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Vera stood in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for the stew. Her hands worked mechanically while her thoughts wandered far away. Anna Sergeyevna had been gone for a week now. And that time seemed endless.
\nThe mother-in-law had left so suddenly\u2014just a month after her husband. The doctors said her heart had given out. But Vera knew\u2014it wasn\u2019t only her heart; her soul could not bear the separation from Mikhail Petrovich. Forty years together, not a single day apart.<\/p>\n
Outside, a light rain was falling. A gray October day, as if nature herself were mourning Anna Sergeyevna.<\/p>\n
The front door slammed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s me,\u201d came the voice of her husband, Andrey, from the hallway. She was not alone\u2014other footsteps and hushed conversation could be heard.<\/p>\n
Vera wiped her hands on a towel and stepped out of the kitchen. In the corridor, Andrey was helping his sister Irina remove her coat.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Vera. Sorry for coming without warning,\u201d said Irina, nodding without even looking into her eyes.<\/p>\n
The behavior of the brother and sister was somehow odd.<\/p>\n
\u201cWould you like some tea?\u201d Vera asked, trying not to betray her irritation.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure,\u201d Andrey grumbled as he walked into the living room. \u201cAnd make it as strong as possible, if you have it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina settled into an armchair, straightening her back and folding her hands on her knees. Always like that\u2014perfect posture, immaculate makeup, even in a moment of sorrow.<\/p>\n
Vera put the kettle on and returned with a bottle. Andrey immediately poured himself and his sister some.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo mom,\u201d he said, raising his shot glass.<\/p>\n
They drank. Vera did not touch her own glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow are you, Vera?\u201d Irina asked, though her tone lacked genuine interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m managing,\u201d Vera replied shortly. \u201cSo many troubles after everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, Andrey would have told you anyway, so I\u2019ll say it directly,\u201d Irina continued, setting her glass on the table and looking at Vera. \u201cMy brother and I have decided that we will sell our parents\u2019 summer house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vera froze. Her breath caught.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re selling? \u2014 she asked, almost in disbelief. \u2014 When?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sooner, the better,\u201d Andrey interjected. \u201cWhy delay? It\u2019s a good lot, not far from the city\u2014we\u2019ll find a buyer quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vera stared at them both, not believing her ears. That very summer house she had visited every weekend for the last three years. Where she had weeded the garden beds together with Anna Sergeyevna. Where she had painted the fence with Mikhail Petrovich. Where she had cooked meals for everyone when the elders could no longer manage.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow we\u2019ll go to the notary, and we\u2019ll arrange everything,\u201d Andrey continued, oblivious to the pallor that had overtaken his wife\u2019s face. \u201cI\u2019ve already gathered the documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you even remember the last time you were at that summer house?\u201d Vera asked softly.<\/p>\n
Andrey and Irina exchanged glances.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that have to do with anything?\u201d Andrey frowned. \u201cIt\u2019s our parents\u2019 summer house, and we are their children. We have every right to dispose of the inheritance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo years ago,\u201d Vera said, looking directly at her husband. \u201cYou were there two years ago. During the May holidays. You grilled kebabs and then left. And Irina hadn\u2019t been there even longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have work, children,\u201d Irina snapped. \u201cNot everyone has time to make trips to summer houses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I, then, have a truckload of time?\u201d Vera raised her voice. \u201cI drove to your parents\u2019 place every weekend. I shopped for groceries, cleaned, repaired what I could. Alone! Because you all were too busy!\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cVera, stop it,\u201d Andrey tapped his shot glass on the table. \u201cYou aren\u2019t their daughter by blood to make demands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Five years of marriage\u2014three of which Vera had, in effect, replaced Anna Sergeyevna and Mikhail Petrovich as the caregivers for children who had turned their backs on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot by blood,\u201d she repeated slowly. \u201cAnd were you ever really their own? When father fell ill, who took care of him? When mother asked for money for medicine, who brought it? When the roof leaked, who called the repairmen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVera, let\u2019s not get melodramatic,\u201d Irina frowned. \u201cYou did your duty. We\u2019re grateful, of course. But these are our parents, and the inheritance is, by law\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGrateful?\u201d Vera bitterly smiled. \u201cDo you know what your mother used to say every time I came? \u2018Vera, dear, how wonderful that we have you. At least someone remembers us.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow at eleven we\u2019re going to the notary\u2014our family\u2019s notary. We\u2019ll take care of the documents,\u201d said Andrey, ignoring his wife\u2019s words. \u201cIf you want, come with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll come,\u201d Vera declared as she rose from the table. \u201cI\u2019ll definitely come.\u201d<\/p>\n
