Victoria stayed at work for a full two hours longer than usual. Two new clients had booked appointments with her based on their friends’ recommendations.
– We want to see only you, Victoria Andreevna! You’re undoubtedly the best hairdresser in our town! – these words made the woman smile all the way home.
Maybe it was really time to take the leap and start her own business? Enough of waiting for “better times” and being afraid.
With these thoughts, Victoria unknowingly made her way home. In the hallway, she heard unfamiliar voices from inside her apartment. She quickly opened the door and froze in surprise at the threshold. A battered backpack was lying on the floor, dirty shoes scattered around, and the smell of alcohol wafted from the kitchen.
– Vika, do you recognize him? Kirill is back! – her husband looked out from the kitchen, smiling strangely.
Pavel’s younger brother, Kirill, was sitting on the kitchen couch, absentmindedly staring at the table. The same Kirill who had left home four years ago to be with a dancer from a nightclub.
– Hey, – her brother-in-law didn’t even lift his eyes.
– Mom, who’s that? – her daughter, just back from her dance lessons, whispered.
– That’s your Uncle Kirill, Dad’s brother, – Victoria tried to speak calmly. – You probably don’t remember him. You were too young when he left.
– Why is he so… strange? – Alice lowered her voice.
– Go to your room, sweetie. We’ll talk later.
Victoria walked into the bathroom and turned on the water. She needed a moment to collect herself. Her tired face stared back from the mirror. She slowly ran her hand through her hair: it was time to dye her roots, but her thoughts were elsewhere.
Four years ago, when Kirill left the house, she had seen how hard it was for Pavel. He didn’t speak to his parents for a month, blaming them for driving his brother away. Then he seemed to accept it, stopped mentioning Kirill, and ignored his rare calls. But it seemed like everything had changed now.
Pavel came into the bedroom behind his wife, hesitated for a moment, and then quietly spoke:
– He’s staying with us. For a while, at least. My brother needs support. Kirill’s really in a bad state. She cheated on him, that’s why they divorced. He can’t go back to our parents.
– And you decided this on your own? Without asking me? Without discussing it with me? – Victoria turned to face her husband. – Don’t you think this is a bit presumptuous?
– What was there to discuss? He’s my brother, and he has nowhere to go.
– Pavel, we have a teenage daughter. Did you see his condition? Do you think it’s okay for her to see that every day? Kirill…
– That’s exactly why he needs help. Family! – Pavel finally looked his wife in the eyes. – You know I can’t just leave him. I can’t.
– How long will this go on?
– As long as it takes. He needs to get back on his feet.
– And what about Alice? Have you thought about her? She’s at that age…
– Vika, stop! – Pavel raised his voice, something he had never done before. – He’s my brother. My younger brother. I’m not going to abandon him.
Victoria opened her mouth to respond but froze. There was something in her husband’s voice that made her stop. For the first time in their fourteen years together, she heard a harshness in it.
– Fine, – she turned toward the window. – Just warn him, don’t let him drink here. And he needs to find a job.
Pavel said nothing, turned, and quietly left the room. Victoria heard him speaking quietly with his brother in the kitchen through the wall. Very quietly. Probably so she wouldn’t overhear.
It was well past midnight when the voices finally died down. Victoria lay awake, listening to the footsteps in the hallway. Pavel didn’t go to bed immediately. He paced back and forth, probably making arrangements for his brother in the living room.
– Everything will be okay, – her husband whispered as he climbed into bed. But Victoria no longer felt sure of that.
The morning began with the smell of alcohol lingering in the kitchen. Victoria silently prepared breakfast for her daughter, trying not to notice the empty bottles on the table and the dirty ashtray.
In a month, she had almost gotten used to the kitchen turning into a 24-hour bar for two.
– Mom, I’m off to school, – Alice slipped past her uncle, who was sleeping on the couch, clutching her backpack to her chest. Lately, the girl tried to be home less: she had joined some club and spent time at her friends’ houses.
Victoria watched her daughter rush out the door once again and felt the anger boil inside her.
This “temporary” guest had managed to ruin everything they had built over the years: cozy family evenings, shared dinners, the open-hearted talks with Alice.
– Good morning, – Pavel came out of the bedroom already dressed for the day. – Is there any coffee?
– There’s some left. From yesterday, – his wife nodded toward the coffee pot. – By the way, we need to talk.
– Not now, I’m late, – Pavel grabbed the cup and grimaced at the cold coffee.
– When, Pavel? You’re late every day. And in the evenings, you sit with your brother.
He paused at the door and asked, confused:
– What do you mean?
– What I mean is that it’s time to decide. We can’t keep supporting a grown man forever. It’s wrong!
– He’s depressed, Vika. You see the state he’s in.
