Alektina Petrovna consistently appeared at the store right at seven in the morning. The 24-hour “Products 24 Hours” store was usually empty at that time—only the night workers and occasional sleepless passers-by entered. Her worn gray coat and faded scarf had long been familiar to the staff. The old woman came twice a week, exactly […]
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Tatiana Leonidovna was just pouring the tea—regular, with bergamot. Suddenly, her mobile phone rang. She flinched—it was already almost nine in the evening. — Aunt Tanya? It’s Rita! Margarita! Do you remember me? Of course, she remembered. Her niece. Loud, red-haired, with a mole above her lip. The last time they saw each other was […]
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Tanya was going through documents in the drawer of her desk, trying to tidy up the papers that had been accumulating over the years. Among the old receipts and instructions for long-broken appliances, she found the divorce certificate. December. Four months had already passed. The divorce from Misha felt rather mundane. No shouting, no breaking […]
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Marina struggled with great effort to get to her feet. A sharp pain pierced her back, yet there was no time to delay. If she didn’t gather the forest’s treasures—mushrooms, berries—the approaching cold would turn into true torment. “Lord, Andrey, how are we going to get out of this? How do we go on? Why […]
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Who are you, Vanya, to tell me how to live?» Tamara Pavlovna’s voice was piercing, and her eyes sparkled with anger. «Do you think just because you’re courting my daughter, you can interfere in my affairs?» «I’m not interfering, Tamara Pavlovna,» Ivan tried to speak calmly, though anger was boiling inside him, «I’m just asking […]
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Grandfather Miron lit a memorial candle by the photograph of his wife, sat down on a stool, and sighed heavily… «Here, Tanya, it’s been forty days since you passed. I feel so lost without you,» he thought with bitterness. «It’s time for me to follow you… What am I doing here? The children are grown. […]
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Vera and Nikolai started their family as soon as they reached adulthood. Their romantic feelings had begun back in high school. Vera wasn’t eager to marry early because she believed in the importance of education. However, her chosen partner countered that without financial support and useful connections, it would be nearly impossible for them to […]
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The world began to return to Katya gradually, as if through a thick fog. The first glimpse of reality was the snowy white ceiling overhead, blurry and indistinct. Sounds emerged one after another: the rhythmic clicking of medical devices, muffled conversations, the rustle of clothing. «Where am I?» – the thought slowly pushed its way […]
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— When was the last time there was a chair?” the handsome nurse looked sternly at Elena. She had turned and leaned against the wall. “— So, when then,” he repeated. “— A lying down is bound to get delayed, and nothing should remain lying, while we’ll fix everything else.” Elena had been lying down […]
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Don’t expect to live here under Christ’s protection,” the stepfather’s voice cut through the silence like a knife. “Your mother is dead, and with her passing, all your privileges are over.” I stood in the entrance hall of the house I once considered my own, clutching the handle of an old suitcase. After three years […]
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