Instead, Olga opened her contacts and searched for Vera.
They had been friends since college, although in recent years they hadn’t seen each other as often as they always promised on New Year’s Day.
Vera responded right away.
«What are you doing messaging during work hours? I’m flattered.»
«Vera, can you come to the clinic on Lesnaya after two today?»
«What happened?»
«I need someone to accompany me after a procedure.»
Vera’s tone changed instantly.
«What about Sergey?»
«Sergey is saving the table.»
«Which one?»
«The kitchen table.»
«From what?»
Olga finally laughed.
«I’ll explain later.»
«What time should I be there?»
«The doctor said to plan for around two-thirty.»
«I’ll be there.»
«But you have work.»
«I have a meeting at four, I’ll reschedule. Send me the address.»
«Vera…»
«Olga, what do you actually want right now? For me to pick you up, or for us to spend fifteen minutes being polite?»
«To pick me up.»
«Then it’s settled.»
And that was the whole conversation.
Before putting away her phone, Olga approached the front desk and asked to change the contact for her escort: instead of Sergey, she gave them Vera’s number.
Before the procedure, Olga texted Sergey:
«Vera will pick me up. Don’t rush with the table.»
He replied almost immediately:
«What’s going on? I’ll make it.»
She didn’t reply.
When Olga was brought back to her room, for a while time seemed to exist separately from her. The nurse checked her blood pressure, brought her water, asked if she felt dizzy.
Then Vera arrived.
No flowers, no fruit basket, no tragic look on her face.
«So, patient, can you still tell me apart from the wardrobe?»
«For now, yes.»
«Great. That means we can go home.»
«They told me to sit for another twenty minutes.»
«We’ll sit.»
Vera settled in next to her and pulled out her phone.
«While you’re resting here, explain the main thing to me. What’s up with the table?»
Olga explained.
Vera listened silently.
«So this morning your husband was supposed to bring you here.»
«Yes.»
«But instead he went all the way across the city for his brother’s wife’s table?»
«Yes.»
«Because delivery costs 2,700?»
«Exactly.»
«And where is the table now?»
Olga checked her messages.
The last one was sent by Sergey twenty minutes ago.
«Basically, the seller won’t let us open it until full payment. We’re going to get the money.»
«It’s still at the store.»
Vera thought for a moment.
«That’s a good table.»
«Why?»
«It’s already brought the whole family together.»
On the way home they ordered a taxi. Vera paid for it, brushing off Olga’s attempt to chip in: we’ll figure it out later. Olga still felt weak, so Vera walked her all the way up to her apartment.
Near the building, Vera stopped at a store and bought water, yogurt, cottage cheese, bananas, chicken fillet, and a few other things she believed belonged in the fridge of anyone recovering from a medical procedure.
«I’ve got food at home,» Olga protested weakly.
«Dumplings only count as food on days of iron willpower.»
Olga sat in the kitchen watching her friend unload the groceries.
And it was only at that moment that what had happened really hit her.
Not in the morning.
Not after Tamara Ivanovna’s words.
Not even after the message about the forgotten money.
But right now.
Vera hadn’t promised her anything the night before.
She didn’t have to.
She had a work day.
But when Olga needed her, she came.
And Sergey had promised. But he didn’t show up.
By six in the evening, Olga was already feeling better. She had changed her clothes, eaten, and was resting in the bedroom when she started to hear voices coming from the hallway.
First, she heard Sergei.
Then Tamara Ivanovna.
Next was Inna.
And after that, Pavel.
It turned out Sergei had picked up his mother on the way, and Pavel had come to get Inna but decided to come up with her—to check on how Olga was doing.
Olga closed her eyes.
For some reason, she wondered if they had brought the table.
The table wasn’t there.
In the kitchen, Sergei was awkwardly rearranging cups, as if he hoped porcelain could restore some family harmony.
«How are you feeling?»
«I’m okay.»
«Did Vera drive you home?»
«Yes.»
«I’ll text her now.»
«Why?»
«To say thanks.»
«Later.»
Inna stood by the door.
«Olga, please don’t be mad. I honestly didn’t know you were having surgery today. Tamara Ivanovna told me you were just going to the clinic.»
Tamara Ivanovna immediately turned around.
«I said it was a procedure.»
«You said, ‘It’ll be quick.'»
«I’m not a doctor, though.»
«Mom,» Sergei said wearily.
Pavel took off his jacket but didn’t come any further in.
«Sergei, I told you earlier today: drop everything and go to Olga.»
«At four,» Sergei said.
