« I sold my share, you’re moving out tomorrow! » the husband chuckled. But he didn’t know who exactly would be opening the door for him in a month.
« A year ago, I returned from the north a day early. And there… well, my wife wasn’t alone. She had an affair. We got divorced. I left her the apartment to avoid a lawsuit. And I decided to invest the money I’d saved. I didn’t have enough for the whole thing, so I took a share. I just need a place to throw my backpack and get some sleep. »
He spoke simply, without emotion, looking at his large, callused palms. Nina listened, and her own fear of this large, strange man gradually dissolved.
They started talking. No long, heart-to-heart talks, just short conversations over morning tea. Gleb fixed the leaky faucet in the kitchen, which Vadim had ignored for six months. Nina, in turn, started cooking soup for them. The apartment, once thick with complaints and recriminations, suddenly became calm.
A month passed. Gleb was packing his backpack for another shift. The hallway smelled of shoe polish and the bustle of travel. Nina stood nearby, unsure what to do with her hands. She didn’t want him to leave. He was safe with her.
« I’ll be back in four weeks, » he said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. « I changed the lock on the front door yesterday, the new keys are on the nightstand. If anything breaks, write to me and I’ll call a repairman. »
He left. The apartment was empty again, but now the loneliness was no longer oppressive. For the first time in a long time, Nina bought herself a new dress—a simple, dark blue one, instead of her usual shapeless turtlenecks. She began to notice the pleasant smell in the bakery near the metro, the crunch of leaves underfoot in the park. She was regaining her sense of self.
On Wednesday evening, as Nina was watering the ficus plant on the windowsill, the doorbell rang insistently. The lock clicked, and she opened the door slightly, leaving it hanging by the short chain.
Vadim stood in the stairwell. He looked like crap. His fashionable jacket was rumpled, there were dark shadows under his eyes, and his gaze was nervous and shifty.
« Open up, » he muttered, trying to pull the handle. « What’s this circus with locks? »
« What do you want? » Nina looked at him through the crack and realized with surprise that she was no longer afraid. He seemed pitiful to her.
« I came for winter tires, they’re lying on the balcony. And anyway… » Vadim paused, looking away. « How are you doing here? Are your neighbors driving you out? I told you so. »
Nina realized: it hadn’t worked out for him. His new life had fallen apart. His young girlfriend had likely drained him of all his spare cash and kicked him out the door as soon as domestic difficulties began. He’d come here hoping to see a broken, tearful Nina, to assert himself.
« I put the tires out on the landing next to the garbage chute yesterday, » Nina replied calmly. « Someone already took them. I’m doing just fine. »
She wanted to close the door, but Vadim managed to insert the toe of his shoe into the crack.
« Listen, don’t be so cheeky. Let me into the apartment, I need to sort through my things, » his voice became shrill.
At that moment, the elevator on the floor hummed to a halt. The doors slid open. Gleb stepped out onto the landing. He was supposed to leave only yesterday, but the flight was canceled due to a snowstorm, so he decided to return without warning.
Gleb slowly approached Vadim. The entrance hall became very quiet.
“Dude, take your leg off,” Gleb’s voice sounded muffled, but his tone made Vadim’s Adam’s apple twitch reflexively.
« Who are you anyway? » Vadim turned around, trying to look confident, but in front of Gleb, with his salt-stained windbreaker and heavy gaze, he looked like a mischievous teenager.
« I live here. But you’ve got the wrong door, » Gleb simply stepped between Vadim and the door, pushing him aside with his shoulder. « He took his foot away. He turned around. And walked toward the elevator. »
Vadim swallowed convulsively. He looked at Nina for support, but she only crossed her arms over her chest. No pity, no fear.
“Fuck you,” Vadim spat and, slouching, quickly walked down the stairs, not even waiting for the elevator.
Gleb watched him go, then turned to Nina. His face softened.
“The flight was canceled,” he said simply, taking off his backpack. “Will you let me in?”
Nina took off the chain and opened the door wide.
– Come in. I cooked borscht.
She watched him take off his shoes and place them on the rug, and felt something warm and alive blossom inside her. Vadim thought he’d ruined her life by selling those square meters. But in reality, he’d unknowingly given her the most precious gift. He’d freed up some space.
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