That evening, Anna carefully prepared the boiling solyanka. This was a dish that Sergey, her husband, especially loved. The children had already gone to bed, and the first snow was quietly falling outside the window. This was cozy night!!!

“Mom, is dad coming today?” asked fourteen-year-old Masha before going to bed.
“Of course, dear. He just has an important event – they’re celebrating the successful completion of a project.

It is unknown why Anna suddenly decided to go to the restaurant. Perhaps it was a call from Lena, the accountant from Sergey’s company, that caused alarm:

“Anechka, you should… come. Just see for yourself.”

The Panorama restaurant was on the twentieth floor of a new business center, offering beautiful views of the city.

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Stopping at the threshold, she froze, hearing a familiar voice:

– My homebody was cooking solyanka at home! – laughed Sergey, hugging the waist of a young blonde in a red dress that hugged every line of her figure.

– And here you and I, Lenochka, live a full life!

Anna watched Sergey, but at that moment he seemed completely alien to her – with flushed cheeks, shining eyes and that… Lena from the marketing department, pressed so close to him that only a sheet of paper could be pushed between them.

The first to notice her was Victoria Pavlovna, the head of security.
“Seryozha,” Anna said. Sergey turned around, and his face began to transform before our eyes: the joyful, drunken expression was replaced by confusion, then irritation, and soon anger.

“Ah, you’ve arrived!” He swayed.

“What, have you decided to play the role of a detective?”

“No, dear,” Anna answered, amazed at her own calm.

“I just thought that you might need that very solyanka you’re having so much fun over now.”

She took out a container of hot soup and placed it on the edge of the table. Lena in a red dress backed away, trying to disappear among the crowd of colleagues, like an invisible person.

“Sorry for disturbing your celebration,” Anna addressed the silent hall.

“Continue to enjoy.”

She was so angry, then the first thing Anna did when she got home was go to the kitchen and pour the meal into the sink.

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Masha came out of the room, disheveled, in pajamas with funny kittens:

– Mom, why are you home already? And where is dad?

– Dad… will be a little late, – answered Anna, trying to keep a smile.

– Go to bed, darling.

– Did something happen?

– Sometimes life gives us surprises that are hard to accept. But we are strong, right?

– Is it because of that woman from dad’s office?

– How do you know?

– Last month, I accidentally dropped in on dad at work…

– I saw them sitting in a cafe. He stroked her head, like he used to stroke me…

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier,” Masha whispered, looking down.

“I was afraid of hurting you.

Of course, tears were imminent – after all, this is normal for a person dealing with such pain.– Well, are you happy?

– You put on a whole show in front of the whole team!

– What did you expect?

– Do you find it interesting to come home every evening to cook dinner and talk about children or bills? Lena is young, energetic, you can discuss art with her, go to the theater …

– So you can’t do it with me anymore?

– Do you remember how we met? At the play “The Cherry Orchard”. You said then that the theater is boring, but you were ready to endure it for me. And then we walked around the city all night, arguing about Chekhov…

– “It was a long time ago.

The divorce was quick and happened peaceful.
The hardest thing to suffer from was loneliness.

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Anna’s restoration was immersion in work. She centered entirely on publishing projects, launching a new series of books for teenagers. To her surprise, Masha showed a keen interest in editing and began helping her mother after school.

“Mom, why don’t we create a book about divorce?” my daughter suggested one day.

“So that other kids will understand that it’s not the end of the world and that they are completely innocent.”

A year later, Anna knew that Lena had broken up Sergey for a young IT specialist.

One Sunday, he and Masha were cooking solyanka – this time using their own special recipe. It was snowing outside, Pavel was reading chapters from his new book to Dimka in the living room, and the air was filled with the aroma of spices and coziness.

– I used to think that love was similar to a fairy tale: you met a prince and lived happily ever after. Now I understand: true love is based first and foremost on mutual respect. For yourself, for your partner, for the feelings of loved ones.

– And one more thing,

– Love is not just making soups. It is making them with joy for those who truly appreciate not only the food, but also the person who cooked it.