Nadezhda sat in an old wicker chair on the veranda, sorting through raspberries picked that morning. The June sun played through the leaves of the apple trees, casting whimsical shadows on the wooden floor. From the open window came the ringing laughter of children. Nadezhda’s nephews, Dima and Katya, were running around the yard with water pistols, soaking each other and squealing with delight when the cold water splashed down their backs.
Nadezhda smiled as she watched the children. This was exactly the kind of summer she had dreamed of all winter — peaceful days at the dacha surrounded by family, slow conversations with her sister, the scent of fresh vegetables from the garden, and fragrant tea on the veranda. Now the dream had come true.
“Yulya, do you want more tea?” Nadezhda called toward the kitchen where her sister was preparing lunch.
“No, thanks!” came the reply. “I’m about to bake a pie with your currants. Think it will turn out okay?”
“You know you always make everything taste delicious,” Nadezhda said, setting aside the bowl of raspberries and stretching. “I’m even jealous of your cooking skills.”
Yulya peeked out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her light hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, and a smile played on her face.
“You’re good at many things, sis. Like growing such wonderful raspberries,” Yulya said as she approached Nadezhda and took a few berries from the bowl. “Mmm, sweet! And thank you for inviting us. The kids are thrilled, and I’m finally resting my soul.”
Nadezhda nodded. When she called her sister three months ago and invited her to spend the summer at the dacha, she could hardly have imagined it would turn out so well. Yulya arrived with the kids in early June, and the dacha instantly came to life. The children helped as much as they could — watering the garden beds, weeding, picking berries. Yulya cooked dinner for everyone in the evenings, and they sat on the veranda, drinking tea and talking late into the night.
“How’s Viktor? Will he come for the weekend?” Yulya asked, sitting down next to her in the neighboring chair.
“He should come,” Nadezhda sighed. “Though lately, he’s been a bit tense. Probably work.”
“Maybe he doesn’t like that we’re staying here so long?” Yulya frowned. “Tell me if it’s a problem. We can leave.”
“What are you saying!” Nadezhda practically jumped in her chair. “Vitya’s fine with you coming. He even played soccer with Dima last weekend, remember?”
Yulya smiled, recalling how her son chased the ball with Uncle Vitya and then proudly told everyone he scored three goals.
“Yes, that was great. It’s just that sometimes men hide their displeasure, and it comes out at the worst times.”
“Well, my Vitya isn’t like that. If something bothers him, he says it right away,” Nadezhda shrugged. “So don’t make things up. Better tell me, how’s Sasha? Has he called?”
Yulya’s face darkened slightly.
“Once. He asked how the kids were,” she ran her hand through her hair. “You know, sometimes I wonder if we did the right thing. Maybe we should have tried to keep the family together for the kids’ sake?”
“And then what? Put up with his drinking all your life?” Nadezhda took her sister’s hand. “No, you did the right thing. The kids need a healthy environment, not fights all night.”
Yulya nodded and looked at her children, who were now sitting under the apple tree, intently examining something in the grass.
“You’re right. They’re so happy here. Dima even stopped stuttering. And Katya finally started eating properly. In the city, she was always picking at her plate, but here she’s eating two helpings.”
“See!” Nadezhda smiled with satisfaction. “Everything for the best.”
In the evening, after the children were asleep and the sisters sat on the veranda gazing at the stars, the phone rang. Nadezhda looked at the screen and frowned.
“Mother-in-law,” she whispered to Yulya and answered. “Hello, Galina Petrovna! How is your health?”
Yulya saw her sister’s face gradually grow more tense.
“Yes, of course… No, it’s not a problem… Yes, but… Okay, I understand…” Nadezhda responded with short phrases, then said, “Goodbye,” and slowly put the phone down on the table.
“What happened?” Yulya asked, sensing something was wrong.
“Galina Petrovna decided to move in with us at the dacha. For the whole summer,” Nadezhda’s voice trembled. “She said it’s too stuffy in the city, and the air here is clean. She’s already packing.”
“But we’re here…” Yulya started to say.
“Exactly,” Nadezhda rubbed her forehead wearily. “There isn’t much space. You and the kids are in the big room, Vitya and I in the small one. Where will we put Galina Petrovna?”