– And what about us? Are we not a mess? Alice doesn’t want to come home. Every day I come back to a mess and the smell of alcohol. You…
– What about me?
– You’ve changed. You’re not the man I knew. You’ve become someone else.
Pavel set his coffee cup down:
– You know what? Let’s talk tonight. Calmly. No hysterics.
– No. Now! – Victoria blocked her husband’s path to the door. – I want Kirill gone in a week. He needs to rent an apartment, find a job. Do whatever he wants, but not live off of us!
– Are you serious? – Pavel squinted, furious. – You’re suggesting I kick my own brother out?
– I’m suggesting we stop being a free hotel! He’s not even trying to change anything!
– Because he needs time! It’s obvious!
– How much time? A month? A year? A lifetime? – Victoria almost shouted. – Do you understand what’s happening to our family? Or does it not matter to you?
– Do you understand that he’s also my family? And I’m not abandoning my brother like our parents did. Even if you want me to!
– So the decision has been made? – tears flowed from her eyes.
– It’s not a choice, Vika. It’s a duty. But you don’t seem to understand that.
Pavel left, closing the door carefully behind him. From the living room, Victoria heard Kirill snoring. She slowly sat down at the table, staring at Pavel’s cold coffee.
Before, Pavel had never left without kissing her goodbye.
For almost a week, the couple didn’t speak.
Victoria left for work early and came home late. Pavel pretended not to notice her absence: he stayed up late with his brother, discussing whatever was on their minds.
Alice was caught between her parents, trying to smooth things over, but only getting annoyed responses: “Everything’s fine, honey, don’t worry.”
At night, lying in bed, Victoria listened to the voices from the kitchen. The brothers spoke softly, but sometimes she could hear fragments: “She doesn’t understand… family should help… you’re too soft with her…”
On Friday, Pavel came home early. Kirill was asleep in the living room, and Alice was in her room listening to music.
Victoria was making dinner, absentmindedly stirring the soup. Cooking always helped her calm down and collect her thoughts.
– I’ve made up my mind, – Pavel leaned against the doorframe, looking at her confidently. – I found a solution that will work for everyone.
Victoria silently continued stirring the soup, waiting for him to continue. She had learned to stay silent this week. It was easier.
– The solution is right in front of us. Kirill can stay in your apartment.
Victoria slowly set the spoon down. That apartment had always been her personal safety net. Her godmother had given it to her before she got married. She always decided what to do with it. And now…
– There are tenants there, – she tried to speak calmly.
– So what? – Pavel shrugged indifferently. – We’ll warn them, they’ll find somewhere else. What’s so difficult?
– Pavel, are you out of your mind? They’ve paid a year in advance. They have a contract. Two young kids. I won’t do anything like that. It’s not up for discussion!
– Well, then. I’ve made my proposal! Kirill stays here. That’s not up for discussion! – Pavel tossed the words at her dismissively. – Do what you want!
Victoria wiped her hands slowly with a towel and turned to her husband.
– Are you serious? You’re ready to kick a family with kids out, who pays their rent, just to put your brother there? For free?
– What else can I do? You wanted him to leave.
– I wanted him to start his own life. Find a job, rent an apartment. Finally become a man. Not lie around on our couch like a rag!
– He’s depressed!
– Seriously? Depressed? Or is it just an easy way to live off of others? Drink our wine, eat our food, sleep on our couch!
Pavel glared at her angrily, clenched his fists, and hissed:
– Don’t you dare insult my brother! You have no right to!
Victoria looked him in the eye. She finally realized that this wasn’t just a temporary lapse of judgment, not just a desire to help his brother. This was a choice. And it had already been made.
– Fine, – she said calmly, smiling slightly. – I understand.
Pavel blinked in confusion. He was clearly expecting shouting, tears, and accusations:
– What… what do you understand?
– Everything! Dinner’s ready. Are you going to call your brother?
Pavel stood there for a few more seconds, studying his wife’s unusually calm face, then slowly walked out of the kitchen. Once he was sure she wasn’t around, Victoria pulled out her phone and dialed the number of her realtor friend.
– Good evening, Marina. Remember you mentioned a good legal firm? I need a consultation. Urgently.
From Alice’s room, the music still played. Victoria walked over to her daughter’s door and pressed her forehead against the cool wood.
– Everything will be fine, sweetheart, – she whispered. – Mom knows what to do.
The next three weeks, Victoria was hardly ever home. She took on extra hours at the salon and enrolled in advanced training courses.
Alice stayed with her grandmother, saying she needed to study for exams.
Pavel didn’t object much. In the evenings, two men ruled the apartment: watching football, ordering pizza, and loudly discussing their topics.
Victoria felt like a stranger in her own house.