She left the room, leaving them alone with their plans. In her ears, the words of her mother-in-law, spoken not long ago, echoed: \u201cVera, you are the one who never abandoned us. I will never forget that.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the bedroom, Vera sank onto the bed and covered her face with her hands. Before her eyes appeared the image of Mikhail Petrovich teaching her how to tie tomatoes. Anna Sergeyevna demonstrating the proper way to can cucumbers. Their happy faces when she arrived on Saturday mornings with little gifts.<\/p>\n
And now someone wanted to sell their home, their garden, their world\u2014like an object, like useless junk.<\/p>\n
There was a knock on the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cVera, why did you run away?\u201d Andrey entered the room. \u201cWe haven\u2019t finished discussing everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is there to discuss?\u201d she looked up at him. \u201cYou\u2019ve already decided everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, we can buy a bigger apartment. Sell the summer house, split the money, and it will be enough,\u201d Andrey sat down beside her. \u201cYou yourself said you want to move.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot at this cost.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt what cost?\u201d he waved his hand irritably. \u201cThere are no parents left. Who needs that summer house? No one is left to go there, no one is left to take care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlone?\u201d Andrey smirked. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause a part of their soul remains there,\u201d Vera answered quietly. \u201cYour mother and father. Whom you, it seems, have already forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrey abruptly stood up.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what? Tomorrow we\u2019ll finalize all the papers, and that\u2019s that. Enough of this sentimentality.\u201d<\/p>\n
He left, the door slamming loudly behind him.<\/p>\n
Vera approached the window. The rain had intensified, drumming against the glass. How often had she gazed at similar rains, sitting on the porch of the summer house with Anna Sergeyevna, wrapped in a blanket and sipping tea with raspberries. \u201cChildren do not always understand what\u2019s important,\u201d her mother-in-law used to say. \u201cSometimes they see only what they wish to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
She took a deep breath. Tomorrow they would meet the notary, and then everything would collapse.<\/p>\n
The notary\u2019s office greeted them with a cool atmosphere and the scent of paper. Irina tapped her nails nervously on her purse. Andrey checked his phone every two minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease come in,\u201d invited their notary, Pavel Dmitrievich\u2014a gray-haired man with attentive eyes.<\/p>\n
They entered the office. Vera sat a little apart from her husband and sister-in-law.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we have gathered here regarding the inheritance of Mikhail Petrovich and Anna Sergeyevna Sokolov,\u201d began the notary, laying out the documents. \u201cI understand that your loss is fresh; please accept my condolences.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, let\u2019s get to the point,\u201d Irina interrupted impatiently.<\/p>\n
Pavel Dmitrievich nodded. \u201cI have a will that was prepared by your parents,\u201d he said, pulling out a folder. \u201cIt was executed three months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrey straightened up.<\/p>\n
\u201cA will? What will? By law, the heirs of the first order are you and your sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, if there were no will,\u201d confirmed the notary. \u201cBut your parents left clear instructions regarding their property.\u201d<\/p>\n
He opened the folder and put on his glasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe summer house plot with the house and all the outbuildings in the \u2018Berezka\u2019 gardening association, as well as the bank account at Sberbank, pass to\u2026 \u2014 he paused \u2014 to Vera Alexeevna Sokolova.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence fell over the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat nonsense?!\u201d Irina jumped up. \u201cThis must be some mistake!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo mistake,\u201d the notary replied calmly. \u201cThe will was executed and notarized in full compliance with the rules. Here, take a look.\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed over the document. Andrey grabbed it, scanned the paper quickly, and his face flushed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is impossible,\u201d he muttered through gritted teeth. \u201cThey could not have done this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey could have, and they did,\u201d the notary said firmly. \u201cThere is also a letter in the will addressed to all of you. Would you like to read it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Without waiting for an answer, he produced another envelope.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Our dear children, Andrey and Irina, \u2014 the notary began reading, \u2018the decision we have made may seem unfair to you. But in the last years of our lives, only Vera cared for us. Only she found the time and strength to be by our side. We bequeath to her the summer house and a modest savings balance not as a rebuke to you, but as a token of our gratitude. We hope that you will understand. With love, your parents.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina clutched her purse.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much is in the account?\u201d she snapped.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne million seven hundred thousand rubles,\u201d replied the notary.<\/p>\n