“Maybe just tell her it’s inconvenient now?” Yulya suggested. “That you have guests, no room.”
“I tried to hint at it, but she didn’t seem to hear,” Nadezhda shook her head. “She said she’ll just make the bed in our room, and we with Vitya can move to the folding bed in the summer kitchen. She said she needs peace and quiet.”
Yulya pressed her lips together.
“And now?”
“I don’t know,” Nadezhda looked up at her sister. “I need to talk to Vitya. Maybe he’ll come up with something. He’s coming home from work tomorrow evening.”
The next day, Nadezhda was on edge. She kept glancing at the clock, waiting for her husband. When finally the sound of a car pulling up came from the yard, she ran out to meet Viktor.
“Hi,” she kissed her husband on the cheek. “How was the trip?”
“Fine,” Viktor looked tired. “What’s new here?”
“Well,” Nadezhda hesitated, “your mother called yesterday. She said she’s moving in with us at the dacha for the whole summer.”
Viktor stopped and looked at his wife.
“So what? Is there a problem with that?”
Nadezhda didn’t expect such a reaction.
“Vitya, but we have guests — Yulya and the kids. We agreed for the whole summer.”
“So what?” Viktor shrugged. “Mother doesn’t come every day. We’ll figure something out.”
“But it’s already cramped here,” Nadezhda tried to explain. “Where will we put her?”
“In our room, of course,” Viktor said as if it were the obvious solution. “We’ll sleep on the veranda or in the summer kitchen. It’s summer, it’s warm.”
“What about Yulya and the kids?” Nadezhda felt anger rising. “Your mother said she needs quiet and order. That’s hard with kids.”
“Listen,” Viktor also started to get irritated, “it’s temporary. Mother is the priority, you understand. She’s not young anymore, she needs rest.”
“So my sister isn’t a priority?” Nadezhda asked quietly.
“Don’t twist things,” Viktor waved his hand. “We have to respect our elders. Mom is coming, so she’s coming. Period.”
Nadezhda felt a lump growing inside her. She didn’t expect such decisiveness from her husband.
“Alright,” she finally said. “I’ll talk to Yulya.”
That evening, when the kids were already asleep, Nadezhda told her sister about the conversation with her husband. Yulya listened quietly, then asked:
“Do you want us to leave?”
“No!” Nadezhda exclaimed. “Of course not. I want you to stay. We planned to spend the whole summer together.”
“But your husband…”
“Vitya will get used to it,” Nadezhda tried to sound confident. “He’s just very attached to his mother. It will pass.”
Yulya looked at her sister with doubt but didn’t argue.
A couple of days later, a message came from the mother-in-law: “I’ll arrive the day after tomorrow. Prepare a room. And tell your children not to make noise.”
Nadezhda showed the message to Viktor.
“Vitya, she thinks the kids are ours. I didn’t tell her Yulya is staying here with the nephews.”
Viktor frowned.
“You shouldn’t have kept it from her. Now Mom’s coming and will get a surprise.”
“Maybe we should warn her?” Nadezhda suggested.
“Why?” Viktor brushed it off. “She’ll find out when she gets here. What difference does it make?”
That evening, Viktor’s mother called. Nadezhda heard her husband talking outside, and when he returned to the house, his face was angry.
“Mom found out everything. She said she won’t live under the same roof with strangers,” Viktor looked at his wife accusingly. “Why didn’t you tell her right away?”
“I tried, but she wasn’t listening,” Nadezhda defended herself. “And besides, you said it didn’t matter.”
“It does matter,” Viktor snapped. “Now Mom is upset. She says she feels unwanted in our home.”
“But we’re not against her coming,” Nadezhda objected. “It’s just inconvenient now.”
Viktor took out his phone and dialed.
“Mom, it’s okay, come as planned. We’ll prepare everything.”
Nadezhda listened to the conversation with growing bewilderment. After the call, she asked:
“How do you imagine this? Where will we put everyone?”
“That’s not my problem,” Viktor cut her off. “Mom is coming to the dacha to rest, not to look at strangers’ faces. You figure it out.”
“What do you mean ‘strangers’ faces’?” Nadezhda couldn’t believe her ears. “That’s my own sister and her kids!”
