— 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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Her husband came home and, right from the doorway—without taking off his shoes or coat—blurted out, “Lena! We need to have a serious talk…” And then, in the same breath, eyes already huge and now opened even wider, without the slightest pause: “I’m in love!” “Well, well,” Lena thought, “so the midlife crisis has paid […]
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Ten-year-old Grisha was hurrying home from school. His mother had warned him sternly not to linger. During the night their cow had calved, and Lyudmila Sergeyevna had spent the whole day with Zorya and the newborn. He was supposed to heat up lunch, wash the dishes, and finish his homework. But the chores weren’t what […]
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