— If your mommy shows up at our place at seven in the morning even one more time and walks into our bedroom to check how you’re sleeping, she’ll go flying off the balcony or down the stairs—and you right after her! Got it?!

“Shoes off and straight to the bathroom. Don’t drag that street grime into my kitchen.” Bathroom furniture Irina’s voice—flat and cold, like the ceramic tile underfoot—met Andrei right at the threshold. He’d just finished a twelve-hour night shift; his body hummed with exhaustion, and his head still held the monotonous drone of the shop machines. […]

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“How rude! I brought your relatives, and she practically threw us out on the doorstep! She didn’t even offer us tea!”

Anna opened the door and froze. On the threshold stood her mother-in-law with two strangers and a bouquet of wilted chrysanthemums.   — Anna, meet them! — Elena Petrovna beamed. — This is Roman and Svetlana, Sergey’s first cousins. They’re passing through the city, and I decided… — Hello, — Anna replied coolly, not moving […]

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