Irina took one last look around her parents’ apartment and the pitiful stash she had prepared for her departure. In the kitchen, her favorite twin pairs were finishing their tea. Maryasha and Verochka were nibbling on a bagel they were sharing between them. The sweet-toothed Vanka and Glebushka were dipping another such rosy bagel into […]
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Near the supermarket checkout, a long line had formed. Many shoppers’ carts were overflowing. Everyone was preparing for the New Year, stocking up in a big way. A slender girl in a light fur coat joined the end of the line with her cart and prepared to wait. There were no other options, as the […]
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A small town in the Urals. Narrow streets, old houses with peeling paint, gray five-story buildings along the only wide road. In the center of this modest landscape stood Lena’s house—a wooden two-story with a leaning fence. The house had been inherited from her grandmother, and although it was in poor condition, for Lena, it […]
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Nikitichna changed into her work uniform and headed to the hall. She had been working in the crematorium for several months. Initially, it seemed impossible to get used to such work, but over time she found something soothing in the silence. She had nearly fifteen years of experience as a cleaner, and she couldn’t sit […]
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«Stasik, I understand it’s not the right time, but I’m pregnant.» «Nika, that can’t be. I took the pills from my mother. Maybe it’s a hormonal imbalance?» «I thought so at first. I’ve had delays before, but not with nausea. I was at the clinic. It’s already three and a half months.» «This is somehow […]
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Polina married Sergey when her daughter Marina was three years old. She received child support from the father of her child, but her marriage to him had not been registered. And she was waiting for him to return from the military, but he came back with a pregnant wife. Sergey moved into Polina’s parents’ house, […]
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«Andrew, have you seen my blue scarf? The one you gave me last New Year’s?» Marina carefully sifted through the items in the closet, pretending to be very concerned about her search. «Look on the top shelf, behind the boxes,» Andrew called from the kitchen. «You put it there after the last… business trip.» Marina […]
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«Evgenia and her friend Inna had been sitting in the café for a solid hour, staring out the window, afraid to miss an important moment. They had already drunk two cups of coffee each and eaten their fill of pastries, yet nothing was happening on the other side of the glass. Evgenia decisively broke the […]
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«Masha, listen to me. Just wait, don’t cry. Where I’m going, they pay really well. It just turned out this way, but we can’t give up. I’ll earn money, and we’ll start over.» Vanya tried to calm her down. Masha shook her head in despair. «No, Vanya, no. I don’t want to. No money is […]
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«It’s not bad here,» Lyudmila Viktorovna stood in the middle of the living room, awkwardly clutching the handle of a well-worn suitcase. «Spacious.» Katya exchanged glances with her husband. Something was off. The mother-in-law, always ready to criticize every little thing in their house, suddenly says «not bad»? The same woman who complained about their […]
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