Elena woke to the smell of coffee and tulips. Her son, Marko, had taped a crayon drawing to the fridge: "For the best mom in the world." Her husband, Ivan, handed her a cup and smiled. "We have a surprise tonight."
One by one, they sang. Galina chose a lullaby. Tanya hummed a soldier's waltz, her voice breaking. Mrs. Petrova croaked an old romance from the 1940s. Then Elena stepped up. She closed her eyes and sang her mother's song — not perfectly, but purely. "Apple and pear trees were blooming..." pesni za 8mi mart
"Each of you," Ivan said, "has a song."