Artyom stood by the fresh grave, and the world around him lost all color, turning into a damp, gray watercolor. They had just lowered the coffin with his mother, Sofya Mikhailovna, into the wet earth. He didn’t try to hold back his tears—they flowed of their own accord, hot and salty, leaving damp tracks on […]
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A light autumn breeze chased yellow leaves across the pavement as people, wrapped in their coats, hurried about their business. Vlada stood apart from the flow, her gaze fixed on an old gypsy woman perched on a folding stool by the metro entrance. The woman seemed part of the cityscape, like a stray dog or […]
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Lilya, what are you doing to those curtains?” her mother-in-law’s voice sliced through the living room’s silence. “How can you hang them like that? The pleats are coming out uneven.” Lilia froze on the stepladder, holding the heavy drape. Valentina Petrovna circled below, critically evaluating her daughter-in-law’s every move. “It’s easier for me this way,” […]
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Emma Nikolaevna had been bustling in the kitchen since early morning. Cutlets were sizzling in the pan, and the oven smelled of apple pie. Olga followed her husband into the apartment, caught the familiar aromas, and sighed. “Vitya, something definitely happened. Emma only bakes pie for special occasions.” “Oh, come on, Mom,” Viktor shrugged off […]
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Irina zipped up the suitcase and looked around the children’s room. Eight-year-old Yegor was putting his favorite toy cars into a backpack, and five-year-old Lena was clutching a plush bear to her chest. “Dad, is it true we’re going on a real train?” Yegor asked, running up to his father. “It’s true, son. Ten hours […]
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— “My grandma’s coming to stay with us… for a couple of weeks,” Kostya managed, and Rita realized that pregnancy and the upcoming birth were nothing compared to the nightmare rolling their way. Svetlana Ivanovna, her husband’s grandmother, looked lively and energetic at sixty-five. It seemed she had more energy than all the young people […]
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When Svetlana saw her former mother-in-law in the school corridor, her heart began to race. She knew that Valentina Sergeyevna had also come to the parent-teacher meeting—those were held for the entire grade. Her daughter had just started eighth grade, and the divorce from Andrei had happened only three months ago. “You’re here too?” Valentina […]
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Lyudmila Sergeyevna checked the hotel reservation for the third time that morning. Everything matched: rooms for seven days, breakfast included, a pool, the beach two hundred meters away. Perfect! “Petya, have you packed?” she called to her husband from the kitchen. “Relax, Luda! We’ve got three days before we leave,” came the reply from the […]
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Kirill was in a big hurry today. It was already eight in the evening, and he still hadn’t picked out a gift or bought flowers—he hadn’t even changed his clothes. It was his mother’s birthday, Svetlana Eduardovna Krasilnikova. A crowd of guests had gathered for the occasion. The celebration would take place at the millionaire […]
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— Kolya, this morning after you left for work, some girl came by and asked for you! — Sasha told her husband over dinner. — What girl? — Nikolai was surprised. — At least pretty? — What kind of person are you? You always have to make everything crude! — his wife snapped. — She […]
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