Julia nervously fiddled with her bag strap, standing in the check-in line. There was still a whole day left until her mother-in-law’s anniversary—more precisely, her former mother-in-law—but she had specifically chosen this early flight. She knew that Oleg usually did everything at the last minute, so he would likely be on tomorrow’s morning flight. Three years after their divorce, they had managed to coexist in the same Moscow, never once encountering each other, and now she least of all wanted to break this unspoken agreement.
«Seat 12A,» she scanned her boarding pass. By the window, just as she liked. On the plane, Julia habitually pulled out a book—a new novel she had started reading just yesterday and couldn’t put down. A story about love, betrayal, and forgiveness. She used to avoid such plots, but time heals.
«Julia?»—a familiar voice made her flinch.—»What a meeting…»
She slowly raised her eyes. Oleg stood in the aisle, clutching the handle of his suitcase. Still trim, in his favorite gray jacket. Only now there were flecks of gray at his temples that she hadn’t noticed before.
«You’re always late,» she blurted out instead of a greeting.
«And you always plan everything in advance,» he smirked, pulling a ticket from his pocket.—»Well… 12B.»
Julia felt her cheeks flush. Three hours of flight next to the person she had so diligently avoided all these years. Fate seemed to laugh at their plans.
«I could switch seats with someone…» Oleg began.
«No need,» Julia interrupted. «We are adults, after all.»
Oleg nodded and sat down beside her. The same cologne scent wafted from him, and it unexpectedly stung inside. How many mornings had she woken up smelling that scent…
«How’s work?» he asked after takeoff, when the silence became unbearable.
«Good. I opened my own yoga studio,» she tried to keep her voice even.—»And you? Still there?»
«No, I moved into consulting. Remember, I always dreamed about it?»
Of course, she remembered. Just as she remembered how much they argued about it. She feared change, he craved something new. Now, years later, each had gotten what they wanted. So why did it still ache in her heart?
«Mom will be happy to see you,» Oleg said after a pause. «She still keeps that ceramic vase you gave her for the last anniversary.»
«Nina Vasilyevna was always…» Julia hesitated, searching for the right words,—»very kind to me.»
«Even after the divorce, she said you were the best daughter-in-law one could dream of.»
Julia felt a treacherous pinch in her eyes. She pulled out the book, trying to hide her emotion.
«What are you reading?» Oleg glanced at the cover.
«Time to Forgive,» she replied, and both fell silent, realizing the irony of the title.
They spent the rest of the flight in silence, but it was a different kind of silence—not tense like a stretched string, but almost cozy, like in the good old days. When the plane landed in Saratov, Oleg helped her retrieve her bag from the overhead bin.
«Maybe we should take one taxi?» he suggested. «After all, we’re headed the same way.»
Julia hesitated. Three years ago, they parted ways, sure they would never sit together again. But here they were, and the world hadn’t collapsed.
«Okay,» she nodded. «But I’m watching the road, because you always argue with the navigator.»
Oleg laughed, and something stirred in her soul at that familiar laughter. Maybe sometimes it’s necessary to let go of the past to make the present a little brighter?
Stepping off the plane, she caught herself thinking that for the first time in a long time, she didn’t regret the chance encounter. Ahead was the anniversary, the festive table, and awkward glances from relatives. But now she knew—they would manage. After all, they always had.
The taxi wound through the evening streets of Saratov. Julia, true to her word, monitored the route, occasionally correcting the driver. Oleg sat beside her, only a bag on the middle seat separating them.
«Turn right here,» said Julia, and Oleg involuntarily smiled: she always remembered the way to his parents’ house better than he did.
«Remember how we first came to my mom’s?» he suddenly asked.—»You were so nervous…»
«Of course!» Julia snorted.—»I changed my outfit three times before leaving. I wanted to make a good impression.»
«And ended up spilling borscht on yourself…»
They laughed, and for a moment, it seemed as if time had turned back. But then the taxi stopped at a familiar house, and the moment melted into the evening twilight.
Nina Vasilyevna greeted them at the threshold, throwing up her hands:
«You came together? What a surprise!»
«We just happened to meet on the plane,» Julia hastily explained, sensing the hopeful spark in her former mother-in-law’s eyes.