«And before four, I had no idea what was happening. Inna told me you went back for the money.»
Inna threw up her hands.
«I didn’t forget it on purpose.»
«I’m not blaming you,» Pavel said. «I just don’t get why buying a table turned into a Silk Road rally.»
For the first time, Olga asked:
«So where’s the table?»
There was a brief pause.
Sergei looked away.
Inna adjusted her bag strap.
Pavel smirked.
«At the store.»
«Why?»
«Because,» Sergei said, «after we brought the money, we realized that even without the packaging, the tabletop wouldn’t fit in properly. It stuck out with the back door open. I didn’t have any fasteners. The salesperson offered delivery.»
«For 2,700?»
«For 2,700.»
«And?»
«We ordered delivery.»
Olga couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing.
Laughing after sedation wasn’t very comfortable, but she just couldn’t stop right away.
Sergei frowned.
«It’s funny to you.»
«Very.»
«I wasted five hours.»
«That’s exactly why it’s funny.»
Tamara Ivanovna seemed like she still hoped to bring the mood back to its usual family normal.
«The important thing is that everything ended well. Olechka is home, the surgery is over, the table will be delivered. Let’s not ruin the evening.»
Olga stopped laughing.
«I’m not planning on ruining the evening.»
Sergei sat across from her.
«Olga, seriously. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know. But I really thought I’d have time.»
«No, Sergei.»
«No what?»
«You’re not at fault for not making it in time.»
He looked at her, questioning.
«This morning, you knew what you promised me.»
«I knew.»
«You knew why I needed you after the clinic.»
«I knew.»
«And still, you left. Because you decided my issue could wait, but Inna’s couldn’t.»
«That’s not what I thought.»
«Then what did you think?»
Sergei was silent.
«I thought I’d be quick.»
«Exactly. You thought. For me, too.»
He wanted to reply, but suddenly Pavel said:
«She’s right about that.»
Inna frowned:
«I wouldn’t have asked at all if I’d known.»
«It’s not about the table anymore,» Olga said. «And it’s not even about you.»
She looked at Sergei.
From now on, if something is truly important to me, I’ll just have to rely on myself before anyone else.
Why so dramatic right away?
Then how should I be?
I’m always there to help you.
Olga tilted her head slightly.
Sergey realized himself that his words came out badly.
He helps.
Helps his own wife.
As if she’s just the neighbor from the fifth floor.
But Olga didn’t argue.
She was tired.
Let’s call it a day for now.
The relatives soon left.
Sergey paced between the rooms and the kitchen for a long time, but Olga wasn’t planning on staging a nighttime family council.
Too many of these family councils ended the same: one says they were misunderstood, the other complains they were underappreciated—two hours later both were worn out and called it a night.
The next morning Sergey brought Olga breakfast.
I really messed up yesterday.
Mhm.
So what now?
Nothing.
That “nothing” bothered Sergey much more than any argument.
But Olga truly wasn’t plotting anything.
No revenge.
No dramatic silent treatment.
No recap of past grievances.
For the first time, she simply took a closer look at how their “family help” was really organized.
In Sergey’s family, they always prided themselves on “never abandoning their own.”
When Olga married Sergey eleven years ago, she actually liked this at first.
Pavel helped Sergey with home renovations.
Tamara Ivanovna would bring over a pot of soup if someone fell ill.
Inna once lent Olga a dress for the office party.
A normal, close-knit family.
But slowly, the system changed.
Tamara Ivanovna mastered her smartphone just enough to call Olga for help booking doctor appointments through apps.
Inna realized Olga knew how to fill out forms, so she would periodically send her documents with a quick, ‘You’ll figure this out faster.’
Several times, nephew Artyom needed a ride home from practice.
Olga would go and get him.
For birthdays, she ordered groceries, created menus and, for some reason, was almost always the one who remembered that one guest was allergic to nuts and another didn’t eat mayonnaise.
Sergey handled other things.
Making deliveries.
Picking things up.
Fixing stuff.
Hanging things.
Picking things up again.
If someone’s faucet broke, within an hour the family would be discussing Sergey’s schedule as if he was the building’s on-call plumber.
They both became the family’s emergency service.
Only, there was an unspoken rule.
Everyone else’s requests were considered urgent.
Their own tasks could always wait.
Four days later, Tamara Ivanovna called Olga around 7 p.m.
Olga dear, I need to make an appointment with an endocrinologist. Can you check? I heard there’s a really good doctor somewhere near the market.
