“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you, Miss Bennett.” My landlady stands outside the doorway with a stack of papers in her hands and a timid smile. I’ve often wondered how she came to manage an apartment building. Deborah is a soft woman to say the least. Not only is she small in stature, but also in personality. She’s quiet, shy, and introverted to the core.
“Not a problem, Deb. What do you have there?” I eye the papers in her hand. “A notice I can help you pass around to the othertenants?” I take a paper from the top of the stack just as Deb vehemently shakes her head.
“Deb, please.” I close my eyes and take a breath. “Tell me this isn’t true.” I hold the notice up as if she didn’t already know what was on it.
“I–I,” Deb stutters. I open my eyes and watch a tear roll down Deb’s cheek. I take the stack of papers from her hands, place them on the floor, and wrap her in an embrace. Whatever the reason is for this, I’m sure she isn’t the cause.
“It’s going to be okay. Do you have a place to go?”
“How can you be concerned about me when you’re losing your home?” Deb’s words are mumbled as she cries into my shoulder.
“Because I’m going to be okay,” I say.I’ll be okay.Maybe if I say it enough I’ll believe it? I peek over Deb’s head at the stack of notices.
One month.
I have one month to pack up my belongings and vacate the apartment.
“So, what brought this on?” I ask. Deb steps out of my embrace and picks up the stack of papers.
“The city keeps increasing the costs for the property, and I can’t keep up without raising the rent exceptionally high.” Deb sniffles and rubs her nose with the outside of her hand. I reach through my door and grab the box of tissues that sits on the counter. “The city is going to take over the building. I don’t know what they have planned.”
Deb looks away and crosses her arms, her shoulders tensing. It seems she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, so I offer to go with her to pass out thenotices to everyone.
“That’s why I came to you first.” She smiles sheepishly.
“I’ve always got your back, Deb.” I square my shoulders and take the papers from her hands. We begin going door to door, and I spew a monologue of explanation and apology on behalf of Deb. I give hugs where needed and step between Deb and irate tenants more often than I should have to. The entire time, panic is rising in my chest and a million questions swirl around my brain. Where will I go? When will I have time to find a place within a month between work and trying to find a woman for Darcy? Will I end up stuck on the streets again? What if I don’t find an affordable place to live?
The anxiety presses down hard with each door I knock on. When we finally finish, I feel heavier than the loaded barbell dropped after the final rep at the gym. I hug Deb goodbye and tell her I will check on her tomorrow. Meanwhile, I lock myself in my apartment and make the phone call to the one person I need the most.
After two rings, she picks up.
“Hayden! Is everything okay?”
“Chill, Stells. We’re good here in New York City,” I say, needing to inform her it’s not a life-or-death situation. Though honestly, it feels that way right now. She lets out a long-winded sigh.
“I’m in the car with Luca right now. Just so you’re aware he can hear the conversation.”
Silence ensues for a moment. The rumble of the road is loud in the background, and then I hear Lucas say, “Sorry, Hayden. I’m in the middle of seducing my wife. Can’t talk.”
Stella giggles, then squeals. “Stop, Lucas! Eyes on the road.”
“Oh, I have my eyes onsomething,” he responds, his voice clearer as if he is leaning toward Stella.
I attempt a laugh, but it falls short.
“Hey, Lucas. I really need your wife for like two minutes,” I yell into the phone.
“Ouch,” Stella’s voice grows farther away as if she pulled the phone away from her ear. “Okay, Luca. Let me hear her out before she screams in my ear again.” Then back to me, she says, “I’m all yours.”
With mustered sarcasm, I say, “Aw. Thank you so much,best friend.” She scoffs on the other end of the line. “Okay, but seriously,” I begin, feeling the panic rise as I prepare to tell her everything. “I’m getting kicked out of my apartment, Darcy still has me on a wild goose chase for the perfect wife, and I’M GETTING KICKED OUT OF MY APARTMENT.”
“I think we should start with the apartment thing,” Stella says. “Tell me what happened.”
I recap the events while fighting back hysterical tears. This isn’t like me. I face situations like this head-first and with a bold, lioness attitude. Not like a hopeless woman who has no fight left in her. Have I gotten too comfortable in life?
“There’s got to be something available with a decent rent and within your travel range,” Stella says after I finish. “The issue is going to be finding time to move.”
“Exactly.” I sob, no longer able to hold the deluge back. “Because Darcy still wants me to find the mythical holy grail: a wife he’ll be satisfied with.”