«Come in, come in! Julia, I prepared your room, the same one…»
Julia froze. «Her» room—bedroom on the second floor, where she and Oleg always stayed when visiting. Where in the mornings, the sun painted patterns on the wallpaper, and from the windowsill, one could see the old apple tree…
«Mom, maybe I should stay in the living room?» Oleg began.
«Don’t even think about it!» Nina Vasilyevna cut him off. «The guests will be there tomorrow. Julia in the bedroom, you in your old room. Everything as usual.»
«Everything as usual»—these words echoed in her head. Nothing was «as usual» anymore, but no one dared argue with Nina Vasilyevna.
The evening passed in a flurry of activity. Julia helped with preparations for the next day, while Oleg sorted through old boxes in the attic—his mother had long asked him to. They carefully avoided being alone, but it was not easy in one house.
At night, Julia couldn’t sleep for a long time. The bed felt too wide, too empty. Through the wall, in the nursery, the floorboards creaked—apparently, Oleg couldn’t sleep either. She remembered those sounds: three steps to the window, four back. He always walked like that when he was intensely thinking about something.
At some point, everything quieted down. Julia turned on her side, looking out the window. The apple tree outside still rustled its leaves, and it seemed that the past three years were just a long dream. But this was reality—they were here, under one roof, the same and yet completely different at the same time.
Morning began with the smell of fresh coffee and Nina Vasilyevna’s voice singing something in the kitchen. Julia went down first, helped set the table. When Oleg appeared, tousled and a bit embarrassed, they simply nodded to each other. They drank coffee together, talked about the weather, the upcoming celebration, about everything and nothing at the same time. And in this ordinariness, there was something painfully familiar.
Nina Vasilyevna’s house filled with guests by five in the evening. Julia helped arrange the snacks, skillfully navigating between the dining room and kitchen, as if those three years hadn’t happened. Oleg greeted the guests, occasionally glancing her way.
«Julia, darling,» Nina Vasilyevna caught her in the corridor, embracing her tightly.—»I’m so glad you came.»
«Happy anniversary,» Julia handed over a bouquet and a small box.—»This is a bracelet, handmade. Remember, you saw one like it in your favorite jewelry store?»
The elderly woman’s eyes moistened:
«You even remember that… Sit with me for a minute.»
They settled in a room that served as a library. Nina Vasilyevna took Julia’s hand:
«You know, I always thought that you and Oleg just rushed into divorce. Both proud, both stubborn…»
«Nina Vasilyevna…»
«No, no, I’m not pressuring. Just… he’s changed, Julia. And so have you. Sometimes it takes time to understand certain things.»
The celebration went on. Toasts were made, music played, someone even danced. Julia found herself constantly looking for Oleg in the crowd of guests. And he seemed to be doing the same.
Later in the night, when most of the guests had left, they found themselves on the old veranda. Oleg handed her a glass of wine:
«Remember how we used to plan our future here?»
Julia nodded. It was here, on this veranda, that they once decided to get married.
«You know, I got cold feet back then,» Oleg suddenly said.—»When you started talking about children, about buying a house… I was scared of the responsibility, started hiding in work.»
«And I couldn’t understand your fear,» Julia quietly replied.—»I pushed, rushed… It seemed to me that if we didn’t act right then, we’d miss something important.»
«We both weren’t ready to hear each other.»
Stars twinkled above the garden, just like many years ago. Somewhere inside the house, soft music played.
«I’ve recently started seeing a psychologist,» Julia confessed.—»You know what she told me? That sometimes we destroy relationships not because we stopped loving, but because we don’t know how to love ourselves.»
Oleg thoughtfully swirled the wine in his glass:
«Sounds about right. I’ve learned a lot over these years too. For example, that a career is great, but coming back to an empty apartment sucks.»
«So you haven’t found anyone?» Julia cautiously asked.
«There were attempts… But it never felt right. What about you?»
«The same.»
They fell silent. White petals fell from the apple trees, swirling in the lamplight.
«You know,» Oleg slowly said,— «maybe we should start over? Not the relationship, no… Just… talking? Without trying to immediately fix or forget everything.»
Julia looked at him. The same uncertainty was in his eyes as in hers.
«Let’s try,» she replied.—»But slowly. Step by step.»
From inside the house came Nina Vasilyevna’s voice, calling them to tea. They exchanged a look and smiled like conspirators. Ahead was a whole night of conversation and, perhaps, the beginning of something new. Or a well-forgotten old—time would tell.
