Chapter 2: Shadows of Doubt
Katya stepped over the threshold of the apartment, and the familiar smell of home enveloped her. It had once made her feel safe and happy, but now it seemed suffocating. She looked around the living room, where old Soviet furniture was juxtaposed with modern appliances – a visual embodiment of their family life, stuck between the past and the future.
With mechanical movements, Katya began to prepare dinner. The sounds in the kitchen merged into a monotonous rhythm: the clatter of the knife against the cutting board, the sizzle of oil in the pan, the hum of the refrigerator. From the nursery came the muffled laughter of the children, and the old clock on the wall counted down the minutes with inexorable precision. All these sounds, so familiar and once so cozy, now only emphasized the tension that hung in the air.
– Mom, can you help us with our homework? – Masha, the eldest daughter, looked into the kitchen.
Katya sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. "Of course, sweetie. I'll be right there."
She settled with the children at the dining room table, sorting out math problems and helping with reading. Suddenly the front door lock clicked. Katya flinched, feeling her shoulders tense.
Sasha entered the apartment without raising his eyes. He threw a short "Hello" and went straight to his office without even looking at the children.
– Dad, will you see how I learned to read? – timidly asked Masha.
– Not now, – Sasha threw over his shoulder, closing the office door behind him.
Katya caught herself clenching her fists. A memory flashed before her eyes: Sasha, laughing and tossing little Masha in the air. Where had that time gone? When their home was filled with laughter and warmth?
– Mom, why is Dad so sad? – quietly asked the youngest, Misha.
Katya stroked her son's head, trying to find words. "Daddy is very tired at work, sunshine. Let's not bother him, okay?"