“So what? For Mom, they’re strangers,” Viktor raised his voice. “Be glad she even agreed to come under these conditions.”
Tears welled up in Nadezhda’s eyes.
“You know how much I was waiting for this summer with Yulya and the kids. We planned so much…”
“Plans change,” Viktor interrupted. “Kick your relatives out to the neighbors! Mom’s coming to the dacha to rest, not to look at those faces!”
Nadezhda froze, unable to believe her husband had said that. The same Viktor who was always so attentive and caring. Now there was something cold and alien in his eyes.
“Are you even listening to yourself?” Nadezhda asked quietly, trying to keep calm. “Kick my sister and nephews out to the neighbors?”
“What do you suggest?” Viktor folded his arms. “Put Mom in the shed?”
“I suggest thinking,” Nadezhda walked to the window and looked out at the yard.
On the swings Viktor made last summer, Dima was swinging, and Katya sat nearby on the grass weaving a dandelion wreath. Yulya, bent over a flower bed, was planting some flowers she brought from the city. A normal, peaceful dacha scene. Exactly how Nadezhda had imagined all these months.
“You know, I think I’ll go for a walk,” Nadezhda said without turning to her husband.
“A walk? Now?” Viktor looked at the clock in confusion. “It’s already eight in the evening.”
“I need to think,” Nadezhda put on a light cardigan and went out, gently closing the door behind her.
The evening air was filled with the scent of herbs and flowers. Nadezhda walked slowly along the path by the fence, noting absentmindedly that a crooked board needed fixing. Her thoughts were tangled. On one hand, she understood her husband’s concern for his mother; on the other, such an attitude toward her sister and nephews seemed unacceptable.
Reaching a small pond near the dacha plot, Nadezhda sat on a bench and stared at the water for a long time. Gradually, her mind cleared. Why should she sacrifice her plans because of her mother-in-law’s sudden decision? Why should Yulya and the kids, who had been waiting for this summer so much, have to leave just because Galina Petrovna suddenly wanted peace and quiet?
Nadezhda returned home after dark. Viktor was sitting on the veranda reading something on his phone.
“Nadya, where were you? I was worried,” Viktor said, putting his phone down.
“I was walking. Thinking,” Nadezhda sat opposite him. “And I’ve decided.”
Viktor looked at his wife questioningly.
“Yulya and the kids will stay as we planned,” Nadezhda said firmly. “They’re my family, and I won’t kick them out.”
“And what about Mom?” Viktor frowned.
“If Galina Petrovna is bothered by people at our dacha, she shouldn’t come. Or come later, when Yulya and the kids leave.”
“Do you realize you’re insulting my mother?” Viktor raised his voice.
“I’m not insulting anyone,” Nadezhda remained calm. “I’m just stating facts. We live here, and we decide who to invite. I invited my sister and the kids for the whole summer. They’re staying.”
Viktor stood and paced the veranda.
“So you don’t care about my opinion, huh? I’m nobody here?”
“Of course, your opinion matters,” Nadezhda looked at him. “But not when you demand choosing between your mother and my sister.”
Viktor stopped abruptly.
“Don’t you understand that your stubbornness might tear the family apart?” There was a threat in his voice.
“It’s not stubbornness, Vitya,” Nadezhda shook her head. “It’s my decision. This is my home, my family, my summer. And I have the right to choose who’s around.”
“So you choose your sister over your husband’s mother?” Viktor looked at her incredulously.
“I choose those who respect our boundaries,” Nadezhda replied. “I’m not saying your mother can’t come. I’m saying she can’t demand that my sister and kids be kicked out. That’s a different matter.”
Viktor was silent for a long time, then sighed.
“Alright, I’ll talk to Mom tomorrow. Maybe she’ll agree to come later.”
The next morning, Viktor called his mother. Nadezhda didn’t hear the conversation, but judging by her husband’s gloomy face, Galina Petrovna was not pleased.
“Well?” Nadezhda asked when Viktor returned home.
“Mom got offended,” Viktor shrugged. “She said an ungrateful woman like that doesn’t deserve her presence. And she’s going to her sister Klavdiya’s place in the Moscow region.”
“I see,” Nadezhda nodded. She felt a bit sorry it turned out this way, but at the same time, relief.
