06/04/2025
— What a beautiful house you have! No wonder we came right away with our suitcases, — the husband’s sister said cheerfully.
Larisa stood by the window, looking out at the construction site where just a month ago only pines and birches grew. Now, the frame of their future home stood tall — two stories, spacious, with large windows and a wide veranda. Exactly the kind she had dreamed of since childhood.
“Larka, come here!” her husband called from the kitchen. “Lenka is calling you.”
Larisa reluctantly stepped away from the window. Conversations with her sister-in-law always required a certain mindset — Lena knew how to turn any everyday little thing into a drama of universal scale.
“Hi, Lenus,” Larisa said, taking the phone from Andrey. “How are things in the south?”
“Larochka, dear!” Lena’s voice sounded unusually cheerful. “Can you believe it, Mishka’s contract got extended for a few more months! Of course, we could switch to remote work, but! The money is great, the climate’s wonderful, the kids are tanned like chocolates. Fruits, vegetables... I don’t want to leave!”
Larisa felt something tighten in her chest. It turned out they’d have to stay longer in Lena’s apartment. But the house was almost finished; they planned to move in a month.
“What about your apartment?” she asked cautiously. “We agreed on a shorter time; we pushed the builders to hurry...”
“Oh, come on!” Lena laughed. “What difference does it make? I understand your house will be ready soon, right? Move in boldly, and we’ll still live here for a while. The kids like it so much!”
Seeing his wife’s expression, Andrey took the phone:
“Len, what if we need to move in earlier? They promised to finish the finishing by the end of October.”
“Then just move in!” Lena waved off carelessly. “We understand! You have your own house now. Why do you need our two-room apartment?”
After the call, the couple was silent for a long time. Larisa was absently wiping already clean cups, and Andrey was flipping through some papers, clearly not reading them.
“What do you think?” he finally asked.
“I think your sister, as always, is giving in to emotions,” Larisa said, putting the cup into the cupboard with excessive sharpness. “It would be more practical to rent out the apartment so it doesn’t stand empty.”
“You know how she feels about strangers...” Andrey replied uncertainly. “It’s her business.”
“Agreed, I won’t interfere,” Larisa turned to her husband. “It’s just that your sister has seven Fridays in a week and quite a loose interpretation of life. It’s hard for me to find common ground with her. At least the house will be ready soon.”
The following weeks flew by in feverish activity. The builders really worked fast — by the end of October, the house was completely ready. Larisa couldn’t stop admiring the spacious living room with the fireplace, the kitchen with the island in the middle, the bedrooms with panoramic windows. It was exactly the house she had pictured in her imagination during long winter evenings in their cramped two-room apartment.
The move went quickly — there weren’t many things, and Andrey’s friends helped with the furniture. By evening, they were already sitting in their living room, sipping tea and enjoying the silence and space.
“We should call Lenka to tell her we moved,” Andrey said, taking out his phone.
“Definitely,” Larisa agreed. “Let her know her apartment is free, just in case.”
Lena received the news with enthusiasm:
“Oh, how great! Well done! Did the house turn out beautiful? Send photos! By the way, we’ll be visiting soon, Mishka already bought tickets for next week. After all, the kids should go to school, not lie on the beach. We’ll throw you a housewarming party!”
“Great,” Andrey smiled. “We’ll be waiting.”
Larisa smiled too, but somewhat tensely. Something about Lena’s tone made her uneasy, though she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly.
“Well, I told you! Seven Fridays in a week. She recently talked about ‘staying,’ and now she remembers the kids go to school, and suddenly she urgently needs to bring them here…”
—
A week later, a taxi pulled up to their gate. Suitcases started coming out — lots of suitcases. Too many for guests who were supposed to stay only a couple of days.
“Mom, the house is so big!” shouted ten-year-old Kirill, Lena’s son. “Can I live in the room with the balcony?”
“Of course, son,” Lena hugged the boy and looked at the house with an appraising glance. “There’s enough space for everyone.”
Larisa felt her heart skip a beat. She stepped out onto the porch with Andrey to greet the relatives.
“Lenka! Misha!” Andrey hugged his sister and brother-in-law. “How was the flight? How are the kids?”
“All great!” Lena kissed her brother and sister-in-law. “What a beautiful house you have! No wonder we came right away with suitcases,” she said happily, pointing to the impressive pile of luggage.
Larisa and Andrey exchanged looks.
“What do you mean — with suitcases?” Larisa asked slowly.
“Well, how else!” Misha, Lena’s husband, patted Andrey on the back. “We helped you for a year, gave up our own apartment. Now you’ll shelter us. Fair enough! Besides, the house is huge; there’s space for everyone.”
“Mom, where’s my room?” meanwhile asked twelve-year-old Vika, looking up at the second floor...
Continued in the comments
