“I’m moving,” I repeated, picking up scattered laundry in my small studio apartment.
“But why? You’re so close to me, Haze! Plus, that Chinese place we always go to is the perfect distance from your apartment—downstairs, first floor,” she pleaded.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Mady. My lease is up, and the landlord’s selling the place,” I lied, not wanting to explain. I couldn’t handle that conversation right now. Thank God it was a phone call and not a video chat.
“Damn, girl! All right, I’ll help. We need to find you a place we both agree on.”
“Sure,” I laughed, the sound catching on a wave of unexpected nostalgia. The fact was that I absolutely wanted her opinion on it. Mady was my best friend in the whole world. The funny part? We actually met twice. The first time was back in middle school when life was already pretty heavy for both of us. We never got close then. I’d gone to a couple of sleepovers at her place, but it was always with a bunch of other kids, just surface-level stuff. I actually knew her brother better than I knew her at the time, as we all attended the same school. And then... it faded, like most things do when you’re twelve and the world seems loud.
We met again at college. Correction—we met again while we were both students in different colleges, but neighbors in the same building. It took us one afternoon to realize how much we had in common, and three weeks later, we decided to flatsharesince the rent was expensive and we spent most of our time together anyway. I may have known her for only a couple of years, but we were so close it felt like forever. She knew my crap, and I knew hers.
Lately, however, she had been traveling around because of her work, so we spoke on the phone a lot.
“Listen, it doesn’t matter anyway because you’re getting married. It’s only a matter of time before you both move somewhere else,” I said, feeling happy and excited for her, a little sad, too. Mady has been through a lot with her family and had a pretty intense breakup when she was younger. She deserved the family she finally had the chance to create for herself. And John seemed to make her happy.
“I know, I know. I just want to spend as much time as we can together before I get old and married.”
“You won’t be old for a while, and you love everything about weddings,” I laughed, remembering her old notebooks filled with hearts and wedding doodles.
“It’s just that this new chapter feels like I have to say goodbye to other parts of my life, and I’m not ready for that.” A slight hint of vulnerability showed in her voice, and deep down, I felt her pain. I understood exactly what she meant.
“Mady, you don’t have to say goodbye to me if that’s what you mean. Yes, maybe we won’t be able to stay up drinking and order some horrible sushi at 2 AM, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be there for you. You know that!”
A heavy breath escaped her.
“I do.” After a moment, she switched gears.
“Okay. A new apartment for you, wedding planning for me, and gossip afterward. When can we meet?”
“I’m free today, but it kind of depends on you, since I need you in the same country,” I said, hoping I had enough money just to visit her instead.
“I’ll be back on Wednesday.”
“It’s a plan! Love you, take care. And say hi to John from me.”
“Will do! Love you too!”
I hung up the phone, looked out the window, and slowly took a deep breath.
You’ll be okay.Sooner or later, I always was.
Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” came on the radio, snapping me out of my trance. I started with laundry, mentally noting what I needed to do—get some boxes for moving, find an apartment (probably the most urgent one), and visit the bookstore.
Usually, I went on Sundays, but Thomas asked me to cover Laney’s shift since she was sick. I didn’t mind working at O’Riley’s; it was my peaceful place. Nothing fancy, just a regular job with friendly people. Unexpectedly, Luke’s face flashed through my mind.
I didn’t see him as anything more than a flirt with a charming smile, but I had to admit, he was a nice distraction when he stopped by the coffee shop. Not that his intentions were serious. He was as bachelor as they come, and I didn’t need that. Not that I was judging him for it. Mostly, I just thought people get hurt by expecting things from others they’ve imagined in their minds. Getting mad at someone if they’re clearly saying something entirely different is just pointless and stupid.
I tried to get Luke’s handsome smile and strong jawline out of my head before turning into a teenage girl with a One Direction poster. However, the only poster I had on my wall was of Jo March fromLittle Women.
I finished my laundry, got dressed, and was on my way out. As I locked the door, Mrs. Green, my 82-year-old neighbor, peeked her head out. She was always checking on me, convinced I didn’t eat enough, bringing cookies and homemade pasta.
“Hi, dear, did you eat today?” Case in point.
“Hi, Mrs. Green. Oatmeal with dried fruits and yogurt.”
“That’s not enough, you weigh about 100 pounds. I’ve prepared something for dinner later.”
“Mrs. Green, you just want to make me fat and steal all the handsome men for yourself,” I laughed, searching for my keys.
