I never imagined losing Rachel could hurt more. I considered her my sister in every way, not just my best friend. We met in 2nd grade. I was shy and bookish. She was brave, witty, and bold. We connected somehow. Emily and Rachel were inseparable throughout. I stayed with her till she died. I held […]
In a small Michigan town where secrets travel fast, I thought my prom dreams were over before they even began. Then, on the morning of prom, something unexpected pulled into my driveway. I’m 17 and a senior in a small Michigan town where everybody knows your favorite soda and your biggest heartbreak. Besides school, I […]
The call came on Saturday morning, while Andrey and I were still in bed, savoring a rare chance to sleep in. My husband reached for the phone reluctantly, and from his voice I immediately understood—it was my mother-in-law. “Yeah, Mom… When? For how long?…” Andrey spoke cautiously, as he always did when talking to his […]
— “You always knew I wasn’t a prize!” — Viktor threw his keys onto the dresser. — “But right now you’re just being hysterical!” — “Hysterical?” — Marina pressed a palm to her chest. — “I’m hysterical when your Svetka called me herself?” — “What Svetka? What are you even talking about?” Viktor was terrified […]
Olga was slowly stirring the buckwheat on the stove when the front door slammed so hard the glass in the display cabinets rattled. The September morning had only just begun, but her husband had already dashed off somewhere and come back in a near-frenzy. “Wife, have you lost it? Why doesn’t your card work?! I […]
Irina stood at the kitchen window, watching October leaves whirl in the air before dropping onto the wet asphalt. Ten-year-old Katya was fussing with her homework at the table, glancing at her mother now and then in the hope of getting help with math. “Mom, how do I solve this one?” the girl asked, pointing […]
The apartment door creaked open at half past ten at night. Marina stopped in the entryway, slipping the heavy bag from her shoulder. Her legs hummed after a twelve-hour shift at the hospital—today had been especially hard. Three emergency admissions, endless tests, one discharge after another… And at home—laughter, clattering dishes, and that nasty smell […]
Every leather-clad rider in that smoke-filled room went silent as this tiny child, dressed in Disney princess pajamas, stood in the doorway with tears streaming down her face, staring at thirty rough bikers like they were her last hope. She walked straight to Snake, the six-foot-four president of the Iron Wolves MC, scarred face and […]
The silence in the village house was its own kind—thick and ringing, like ice on a winter well. It didn’t soothe; it pressed down. Every clink of her mother’s spoons against the bottom of the enamel bowl, every rustle of her housecoat echoed in Liza’s soul as a quiet yet unmistakable reproach. Her mother never […]