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 […]
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Outside the windows of the houses, warm lights of garlands were glowing, Christmas trees were reflected in the glass, and sounds of New Year’s melodies could be heard. And beyond these walls—there reigned a white silence. Snow fell in thick flakes, as if someone invisible was endlessly sprinkling it from the sky. The silence was […]
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An elderly man entered a small barbershop that proudly called itself a beauty salon. He was dressed simply, without any extravagance, and looked somewhat distant — not because of neglect or poverty, but rather as if his eyes held an inner world full of contemplation. A friendly but cautious smile played across his face. The […]
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I didn’t really want to get married a second time. The first experience—five years of emotional rollercoaster—ended in the usual way: mutual boiling irritation. We broke up but remained friends. We even texted occasionally—about work, the weather, and former mutual acquaintances. With Anton, everything was different from the start. No butterflies, no fireworks, no sweet […]
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Don’t you dare close the door in my face, ungrateful one! Haven’t I earned at least a little respect?” “Dear mother-in-law, spare me the list of your great deeds. Leonid and I have been together for two years, and your help has so far been limited to endless demands and complaints.” The daughter-in-law stood in […]
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In the hospital corridor, as usual, work was bustling. Orderlies hurried to wash the floors, nurses bustled back and forth performing assigned procedures, and doctors importantly moved from room to room, talking among themselves and holding stacks of papers. Only Anya, a young blond cleaning lady, moved at a different pace — softer, more attentive, […]
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Zhanna didn’t utter a word when saying goodbye to her husband. The doctors said he was leaving — slowly but inexorably. She left the hospital overwhelmed with grief, still feeling the warmth of his fingers in her hands. While she was near Denis, Zhanna remained strong. She tried not to show fear, not to reveal […]
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— You’ve over-salted it again,” Nadezhda Petrovna demonstratively pushed the bowl of borscht aside. “At my age, food like this was simply considered sabotage.” Valeria clenched a napkin under the table. That borscht had taken three hours to make. “Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time,” Valeria replied quietly. “Apologies won’t make this slop edible,” […]
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Anastasia received an apartment as a gift from her parents for her twenty-fifth birthday. It was small, but her own, in a good neighborhood with decent neighbors. Her parents gave up nearly all their savings to buy their daughter a home. It was truly a gift from fate. At first, Anastasia could hardly believe that […]
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Maria wearily sank into the kitchen chair. The coffee had long since gone cold, but she didn’t even touch the cup — she was lost again in thoughts about yesterday’s conversation with her mother-in-law. “You have no idea how tired I am of all those hints!” Maria sighed, looking at her husband. “Your mother starts […]
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