My lips stretch into a wide grin, unable to hide my excitement. “I’ve put an offer on an apartment in the Hills area. I’m just waiting to hear back from the owner.”
“Wow, you found something already? It must be quite the apartment.”
“It is. It’s got everything I need, and the neighbourhood seems pretty decent. I’ve even started planning how I’ll furnish it. And the best part, it’s only twenty minutes away from you and Jake.”
“I’m really stoked for you, man. Sounds like you’re handling things quite well. I truly hope you get approved. God knows you could use some good news.”
I let out a soft chuckle, though there’s little genuine humour behind it. “It would be nice to have something go my way for a change. But if I don’t get it, I’ll just keep looking. I won’t let it deter me from my goal.”
Jason smiles—a sincere, almost prideful smile, and something about that one simple gesture instantly warms me inside.
“Proud of you, Kaden. For all the effort you’ve been putting in lately. I know it’s hard, but I can already see small changes. Keep it up, man. Happiness suits you better.”
“Yeah,” I chuckle. “I’d like to think so too. But I’ve still got a lot of work ahead of me.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Any small change is progress, and you’ve made plenty this week. In fact, for every step forward, I’ll treat you to a free meal—anything you want from the menu. So far, I owe you three meals on the house: one for the therapy, one for the alcohol cleanse, and one for the apartment.”
I bark out a laugh, shaking my head. “It’s okay. I can do it without any incentives.”
“Nah! I want to. It’s the least I can do to support you. Now, come on,” he says, shutting down his computer and standing up.
“Where are we going?” I ask, suspiciously.
“I owe you your first free meal. So get your arse up and let’s go.”
“Well, if you insist.”
Jason winks, then slaps me on the shoulder. “Atta boy!”
Chapter 5
Kaden
Jason tightens the final screw on the bedframe before helping me heave the king-size mattress on top. It’s the last piece of furniture left to assemble since moving into my new apartment this morning. And because there wasn’t much to bring—just a bed, chest of drawers, fridge, washing machine, a brand-new sectional couch, and a sixty-five-inch TV—we managed to move everything in and get it all set up in a single day.
When I got the call from Max just over four weeks ago, informing me that the apartment had received three other offers, I went into immediate action and negotiated a new price, something I hoped would outshine the rest without selling myself short.
The very next day, I received the news I’d been waiting for: my offer had been accepted. Once my mortgage was approved and the settlement date locked in, I wasted no time moving in. I no longer felt guilty about selling both my shares, my motorbike that held too many bad memories, and drainingevery bit of my savings, to pay for the down payment, because in the end, it gave me back my independence and a chance at a new beginning.
To celebrate, Jason took me out to dinner at a restaurant near my new place after we spent the afternoon checking it out. I was so full of adrenaline and excitement that I ended up purchasing brand-new furniture and appliances online that night—apart from the TV, which Jason had given me as a housewarming gift. Everything was pretty much smooth sailing after that. Things felt like they were finally falling into place.
The apartment still feels a little empty, with a few pieces of furniture missing. But I plan to build them all myself—the coffee table, dining table, and even the built-in TV unit with shelves.It’s one of the few skills I have that not many people know about, not even my ex-wife knew.
Growing up, I was only ever good at two things: boxing and building. But after I finished high school, my passion for the latter just faded into the background. Girls and partying slowly took over my life, that was, until I met Skylar.
Having struggled with most subjects at school, woodwork was the one thing I consistently excelled at. At one point, my teacher even believed I would go on to become the next Norm Abram.
Oh, how deeply disappointed he’d be if he knew the person I became instead.
I quickly shake the thought away before it ruins my good mood. I’m determined not to let anything derail my progress.And now that I finally have a little more free time on my hands, I’m hoping to rekindle my long-lost passion.
One of the things Dr. Carroll suggested in our third session was to explore new hobbies or return to something that once brought me joy. When I mentioned that I used to love creating and building things with wood, she encouraged me to focus on that. So, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing—starting little projects here and there, beginning with building my own custom furniture from scratch.
Jason drops his cordless drill into the toolbox on the ground, the loud clang quickly snapping me be back to the present.
“It’s coming together really well,” he says as he plops onto the mattress.
I lean against the chest of drawers across from him and cast a quick glance around my half-furnished bedroom.
