slippers doing in our entryway?” Antonina froze on the threshold without taking off her shoes and stared at the shabby blue house slippers—blue like paint left out on a shed two summers ago. Not hers. And definitely not Sergey’s. “Mom stopped by,” her husband’s voice drifted in from the kitchen. Even. Smooth […]

A July evening in the two-room apartment on Stroiteley Street was especially stifling. Irina sat in an armchair by the window, turning over in her mind the events of the past few weeks. A thirty-five-year-old elementary school teacher, she had always been observant and good at noticing details that slipped past others. Those traits helped […]

Do you even realize how I feel when I come home and see that everything’s been rearranged?” Polina stood in the middle of the living room, looking at her husband. Tension rang in her voice. “I’m the one paying the mortgage, and for some reason your mother has decided that she has a share in […]

“Mom says they’ll be here for lunch. Don’t forget we’ve got cutlets in the freezer, you froze them yourself,” Sergey said lazily, pulling a shirt out of the wardrobe. Ksenia stood at the sink, a sponge in one hand and a piece of soggy baguette in the other. The bread, like her, clearly had no […]

“What if I just get up and leave?” Marina’s voice sounded calm, but strangely out of place against the clinking of the spoon against the plate. Vladimir lifted his eyes from his soup and frowned. “Where are you going this time?” he muttered. “You’ve got a shift the day after tomorrow. Or is this your […]

“Sign here and the apartment will be transferred to Antonina Pavlovna,” the notary said, pushing the papers toward her. But Marina’s hand froze in mid-air when she saw the triumphant smile on her mother-in-law’s face. The notary’s office was stuffy despite the air conditioner humming in the corner. Marina Sergeyevna sat at a massive oak […]

So here’s what I was thinking… Let’s give the apartment to Irka. And we’ll crash at your mother’s place for a while,” Vitaliy said without looking up from his phone, poking at his cutlet with a fork. Olga froze with her cup of tea halfway to her lips. Outside, the rain was drumming against the […]

Your mother registered her new husband in my apartment? I’m evicting both of them through the courts,” I flung the documents onto the table and stared at my husband. Sergey turned pale. He slowly raised his head from his phone, and I noticed his hands trembling. “Lena, calm down. It’s temporary… just for a couple […]