Before, Olga would have opened her laptop, found the doctor’s name, compared clinics, times, and prices.
I can send you the clinic’s phone number.
There was silence on the other end.
Can’t you just check it yourself?
I won’t have time today.
It only takes five minutes.
Olga glanced at her watch.
In this family, ‘five minutes’ was a special unit of time. Sometimes it lasted an hour and a half, plus a trip across three neighborhoods.
Then Sergey can take care of it quickly.
Sergey?
Yes. He’s home today.
But he doesn’t understand a thing about these apps.
A voice called out from the other room:
I can hear everything!
Olga covered her phone with her hand to keep from laughing.
«Mom, send me the doctor’s info,» Sergey shouted.
Tamara Ivanovna agreed, though a bit uncertain.
Half an hour later, Sergey was sitting with his phone, completely puzzled:
«She sent me: ‘Elena Vladimirovna, endocrinologist, really good.’ No last name. No clinic name.»
«Welcome to the club.»
«So what am I supposed to look for?»
«Just ask her.»
«I already did.»
His phone chimed.
Sergey read the message.
«Olga always found it.»
Olga kept chopping vegetables.
«Olga is talented.»
A week later, Inna texted her.
«Olga, are you working tomorrow?»
«Yes.»
«Hey, I need you to pick up an order. You’re basically nearby.»
Olga pulled up the address.
Her office was by the ‘Ploshchad Muzhestva’ metro station.
The pick-up point was on the other side of the city.
She checked the route.
Nineteen kilometers.
Olga replied:
«Inna, that’s not close. I’m not going there.»
A reply popped up almost instantly.
«Well, it’s like forty minutes from your work.»
Olga looked at the message.
Yet another feature of their family’s geography.
Anything you could reach in under an hour without needing a plane transfer was considered ‘pretty much nearby.’
«I go the other direction after work.»
Inna sent a sad face emoji.
That was the end of the conversation.
No catastrophe happened.
The next day, Inna moved the order to a different pick-up point herself.
A few days later, Pavel called Sergey.
He needed to go to the insurance office with some documents.
Then Tamara Ivanovna needed someone to pick up her test results.
Then Inna’s curtain rod broke.
Then Pavel asked for help checking out a used car for a friend.
About two weeks of this went by before, one evening, Sergey lay down on the couch and asked:
«Wait, did they all used to call you for this stuff before?»
«Some of them.»
«My mom called me six times today.»
«Maybe she missed you.»
«First about the endocrinologist. Second about test results. Third, the website wouldn’t load. Fourth, it loaded but was the wrong one. Fifth, she forgot what she wanted. Sixth, she remembered.»
Olga was flipping through a book.
«Very eventful relationships.»
Sergey turned to her.
«Are you making fun of me?»
«A little.»
«What about Inna?»
«What about her?»
«She asked me to pick up some kind of dryer tomorrow.»
«Pick it up.»
«I have work.»
Olga put the book down.
«See? You can just tell her that.»
«And what did you used to say?»
«‘Alright, I’ll figure something out.'»
Sergey was silent for a bit.
«Did that happen often?»
«Enough times.»
The next evening, he told Inna he couldn’t help.
No drama.
No big statements about his personal boundaries.
He just messaged her that he was working and couldn’t make it.
Pavel ended up picking up the dryer.
Two weeks later, it was finally time for the delivery of that table.
Inna called Sergey on Saturday morning.
«Sergey, our delivery is today.»
«Congrats.»
«It’s scheduled from twelve to six.»
«Congrats again.»
«Pasha’s at work.»
Sergey was already sensing where the conversation was heading.
«Inna, are you home?»
«I’m here till one.»
«Perfect.»
«After that I have a salon appointment.»
Sergey closed his eyes.
Olga was sitting across from him, sipping her coffee.
«So?»
«Well, they could come after one.»
«Then reschedule the delivery.»
«The next one is only on Tuesday.»
«Then reschedule your salon appointment.»
Inna clearly didn’t expect that option.
«I booked it three weeks ago.»
«And the table delivery?»
Sergey, just stay with us for a few hours. You’re free today anyway.
Sergey glanced at Olga.
She didn’t say a word.
No, Inna.
Why not?
Because I don’t want to spend my Saturday sitting in your apartment waiting for a table delivery.
But you’re—
I know I’m free. But being free doesn’t automatically mean I’m available for anything.
Olga slowly set her cup down.
That was a really good line.
Especially coming from him.
Inna sighed.
Alright.
A few minutes later, Sergey put his phone down.
The salon is rescheduling.
