Viorica pursed her lips but said nothing. She plugged in the kettle and took out two cups. “Just three days,” she reminded herself again. Three days that already felt like a test of patience.
Sorina inspected the apartment like an exhibition, feeling the curtains, touching the vase on the table, and commenting on every detail.
— Beautiful house, but a bit cold. I would have put a floral curtain to bring life to the room. And maybe an icon here, above the TV, because it brings good luck.
Viorica swallowed hard. She smiled and simply said:
— Everyone has their own style, Sorina.
In the evening, when Andrei returned from work, the atmosphere was already tense. Sorina was passionately recounting how she had to “take the initiative” and reorganize the spices in the cupboard.
— I put the salt and sugar back in their places because it was chaos in there! — she said, pleased with herself.
Andrei laughed, not understanding his wife’s cold tone.
— It’s good that she helped you, dear, isn’t it?
Viorica looked at him wordlessly. At that moment, she realized that for him it was just a short visit, but for her — an invasion of her personal space.
The next morning, when she opened the office door, she discovered that Sorina had spread her things all over her work desk.
— I hope you don’t mind, my dear, but the light is perfect here! I need to finish some reports for work.
Viorica took a deep breath, grabbed her laptop, and moved to the kitchen. She felt like a stranger in her own home.
At lunch, Andrei sent her a message: “Thank you for your patience, my love. It’s just for a little while.”
She replied with a simple “Yes,” but in her mind, another thought spun: “My patience has a limit.”
In the evening, after dinner, Sorina suggested making a cake “like in the old days,” but after two hours, the kitchen looked like a war zone. Flour everywhere, dirty dishes, and a strange burnt smell.
— It’s okay, — said the sister-in-law, smiling. — The important thing is that we had fun!
Viorica barely held back from exploding. She retreated to the bedroom and slammed the door without saying anything. In the silence of the night, a tear rolled down her cheek.
On the third morning, she woke up early and made coffee. Sorina was still fast asleep. Viorica sat at the table and looked out the window. The sun was rising over the city, and she felt she needed to regain control over her own life.
When Andrei came down, she greeted him calmly:
— My dear, I know Sorina is your sister and that you love her, but I can’t take it anymore. I need peace, my own space. Please, kindly tell her to leave tonight.
Andrei looked at her in surprise, but in her eyes, he saw that gentle yet firm determination she only had when she reached the end of her patience.
In the evening, when Sorina began to excuse herself that “she just had a few things to sort out,” Andrei stopped her:
— Sorina, thank you for coming, but Vio has a lot of work and needs peace. I think it’s better for you to stay at the guesthouse near your office.
Sorina blinked a few times, then shrugged.
— If that’s what you think…
When the door closed behind her, Viorica took a deep breath. The silence settled in the apartment once again.
Andrei approached and embraced her.
— I’m sorry, my love. You were right.
Viorica smiled tiredly but contentedly.
— It’s okay, my dear. The important thing is that we both learned something: peace is more valuable than any visit.
And for the first time in three days, the kettle whistled pleasantly, and the kitchen smelled only of peace.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to real events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not assume responsibility for the accuracy of events or for how characters are portrayed and are not liable for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed belong to the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
