Misha Gorshnev

By the age of 20, Misha had settled down: he no longer wanted to stay out all night with friends. He was drawn home like a magnet to plunge back into that childhood: dad grumbling in front of the TV, mom fussing with salads in the kitchen, and his younger brother, Leshka, trying to steal at least a piece of sliced ​​sausage from the table. The family was delighted with Misha's arrival. Mom was overwhelmed from the moment he arrived, kissing him and telling him how wonderful it was that Misha had decided to come. Leshka giggled. Even Dad, usually a quiet man, gave Misha a small smile and a quick hug. Misha learned on the 31st that the Knyazevs, longtime family friends, would be arriving later that evening, along with their son. Misha barely remembered Andrei; the last time they saw each other was in childhood. Misha was about eight years old then, and Andrei, it seemed, was younger. It was around 10 o'clock when the doorbell rang. Misha's mother quickly took off her apron and ran to open the door for the guests. Misha was sitting in the dining room, where the table was already set, pestering Leshka when Andrey appeared in the doorway. He had noticeably matured and changed since their last meeting: he'd bleached his hair blonde and pierced his ear. His childishly rounded features had sharpened and looked attractive. “Hi,” Andrey muttered, sitting down on a free chair and immediately burying his face in his phone. "Oh, don't pay any attention to him," Andrey's mother, Nadezhda, waved her hand with a smile. "He's so puffed up because we didn't let him celebrate with his friends." Everyone sat down at the table, the room filled with laughter, fun and the smell of champagne. The chimes struck, and the adults began clinking glasses of champagne, encouraging Misha to drink too. Leshka gave up by 3 o'clock and went to bed. Misha and Andrey remained sitting at the table. Their gazes kept falling on Andrey, who was picking at his food with a fork. "Mishut," she called out to her son, her voice visibly cheerful from the sparkling wine, "I'd like to go and sit with Andryusha at your place and chat. We haven't seen each other in ages." He chuckled quietly in response to this, realizing that the adults had decided to joke around without prying ears. “So,” he approached, drawing him in . “Let’s go, Andryukha, let’s ‘chat’.” He nodded towards the room, and Andrey stood up, following him.