Unbelievable.
What?
Turns out humanity can actually change plans without needing your personal involvement.
Very funny.
The table was delivered at 3:30 pm.
That evening, Pavel sent a photo.
The table was standing in the kitchen.
There was already a cat lying underneath it.
Sergey zoomed in on the photo with two fingers.
All that waiting—five hours—for this…
Don’t start.
No, seriously, look at this. It’s just a regular table.
What did you expect? A throne?
From that day on, ‘the table situation’ became a regular phrase in their home.
If Sergey started agreeing to someone’s request without checking his own plans, Olga would just ask him:
Table?
He always got the point immediately.
But the real apology happened later.
Not in a conversation.
A few days later, Sergey asked:
Is Vera’s number still the same?
Yes. Why?
I need it.
He didn’t explain anything else.
Turned out, he called her himself.
He thanked her for that day.
He asked her to tell him how much she’d spent on taxis and groceries.
At first, Vera refused.
Sergey insisted and transferred her the money for all the expenses.
In the evening, Vera messaged Olga:
«Your husband has settled his debts with the transport company. Looks like the table had an effect.»
Olga showed Sergey the message.
He grunted.
It’s not because of the table.
Of course.
Really.
He was quiet for a moment.
I kept thinking that the problem was I was late that day.
Olga listened.
But then I realized—even if I’d made it out a minute before you left, I still would’ve handled it badly.
Why?
Because in the morning I decided your plans could just be rearranged. Didn’t even ask you.
She didn’t say anything.
I’m used to you handling everything, Sergey continued. At work, you handle it. With the doctors, you figure it out. You’ll call a taxi, find documents. And somehow, the more reliable the person next to you, the easier it gets to pile even more on their shoulders.
Olga looked at him.
Now that was getting closer to the point.
Not «my mom made me».
Not «Inna asked me».
Not «it just happened».
He finally found himself in that story.
The next follow-up appointment was a month later.
Nothing complicated—just a checkup and some test results.
Sergey swapped shifts with a colleague in advance.
He put his phone on silent that morning.
You can answer your phone, Olga said.
I can.
Then why did you mute it?
Because yesterday my mom asked if I could help her neighbor pick out a microwave after my appointment.
Olga turned toward him.
And?
I said I’d see about it after the appointment, depending on the time.
Wow.
I know, I’m shocked myself.
They spent almost two hours at the clinic.
Sergey only checked his phone when they got in the car.
There were three missed calls from his mom.
And one message from Pavel.
Plus a photo of a microwave.
Well? Olga asked.
Sergey started the engine.
«First, let’s go home. Then we’ll figure out what’s going on with their appliances—again.»
Olga smiled.
Now, the difference was clear to see.
A few months later, Tamara Ivanovna called on a Sunday.
Sergey had his phone on speaker while making sandwiches in the kitchen.
«Sergey, Aunt Lida found a fridge on sale in another neighborhood. Today’s the last day of the discount. She needs you to take her to see it.»
«Today?»
«Well, yes.»
Sergey glanced at the clock.
Then at Olga.
«Did we have any plans today?»
Tamara Ivanovna overheard him.
«Oh come on, what’s there to ask? You’re home, aren’t you?»
In the past, right at that moment, Sergey would already be searching for his car keys.
Now, he calmly repeated:
«Olga, do we have any plans?»
«We were planning to go pick up your shoes after lunch.»
«That’s right.»
He picked up the phone again.
«Mom, today won’t work. We have our own plans. If we’re free in the evening, I’ll call you.»
«But what about the fridge?»
«There’s delivery.»
Silence settled in the kitchen.
Olga turned to the window so Tamara Ivanovna wouldn’t hear her laugh.
Sergey finished the call and looked at his wife.
«Don’t say it.»
«Say what?»
«About the table.»
«I’m not saying a word.»
«Your face says it all.»
«My face is just happy to see you growing up.»
«Forty-two years old and they’re still monitoring my development at home.»
He set a plate of sandwiches in front of her.
That very kitchen table at Inna’s had already survived several family celebrations, two children’s birthdays, and even a furniture reshuffle.
Every time Sergey saw it, for some reason he’d always ask:
«Are the legs holding up okay?»
At first, Inna would explain that everything was fine.
Then she caught on and started answering:
«Nope. And the delivery is still working, too.»
Ever since then, Sergey became very careful about two things.
Promises to his wife.
And moving company prices.
Especially whenever a relative started a conversation with:
«Sergey, could you just…it’s five minutes, tops…»
