I can’t live like this anymore, Anya,” Sergey said, throwing his keys onto the table. They skidded through a dusting of flour, sending a white spray across the wood like a startled gust of snow. I froze with the dough clinging to my fingers. From the other room, the children fell silent, as if the […]
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“Ksenia! Where have you disappeared to? The guests have been waiting half an hour for coffee! And cut the cake into larger pieces—Vasily Timofeyevich has a sweet tooth!” Her mother-in-law’s voice, Elena Petrovna’s, ricocheted through the apartment. Ksenia inhaled slowly, swallowing her irritation. A crowd of about ten had taken over the living room—every one […]
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— Mo… The spoon slipped from Svetlana’s hand. The ring of it striking the edge of the cup echoed through the quiet, not-yet-awakened kitchen. “Mom,” Nika repeated, “why did my stepdad say on the phone last night that you aren’t needed anymore?” With a sharp movement, the kissel in the mugs spilled onto the saucers. […]
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Polina was trudging home from work reluctantly. The autumn wind tugged at the hem of her coat, and the leaden clouds seemed to press down on her shoulders. But it wasn’t the weather that weighed on the young woman. An unexpected guest had appeared at their home today. In the afternoon, during an important meeting […]
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Veronika opened the antique mahogany jewelry box and ran her fingers over the velvet lining. The diamonds shimmered in the morning light. Veronika’s heart tightened at the memories. Her grandmother had given her the set a month before she passed away: a ring with a large center stone, elegant earrings, and a pendant on a […]
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At first, Genka thought his mother had simply gained weight. Though in a strange way. Her waist had suddenly rounded out, while the rest of her looked the same as before. It felt awkward to ask—what if his mom took offense? His father kept quiet, gazing at her with tenderness, and Genka pretended he hadn’t […]
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— “Olya, we need to go to Mom’s this weekend. She’s feeling bad again and asked for help,” Sergey’s voice, as he walked into the kitchen, was his usual carefree tone. He tossed his keys into the wicker basket on the shelf; the jingle of metal was as ordinary as the ticking of the wall […]
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— “And what is this nonsense?” My mother-in-law’s voice, Raisa Igorievna’s, landed like a slap, even though it was quiet. She stood on the threshold of my kitchen like an inspector, arms crossed, thin lips pressed tight. I had just pulled a baking sheet out of the oven. The air filled with the aroma of […]
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“Get lost,” he hissed, shoving her out the door. The final push between her shoulder blades was his irritation over losing the argument about where to go on vacation. An argument in which she’d dared to have her own opinion. “And take your stupid toys with you.” The box of pastry tools—her treasure—flew after her […]
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The gate’s creak sliced through the frosty air. Not the usual kind—the one when her husband comes back from the apiary—but a different one: hurried and guilty. Anna set aside her knitting and looked out the window. No one. Only snow, lazily swirling in the lamplight. “Vanya, can you check?” she called deeper into the […]
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