“What a beautiful house you have! No wonder we came right away with our suitcases,” said Lena with a bright smile, her tone warm but hinting at expectation.
Larisa stood by the window, watching the construction workers in the distance. Just a few weeks ago, there had been only trees — now their dream house stood proudly among the pines and birches. It was everything she had hoped for: a spacious, two-story home with large windows and a wide veranda. A place they had built together, slowly but steadily, over long months of careful planning.
“Larka, come here!” her husband called from the kitchen. “Lenka’s on the phone for you.”
Larisa turned away from the view, bracing herself. Conversations with Lena, her sister-in-law, often began light but veered into unexpected territory.
“Hi, Lenus,” she said, accepting the receiver. “How are things down south?”
“Larochka, dear!” Lena’s cheerful voice came through. “You won’t believe it — Mishka’s contract got extended! We could move back, sure, but the weather here is perfect, the kids are thriving, and the sea air suits everyone. It’s been so lovely, we don’t feel like rushing.”
Larisa’s heart sank slightly. They had been staying in Lena’s apartment while building their house, expecting to move out soon. If Lena and her family planned to stay away longer, that complicated things.
“I see,” Larisa replied gently. “The builders say we can move in soon — we were hoping to return the keys by then.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Lena said with a carefree laugh. “Use the place as long as you need, we’re in no hurry.”
Later, Larisa and her husband sat in silence. The situation was getting blurry — what had seemed like a mutual agreement now felt undefined.
“I think your sister’s just going with the flow,” Larisa said carefully. “We should make sure we’re all clear on what’s next.”
Andrey nodded. “Let’s focus on finishing the house first. One step at a time.”
And so they did. The next few weeks flew by in a blur of deliveries, painting, furniture assembly, and plans. By the end of October, the house was complete. The living room bathed in golden light each afternoon. The kitchen was everything Larisa had dreamed of. And the bedrooms upstairs offered quiet views of the forest — peaceful, serene.
Moving day came. They brought over their belongings and soon settled into their new rhythm. That first night, they sat in the living room, sipping tea.
“We should let Lenka know we’ve moved,” Andrey said.
“Of course. And thank her again.”
When Lena picked up, she sounded delighted.
“That’s amazing! You have to send pictures! And guess what — we’re coming back next week! The kids need to get back into school, and Mishka managed to grab flights already. Perfect timing, right? We’ll celebrate your new home together!”
Larisa paused. There was something in Lena’s tone — too excited, too familiar. Still, she smiled. “Sounds great. We’ll see you soon.”
—
A week later, a taxi pulled up to their gate. The trunk opened. One suitcase, then another… then five more.
“Mom, this house is huge!” Kirill, Lena’s son, ran toward the front steps. “Can I take the room with the balcony?”
“Of course, sweetie,” Lena said, giving him a quick hug.
Larisa and Andrey exchanged a glance as Lena and Misha waved from the driveway.
“Beautiful place!” Misha said, surveying the house. “Feels like home already!”
Andrey stepped forward to help with the luggage. “Len, how long are you planning to stay?”
“Oh, we’ll settle in soon enough,” Lena replied with a wink. “You’ve got so much space, it’s perfect for everyone!”
Larisa’s brow furrowed. “Settle in?”
“Well, sure. We helped you out while you built your home. Now you’ve got extra room. Isn’t that what families are for?”
Inside, as the kids chose rooms and the adults put the kettle on, Larisa found herself feeling increasingly uneasy. They hadn’t agreed on this. A visit, yes — but a long-term stay?
That evening, when the children had gone to bed and things had quieted, Larisa and Andrey tried to gently clarify things.
“We’re so happy to see you,” Larisa began. “And the kids are growing so fast. But we wanted to talk about how long you’re staying.”
“Oh, we’re not in a rush,” Lena said casually. “You’ve got a big house now, and we don’t want to be back in the apartment right away.”
Andrey leaned forward. “We really appreciate what you did — letting us stay in your place while we were building. But we were hoping to have some quiet now, to start our life here as a family.”
Lena blinked. “You mean… you don’t want us here?”
“Not at all,” Larisa said quickly. “You’re always welcome — for visits. But we just settled in. It’s a big change for us, and we’d love some space.”
There was a pause.
“I see,” Lena said finally, her voice softer. “It’s just… we thought, after everything, we’d be staying for a while. Mishka even talked about renting out our place.”
Larisa exchanged a look with Andrey. “We didn’t know. That changes things.”
Misha, who had just returned from the store, stepped in.
“Is there a problem?”
“No,” Andrey said carefully. “We’re just figuring out expectations. We never meant to upset anyone.”
There was a long moment of silence. Finally, Lena stood up.
“Maybe we got ahead of ourselves,” she said, her tone subdued. “We’ll think about what to do next.”
“You can stay a few days while you decide,” Larisa offered. “Let’s take it one step at a time.”
Lena gave her a faint smile. “Thanks.”
The next morning, things were quieter. The children played outside, and Lena and Misha packed a few things, preparing to head into the city and stay temporarily with a friend while they made a plan.
“I’m sorry if we overstepped,” Lena said before leaving. “We were just excited. We didn’t mean to put you in a difficult position.”
“It’s okay,” Larisa said. “We’re family — and we care about each other. We just need to make sure we respect each other’s space too.”
They embraced briefly. Then the car pulled away, carrying Lena’s family toward the city.
Larisa stood beside Andrey, watching them go. Her heart felt heavy — not with guilt, but with the weight of choices that hadn’t been easy.
“Do you think we handled it right?” Andrey asked.
“I hope so,” Larisa replied. “We were honest and kind. That’s all we can do.”
The house was quiet again. Peaceful. Not perfect — but truly their own.
And on the kitchen counter sat a jar of homemade jam, untouched but waiting — a small, sweet reminder that family, like jam, is best shared when the timing is right.