“I hope you’re happy now,” Viktor grumbled and went out to chop wood in the yard.
Viktor was sullen and taciturn all day. In the evening, when Yulya and the kids went to swim in the pond, Nadezhda approached her husband sitting on the veranda steps.
“Vitya, I’m sorry it turned out like this with Galina Petrovna,” she sat beside him. “But you understand you can’t just kick out people you invited?”
Viktor silently stared ahead.
“And besides, the dacha is small,” Nadezhda continued. “It would be cramped and uncomfortable for everyone. Your mother would be unhappy with the noise, the kids would be shy to play, and everyone would be nervous.”
“I get it already,” Viktor sighed. “It’s just that Mom got upset.”
“She’ll calm down,” Nadezhda put her hand on her husband’s shoulder. “And besides, Klavdiya’s house is big. She’ll be more comfortable there.”
“Probably,” Viktor smiled slightly for the first time all day. “By the way, I’m leaving tomorrow. There’s a rush at work; I need to finish a project.”
“Okay,” Nadezhda nodded. “Will you come back next weekend?”
“If I manage the work,” Viktor looked at her. “Listen, I probably overreacted yesterday. Sorry.”
Nadezhda hugged her husband.
“It’s okay. The main thing is we sorted it out.”
The next day, Viktor left for the city. Nadezhda worried that he still held a grudge, but gradually her concerns eased. In the evenings, Viktor called, asked how things were, and even inquired if Dima and Katya were helping in the garden.
The week passed quickly. To Nadezhda’s surprise, on Friday evening the sound of a car pulling into the yard was heard.
“Viktor is back!” Nadezhda called, looking out the window. “Earlier than promised!”
Yulya and the kids were preparing dinner. Dima and Katya rushed to wash their hands to greet Uncle Vitya, and Yulya smiled at her sister.
“See, everything’s settled. I told you.”
Nadezhda went out to meet her husband. Viktor looked tired but not as sullen as a week ago.
“Hi,” Nadezhda kissed him on the cheek. “How’s work?”
“I finished the project,” Viktor took a bag from the car. “Decided to come early to rest.”
Dinner was warm and pleasant. Viktor even joked with the children, and Yulya treated him to a special salad she made by her own recipe. After dinner, when the kids went to bed and Yulya went to her room, Viktor and Nadezhda stayed on the veranda.
“How’s Galina Petrovna?” Nadezhda asked cautiously. “Did you talk to her?”
“Yes, I called,” Viktor nodded. “She’s already settled at Aunt Klava’s. Says it’s nice there too, the air is clean. And there are many people around, she likes it.”
“I’m glad,” Nadezhda said sincerely.
Viktor was silent, then unexpectedly said:
“You know, I thought about it. You were probably right. It really would be cramped with all of us. And Yulya’s kids are good, restless.”
Nadezhda looked at her husband in surprise.
“And besides,” Viktor continued, looking around the well-kept plot, “I see you’ve done a good job here. The beds are weeded, the raspberries picked, there’s a new flower bed.”
“Yes, we’re trying,” Nadezhda smiled. “Yulya helps a lot. And the kids too.”
“All right,” Viktor sighed. “Do as you see fit. Looks like I really overreacted then.”
Nadezhda took her husband’s hand.
“Thank you, Vitya.”
The rest of the summer went just as Nadezhda had dreamed. Yulya and the kids stayed until the end of August. Viktor came every weekend, sometimes even taking time off and staying a few days. Galina Petrovna never came but often called her son. Nadezhda felt her mother-in-law was still offended but decided not to dwell on it.
On the last day of August, when Yulya and the kids were packing to return to the city, Nadezhda stood on the porch watching her nephews swing one last time.
“What are you thinking about?” Yulya asked, approaching her sister.
“That this was the best summer ever,” Nadezhda replied. “Just like I imagined it.”
“And I think you’ve become more confident,” Yulya noticed. “Before, you probably would have given in to your mother-in-law.”
Nadezhda nodded.
“Probably. But I realized something important. My home is not a place for someone’s discontent. It’s a place for love, laughter, and those who are truly glad to be here.”
Yulya hugged her sister.
“Exactly. And you know what? Next year, we’ll definitely come again.”