Vera\u2019s eyes widened in astonishment. She had not known that her in-laws had managed to save anything.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were saving for treatment,\u201d she murmured quietly. \u201cAnna Sergeyevna had said they wanted to go to a sanatorium\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you will go!\u201d Andrey exploded. \u201cYou seduced our parents, you took advantage of their trust!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c Andrey!\u201d the notary interjected. \u201cPlease, calm down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow could she?!\u201d Andrey persisted. \u201cWhile we were working, she was bewitching my parents!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not bewitch them. I loved them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou loved their money and property!\u201d Irina glared at her with hatred. \u201cClearly, all those years of effort were not in vain!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough!\u201d Vera stood up. \u201cHave you ever once visited them at that summer house when father could barely rise? Not even once visited mother? Even once?\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have my own family,\u201d she mumbled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they only had me,\u201d Vera finished softly.<\/p>\n
The notary cleared his throat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you wish to contest the will, that is your right. But I must warn you: in cases like these, judicial practice\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will contest it!\u201d Andrey interrupted. \u201cIt\u2019s unfair. They were our parents!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were your parents,\u201d Vera corrected. \u201cBut you only remembered that when you needed something.\u201d<\/p>\n
They left the notary\u2019s office in silence. The rain had stopped, but the sky remained low and gray.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go home,\u201d Andrey declared. \u201cWe need to talk about everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
The discussion turned into a shouting match as soon as they crossed the threshold of the apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must renounce the inheritance!\u201d Andrey yelled, pacing in the living room.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our money! Our summer house!\u201d Vera retorted. \u201cWhen the roof was leaking, you said there was no money for repairs. When the fence collapsed, you dismissed it. When father needed medicine\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShut up!\u201d Andrey bellowed. \u201cYou always wanted more of their attention than we did!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted them not to feel abandoned!\u201d Vera shouted back. \u201cI was there while you were splitting up their apartment!\u201d<\/p>\n
A silence crashed down like thunder. Irina turned pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know\u2026\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course I know,\u201d Vera replied bitterly. \u201cAnna Sergeyevna told me everything\u2014how you persuaded them to reassign the city apartment, how you promised to buy them a house closer to the city, and how quickly you sold it, splitting the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted what was best,\u201d Andrey mumbled, not looking at his wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou only thought of yourselves,\u201d Vera said sharply. \u201cAnd now you want to take even the last bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
She headed toward the bedroom. Andrey lunged after her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPacking,\u201d Vera replied, grabbing her suitcase.<\/p>\n
\u201cVera, what are you doing?\u201d Andrey grabbed her hand. \u201cAre you really willing to tear everything apart over some summer house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot for the summer house,\u201d she freed herself. \u201cBut because today I saw the real you. And that frightens me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are my wife!\u201d Andrey suddenly changed his tone. \u201cLet\u2019s discuss this calmly. We could sell the summer house and split the money three ways, fairly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFairly?\u201d Vera shook her head. \u201cNo, Andrey. I will not surrender the summer house. I won\u2019t disgrace their memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll file for divorce!\u201d Andrey threatened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t care!\u201d<\/p>\n
Eight months later, Vera stood on the porch of the summer cottage, inhaling the scent of pines. She had renovated it, hired a crew that reinforced the foundation and replaced the roof. And with the money from the account, Vera bought a small studio in the city.<\/p>\n
The trial was brief. The will was upheld, and Andrey\u2019s and Irina\u2019s claims were deemed unfounded. The divorce was processed quickly, and there was practically nothing to divide.<\/p>\n
Vera sat on a bench beneath the apple tree that Mikhail Petrovich had once planted. She planned to expand the garden in the spring and plant strawberries, just as Anna Sergeyevna had dreamed.<\/p>\n
From the open window of the porch drifted the aroma of freshly brewed tea. Vera often imagined that her mother-in-law was sitting there again, in her favorite armchair, waiting for her daughter-in-law to return from the garden beds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did everything the way you wanted,\u201d Vera whispered, watching the sunset. \u201cYour home will always be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The evening wind gently swayed the branches of the apple tree, as if Mikhail Petrovich and Anna Sergeyevna were nodding in response. Deep in her soul, Vera felt\u2014they knew. They always knew that she would not betray them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vera stood in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for the stew. Her hands worked mechanically while her thoughts wandered far away. Anna Sergeyevna had been gone for a… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n