Suddenly, the sharp ringing of the phone shattered the morning silence, pulling Marina from the depths of sleep. With effort, she forced her heavy eyelids open and reached for the bedside table. The screen lit up with the name Aunt Zina. Her heart clenched involuntarily. Their last conversation had been over a year ago, during a heated argument at Grandma’s birthday.
Hello, she croaked, clearing her throat from the dryness of the night.
Marinushka, for heaven’s sake, don’t hang up. Aunt Zina’s voice had an unfamiliar softness. I understand there were tense moments between us… but Uncle Petya and I are planning to visit Novosibirsk in a week. Do you mind if we stay with you for a day or two
Marina sat up abruptly, shaking her head in an attempt to wake up fully. Images of that long-ago conflict flashed before her eyes.
When will you finally think about marriage Aunt Zina had thundered, unashamed of her loudness. At your age, I had already raised two children. And you’re still out there on your own, only thinking about your career. How selfish you are. Grandma will never see her great-grandchildren because of you.
Aunt Zina, I… Marina had started but hesitated. I don’t live in Novosibirsk anymore. I moved.
What do you mean, moved Where to Aunt Zina’s tone shifted immediately, growing firm and demanding.
To Krasnoyarsk. Three months ago.
A heavy silence stretched between them, filled with unspoken surprise.
And you deliberately kept this from your dear aunt Aunt Zina fumed. And does your mother know
Of course she knows, Marina replied, feeling a wave of anxiety rise. I just needed to start fresh, with a clean slate.
Oh, is that so Aunt Zina drawled. Alright, but we’re still stopping by. Uncle Petya has long wanted to see Krasnoyarsk. And Dimka and Nastya, your cousins, also want to see you.
Aunt Zina, no Marina nearly screamed. I’m having renovations.
What renovations We can even sleep on the floor, Aunt Zina dismissed her protest.
Really, please, no, Marina pleaded. I’m too busy. And the apartment is so small.
But Aunt Zina wasn’t listening anymore. Her voice faded as she spoke to Uncle Petya, and then the connection abruptly dropped.
The following seven days turned into an endless ordeal. Marina knew her aunt’s nature all too well. Once she made up her mind, no obstacle could stop her. The phone rang incessantly, yet Marina ignored every call with determined precision.
Then the inevitable happened. One Saturday morning at seven, a message appeared on her screen. We’re standing outside your building. Come down, help with the things.
Marina’s breath caught. They must have gone to her old address in Novosibirsk. With trembling fingers, she typed, I told you—I’m in Krasnoyarsk.
A minute later, her phone rang again, this time with an angry call.
Where are you roaming, irresponsible girl We’ve been waiting outside your apartment for an hour Aunt Zina’s voice was already raised.
There was a sudden crash on the line, followed by furious pounding on what must have been the door.
Open immediately. I know full well that you’re home.
Then, just as suddenly, all sounds ceased, and a deep male voice broke through.
What kind of nerve is this Who is this Marina you keep yelling for I’ve been living here for six months.
What do you mean, living here Aunt Zina gasped. Where’s Marina
I’ve never heard of any Marina. And if you don’t stop that noise, I’ll call the police, the stranger snapped.
The call ended abruptly. Marina instinctively switched off her phone and collapsed back onto the bed. Her pulse pounded in her temples. She could picture the scene—Aunt Zina, standing outside her old apartment with enormous suitcases, Uncle Petya trying to calm her down, and Dimka and Nastya, awkwardly keeping their distance, embarrassed by the commotion.
By evening, she finally turned her phone back on. Thirty-six missed calls from her aunt, seventeen from her mother, and a flood of messages across various apps. The first thing she did was dial her mother.
What a mess you created, her mother said, her voice weary. Aunt Zina is hysterical, telling everyone you deliberately deceived them.
Mom, I told them not to come, Marina answered quietly. You know how she… pressures me.
Her mother sighed deeply.
I know. But still, they’re family.
Family shouldn’t cause pain, Marina said firmly. I’m tired of hearing that I’m wrong, that I should get married, have children, and forget about my career. I’m different, and that’s okay.
A long silence stretched between them. Marina could hear her mother’s breathing on the other end.
You’re right, her mother admitted unexpectedly. I’ve wanted to say this for a long time… I’m sorry I didn’t protect you from Aunt Zina’s pressure. But she’s my older sister, and I always just… obeyed her. My whole life, she commanded, and I nodded along.
Marina’s throat tightened.
Thank you, Mom. You have no idea how much that means to me.
You know, her mother’s voice trembled slightly, I once dreamed too… I wanted to enroll in theater. But Aunt Zina called it silly, said I needed to think about marriage. And I married your father at nineteen.
Do you regret it
No, not at all. You were born, and that was the most important thing in my life. But sometimes I wonder… what if I had insisted on my own path Maybe I could have been an actress and still had you. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.
Marina smiled through tears.
You know, Mom, it’s never too late. They always need actors in folk theaters.
Oh, at my age…
And remember what you used to tell me as a child Never say it’s too late. Say it’s time.
Krasnoyarsk embraced Marina with a soft autumn. Her job at an IT company consumed her, and she signed up for web design courses, immersing herself in her new life. In the evenings, she walked along the Yenisei embankment, slowly making this city her home.
At work, she was seen as peculiar. She avoided office gossip, skipped coffee breaks, and never joined in complaining about life. She spent her nights studying new technologies, absorbed in her laptop in the company’s meeting room.
You’re like a machine, Svetlana from accounting once remarked. Work, work, work. When will you decide to actually live
Marina only shrugged. It was hard to explain that for the first time in her life, she truly felt alive—free from the weight of expectations.
Winter arrived with a new colleague, Gleb. Tall, slightly clumsy, with a warm gaze and an effortless sense of humor. He never asked about her relationship status, never hinted at what a woman should be doing with her life. One day, he simply left a donut on her desk.
You missed lunch. A brain doesn’t work well without glucose.
They met again in the supermarket. He was holding an enormous bag of cat food.
Three of them, he admitted sheepishly. I adopted them from a shelter. Couldn’t pick just one.
To her own surprise, Marina told him everything. About Aunt Zina, about the move, about the fear of being herself. They sat on a freezing park bench, talking until dawn, realizing how freeing it was to simply be heard.
Weekends began blending into quiet shared moments. Snowy walks, breakfasts filled with laughter, old films under blankets. He taught her snowboarding, she taught him graphic design. More than anything, they learned to trust.
Spring brought a visit to his parents. She braced for judgment but was only met with warmth.
You have such kind eyes, his mother said. Gleb is very lucky.
That night, on the veranda, his father asked, Why Krasnoyarsk
She tensed.
I left everything behind once too, he said. Best decision I ever made. Sometimes, you have to save yourself.
In the summer, they had a quiet wedding. No lavish event, just a picnic with friends. Her mother flew in and hugged them both.
You’re so happy.
Of course, Aunt Zina sent outraged messages. No invitation. Was the dress even white
Marina didn’t reply. She had worn jeans she embroidered herself, a white blouse, and a wreath of wildflowers. And it was perfect.
Months later, she found out she was pregnant. Somehow, Aunt Zina learned too.
Finally, you’re living correctly.
Marina simply smiled.
No, I’m just living.