Ethan hadn’t even had the chance to ring the doorbell when the metal door swung open, and an elderly woman in a bright satin robe shouted from the threshold: — Hurry up and come in! Where have you been? Get to the kitchen, quick! What are you standing there for? — Sorry, but I… — Ethan began, still hiding a bouquet of flowers behind his back, but the strange woman had already disappeared into the depths of the apartment. Ethan shrugged, hesitantly stepped inside, placed the flowers on a small entryway table, took off his shoes, and, still in his …

Why did she wake up so early? There’s no need to go to work anymore, no one to cook breakfast for, the cat hasn’t come back in a week, and yet sleep has completely vanished from her eyes. So, what’s left? Those memories again. They didn’t used to be so persistent, so relentlessly intrusive, but now they’ve seized control and surface whenever they please. Two days ago, she saw her son, his wife, and their little grandson off to another country. For a whole year, they’d been talking, trying to convince her to go with them. Even her little grandson, …

Ellen hurried to the train station. Today, her close friend Mary was coming to visit. Upon arriving, she realized she’d rushed for nothing. The train was delayed by nearly three hours. Realizing it made no sense to head back home—traffic would take longer, and she’d likely be late—she began aimlessly wandering the station. She never liked noisy places, especially train stations. The constant rush of people, beggars, the homeless, thieves… She couldn’t understand why they all flocked to markets and stations, the most crowded places. Spotting a young, dirty-looking man, she grimaced in disgust, wondering how someone so young could …

Friday evening, my girlfriends and I popped into a bar to enjoy a glass of whiskey, just to unwind after a long workweek. I’m a single woman, as they say these days, passively looking for love. At home, only my beloved cat waits for me. I haven’t had a relationship with a man that involves any sort of commitment in five years. Things just haven’t worked out—either he wasn’t right, or I wasn’t. And honestly, men in today’s society often take the path of least resistance, trying to spark a woman’s interest through social media. If a cold-hearted lady doesn’t …

Hope woke up because her husband was gently stroking her hair: — Darling, did you already miss me overnight? Daniel pulled his hand back and said: — Almost… My sunshine, are you okay? You’re all sweaty. Hope got out of bed and replied: — I had some kind of bad dream, I don’t even know what it means. Her husband followed her up: — If you want, I’ll make breakfast myself. Just don’t laugh if I mess it up again. Hope smiled and said: — Oh, come on, I know what you’ll make. Probably your favorite scrambled eggs again? Oh, …