“Chop it for the salad,” said Galina Ivanovna, and immediately bit her lip. “Oh, sorry, dear. I’ll start over…” “No,” smiled Oksana. “You’re right. Kostyik really likes chopped things. Show him how to do it. His mother-in-law showed him.

Editoron

On December 31, Oksana woke up at six in the morning. She had to cut salads, fry meat and cook something warm. The children wake up – they want to eat. Galina Ivanovna wakes up – she wants to teach.

And so it happened.

“You’re cutting it too big,” said the mother-in-law, slowly dragging herself to the table on crutches. “Lettuce likes to be chopped small, that’s how it tastes.”

“I know,” Oksana replied quietly.

“And there’s too much mayonnaise in it. Everything will swim in it.”

“I know.”

— Kostyik likes the one with more corn.

Oksana put the knife down on the table.

– Galina Ivanovna. I have been making this salad for twelve years. I know how to do it.

“I just wanted to help…”

“Thank you. It’s not necessary.”

Galina Ivanovna pursed her lips—Oksana already knew the phrase by heart—and went into the room. The white plaster gleamed in the doorway, the crutches clattered softly on the floor.

Oksana picked up her phone and went out onto the balcony. It was quiet outside – we were on holiday without fireworks now, only the lights flickered here and there in the windows.

“Olena, I can’t take this,” she whispered to her friend into the phone. “I just can’t take it. She’s spending a whole week here.” “And Kostyik left as if this were normal. I’ve been cutting my teeth for six years. This can’t go on like this. If this keeps up, I’ll take the kids and leave.”

He didn’t know that Galina Ivanovna was sitting in an armchair by the Christmas tree behind the glass doors that opened onto the balcony. And he heard every word.

They celebrated the New Year in silence. Polinka and Ivanka fell asleep before eleven o’clock, they didn’t wait until midnight. Oksana and Galina Ivanovna sat at the table – salads, a cold plate, a TV from which soft songs were playing. They didn’t look at each other.

“Happy New Year!” Oksana said as their hands touched at twelve o’clock.

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I adopted the girl everyone blamed for my daughter’s disappearance — 10 years later, she faced me and said, “Everything you know about that night is a LIE.” After my wife died, my daughter Emily and I were all that remained of our little family. She was the light of my life. Her best friend, Nora, was always there too. Nora had no parents. No real home. Those girls were inseparable. Emily would say, “Dad, Nora is basically my sister.” Then one October evening, they went for a walk. An ordinary walk near the house, like countless others. But only Nora came back. Her sneakers were muddy. Her lips were blue from the cold. She stood on my porch trembling so hard her teeth clicked. “Where’s Emily?” I asked. Nora just stared past me and whispered, “I have no idea.” The police searched the whole town and the entire state. But Emily was never found. She had vanished. Nora was the main witness. But everyone blamed her for Emily’s disappearance. Even my own brother said, “That girl knows more than she’s saying.” Maybe she did. But every time I looked at Nora, I didn’t see a monster. I saw a terrified child who had lost the one soul who had ever loved her. So I did the thing that made the whole town turn against me. I adopted her. People called me foolish. Weak. Sick with grief. But Nora never took Emily’s room. Never touched her things. Every year, on the anniversary, she placed one white daisy on Emily’s pillow and cried when she thought I couldn’t hear. Ten years passed. Last night, I was sitting in the dim kitchen with Emily’s old pink scarf in my hands when Nora stepped in after her late shift. She was pale. Her coat was soaked with rain. “Dad,” she said, and her voice broke. I stood up slowly. She swallowed hard and whispered, “EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT THE NIGHT OF EMILY’S DISAPPEARANCE IS A LIE.” My pulse slammed against my throat so hard I gripped the chair. “Nora… what did you mean?” Tears spilled down her face. “Please,” she said. “Stay calm. I can’t hide this ANYMORE.” Then she walked to the front door and opened it. The second I recognized the person standing on my porch— I fell to my knees. PART2 YOU WANT??