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Maria had always shied away from extravagant weddings, yet it was at one such event—with a drunken DJ and a three-tiered fuchsia fondant cake—that she encountered Sergey. Leaning quietly at the bar, stirring his whiskey with a straw and appearing utterly lost, Sergey caught Maria’s weary attention amidst the dancing and chatter. She approached him … Read more
Late one evening, Alice hurried home along a dimly lit and deserted street, her heart gripped by fear. Having spent the entire day engrossed in the library to complete a term paper due soon, she hadn’t realized how quickly time slipped away. Only a short distance separated her from home when suddenly, footsteps echoed behind … Read more
Marina found herself standing amidst a vacant room, inhaling the scent of aged wallpaper mixed with dust. Her mother’s apartment felt both familiar and foreign simultaneously — the same worn parquet floors and high ceilings adorned with molding, yet absent were her mother’s belongings and the comforting sound of her voice echoing from the kitchen. … Read more
Elena carefully leafed through the timeworn leather album she had preserved throughout the years. Her fingertips lingered on each photograph, especially those capturing Olga—her adopted daughter—genuinely smiling during school events, graduation, the first day at university, and birthday celebrations. Two decades of motherhood had seemingly slipped by in an instant, leaving an everlasting imprint on … Read more
One summer, Lyudmila set off for the dacha, eager to welcome the gardening season. She dreamed about tending to her beloved flowerbeds and preparing fresh vegetable salads for her husband, Andrey. Almost at the gate, a familiar voice greeted her: “Lyuda! Lyuda! You’re here!” called Galina Petrovna from over the fence, holding her voluminous hair. … Read more
I made the difficult decision to remove my son, his wife, and my three grandchildren from my residence. They were given precisely one day to gather their belongings and vacate the premises. Despite the severity of this action, I harbor no regrets. Although my relatives have criticized me, labeling me an unkind mother, I remain … Read more
Can you imagine a veranda facing straight east? Igor squeezed Vera’s hand as they crossed the street. “In the mornings, the sun will rise over the pines. Leaning on his shoulder, Vera smiled despite the chilly February wind fluttering her scarf. Beside Igor, warmth was found. They strolled along the river embankment, musing often about … Read more
I wanted to pleasantly surprise my son by visiting his newly opened restaurant. Wearing my usual simple yet neat outfit, I entered the establishment. Immediately, an elegantly dressed young woman cast me a disdainful glance, accompanied by a mocking smile. “You should move,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “This table is reserved, and frankly, your … Read more
Just moments ago, Vika was immersed in an ordinary weekday: a routine video conference and preparation for quarterly reports. Suddenly, her husband Anton stormed in unexpectedly, disrupting the calm with an announcement about imminent visitors. “The family’s coming from the village! Make sure the table is overflowing, plenty of meat too—no repeats of last time!” … Read more
Aline, sweetheart, hurry up and prepare the table for us! Problem solved, finally! You can celebrate now,” declared Antonina Alexeyevna, the husband’s aunt, with gravity over the phone. Curious, Aline paused her chores and responded, “Hello, Aunt Tonya. What exactly happened? What problem are you referring to?” She was multitasking—balancing her two-year-old daughter who was … Read more