Every morning she found the remnants of their late-night gatherings in the kitchen: empty bottles, cigarette butts in coffee cups, greasy pizza boxes.
Pavel seemed to ignore the mess: he left early in the morning, kissing his brother on the head. He didn’t kiss her anymore, not even in passing.
But one day, everything changed…
Pavel came home in an unusually good mood. A wide smile never left his face. There was still the smell of morning alcohol in the kitchen, but he seemed to ignore it.
– You can be happy now! – his eyes sparkled. – Kirill has decided to live on his own.
Victoria froze, holding a cup in her hands.
– Really?
– Yes! Can you believe it? He said he’s tired of living off us. He found a side job, and he’s making plans.
– That’s… great, – Victoria felt a spark of hope rise inside her again. Maybe everything would be okay? Maybe she wouldn’t have to…
– Of course, it’s great! – her husband plopped down into a chair. – Now we just need to help him settle in. Until he changes his mind.
– Help him how?
– In a direct way. Tomorrow, you’ll call your tenants, tell them they need to move out. Give them a month to find somewhere else. We can offer them a small compensation.
Victoria looked at her husband in disappointment and said firmly:
– We’ve already discussed this. The matter is closed!
– Yes, but now everything is different! Kirill wants to start a new life. He needs a year or a year and a half to get back on his feet. Let’s help him!
– No. That’s out of the question! I’m not kicking a family with kids out for your brother.
Pavel abruptly stood up, causing the chair to crash against the wall.
– Don’t you understand? He’s finally awake! He’s ready to fight! And you…
– And I’m the problem, – Victoria suddenly calmed down. – Right?
– Exactly! You’re always putting up obstacles. You only think about yourself!
– Fine, – she carefully wiped up the coffee spill. – I understand.
– And what did you decide?
Victoria looked at her husband and quietly said:
– I made my decision three weeks ago. I was just waiting for you to finally put everything into place.
Victoria left the kitchen, leaving Pavel standing alone. In the bedroom, on the nightstand, was a folder full of documents: everything had been prepared in advance. Victoria hadn’t wasted those three weeks.
– Don’t try to scare me, – Victoria smiled, looking at her husband’s bewildered face. – I decided to leave a long time ago. No matter what you think.
– What are you talking about? – Pavel nervously adjusted his jacket. Footsteps were heard in the hallway. Kirill, apparently, had woken up from their voices.
– Since you brought up the topic of moving… – Victoria held up the blue folder.
– What’s this? – her husband stared at the papers, confused.
– The divorce petition. I submitted it two weeks ago, – Victoria spoke calmly and confidently. Inside, she was trembling, but she didn’t let it show in her voice.
Pavel turned pale, opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again:
– Y-You… what?
– And this, – Victoria pulled out another set of papers, – is the sale agreement for my apartment. The one you wanted to move your brother into. The deal is almost finalized.
– Wait… how… why? – Pavel sank onto a chair as if his legs had given way.
– And finally, – she placed another envelope in front of him. – These are the papers for the sale of my share in this apartment. You can live here with your brother, or with a whole regiment, I don’t care. The deal will go through as soon as we’re divorced.
– You’ve gone crazy! This is our home!
– It was. Until you turned it into a hostel for your grown-up brother.
– Vika, let’s talk…
– No, Pavel, – his wife shook her head. – We’ve talked enough. Over these weeks, I’ve realized I’m tired. Very tired. Of your indecision, your blind loyalty to your brother, and the constant smell of alcohol in the kitchen.
– But… what about Alice?
– Alice is coming with me. To Krasnodar.
– Where?!
– To Krasnodar. I’ve already found an apartment there with the money from selling the one you wanted to give to Kirill. And I’ve found a place for the studio.
Pavel grabbed his head and begged with a pleading voice:
– You can’t do this!
– I can. And I am. Because I, unlike some people, know how to make decisions and take responsibility for my life.
In the doorway, a disheveled Kirill appeared, looking confused.
– What’s going on?
– Nothing special, – Victoria gathered the papers back into the folder. – I just finally realized that for some people, it’s easier to support an adult brother than to save their family.
– Vika, wait!
But the woman had already left the kitchen, not wanting to continue the conversation.
A month later, Victoria stood on the balcony of her new apartment. Below, the unfamiliar city buzzed, and the air smelled of blooming magnolias. In the next room, Alice was unpacking, humming something cheerful.
– Mom, when are we going to see your studio? – she called out.
– Tomorrow, sweetie. Everything will be tomorrow.
A new life had begun, without calls from the past. Without alcohol in the kitchen. Without strangers in her house. And for the first time in a long time, she felt calm and at peace.
The city outside her window hummed with life, knowing nothing about their history. And that was perfect.