“Merewyn you have got to see these closets!” Jessie said from down the hall of the eighth apartment layout we were looking at.
“Is it better than that last place? You know I have a ton of shoes.”
“Trust me,” Jessie said in a peaceful but playful tone, “your shoes will fit fine here. Seriously, this closet is worth the place.”
“I am so glad to hear you say something positive finally.” The realtor said from the kitchen as she joined me walking down the hallway.
“I’m sorry I am so difficult. This is just my first place to pick out to live and it has to be just right.”
“Of course Merewyn I didn’t mean to sound rude.”
Jessie laughed and opened the closet door for us when we walked in, “You weren’t rude, just relieved that’s all.”
“Yes relieved.” She agreed.
“Oh my goodness, Jessie, look at these shelves!” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; this place was virtually everything I could have imagined it to be.
“I know right, perfect for you.”
“Would I be allowed to paint in here do you know?” I directed my question to the realtor.
“I am sure you can, that isn’t something that is customarily forbidden.”
“Great, then I think I will take it.”
“Are you sure Merewyn, I mean, I know you love it but you are still sort of close to your folks.” Jessie said.
“Three seconds ago you said this place was perfect. What is this flip-flop day?”
He shook his head, “Nope I just want to make sure you are one hundred percent okay with your decision that’s all.”
“I am. Let’s go sign the papers, I can move in today.”
“I will be right back let me go get them, congratulations Merewyn!”
Once Jessie and I were alone the place suddenly felt too small. He was right next to me and I didn’t know how to handle the increased closeness, but, I was going to have to learn because I knew we were going to be seeing a lot of each other.
“M, there is one more option that I wanted to lay out for you before you sign and give a check.”
“Okay what is that?” I had a feeling I knew what it was and I had been nervous about this option all day. I had to suck up my fear and listen to him.
He took a few deep breaths and that just increased my anxiety levels and then he said, “You could move in with me.”
It was my turn to suck in a breath, I knew it was coming but hearing it and suspecting it were two different things. “Won’t that cramp your style?”
“No. Not at all Merewyn.”
“You just moved home don’t you want some space yourself?”
He simply shook his head back and forth. “You can say no if you want too it won’t hurt my feelings.”
“It is just, I don’t know…” I paused to find the right words to say.
“You don’t know about what exactly?” Jessie questioned.
“I don’t know if you and I are going to work out, and I have never really lived on my own before. I was kind of looking forward to alone time and space.”
Jessie nodded his head a few times and it looked like I had delivered him a severe blow to his ego.
“It has nothing to do with you Jessie. I promise it is completely me.”
“It’s okay Merewyn I know and that’s fine. I told you it was farfetched I just wanted you to have the option if you wanted it. I know that this is still new, but we can figure it out.”
My hesitation caused him to feel hurt I could see it in his eyes and I was sorry for that, but I had to be honest. “Jessie, I do think that I love you, but I need to be alone for a while. That doesn’t mean we can’t do things together and grow in fondness but I need to live alone. I need to find out who I am, away from my folks. And most importantly away from Albert.”
“It’s okay Merewyn I promise. I’m sorry I brought it up at all.”
“Don’t be,” I said to him as I closed the distance between us, “I really do appreciate the offer.”
Jessie smiled at me and I reached out to take his hand in mine, “I do expect you to visit me, often.” I said with a hint of sexualness to my tone.
“Oh I will for sure Merewyn you can count on that.”
Before I had a chance to respond the front door opened and my realtor walked in with papers in hand and a smile across her face. “Everything is ready just need you to sign and hand me a check.”
“Great!” I walked over to my purse and quickly pulled out my pen and check book. “Just show me where to sign.”
“You can’t be moving out tonight!” Mom said with tears in her eyes. I hated upsetting her like this but I had no choice, if I kept delaying the inevitable then it would never happen and I was ready to move out.
“It will be okay Mom. I promise. I am just a couple miles away. Not far at all.”
“Your mother is naturally upset even though we knew this day was coming.”
“I know Dad and I am sad too, it’s just, it’s time.”
“My baby girl!” Mom was now full on crying and it was just too much for me. So quickly I walked past her with another box and handed it to Jessie then went back into my room to keep packing.
“Do you need any help sweetie?” My dad said from my doorway.
“If you want to start loading my clothes in some boxes from my closet that would help a lot.”
“Of course, I’ll make up one of these clothing boxes and get right on that.”
“Thanks Dad.”
I knew that it was a couple hours of work packing up my room but it went by so quickly. With both my parents and Jessie helping me the task didn’t feel so daunting. When everything was finally packed in the back of the U-Haul that I picked up on my way home to my parents I closed the door and looked back at my childhood home.
“It’s really happening isn’t it?” I said to my dad.
“Yes, but this will always be your home baby girl, just because your address changes this place will always be yours.”
“Thanks Dad. I love you.”
“I know sweetie and we love you too.”
“There is no way I could have gotten through the last few months without you and mom by my side you know that right?”
“That is our job as the parents, to always be there unconditionally to support you.”
“You are the best two parents a girl could ever have.”
I let my dad embrace me in a full bear hug. I knew I was going to miss this daily occurrence and needed to soak in as many as I could. “You’re coming with Jessie and I right to help unload?”
“Of course, we’re all coming, Mom included.”
“Great she is going to want to organize everything.” I said in a laughing and joking tone.
“You know your mother so well. Yes she will.”
As if the timing couldn’t have been more perfect if we had summoned her ourselves, my mother came walking out of the front door saying, “Stop your yacking you two we are going to miss daylight if we wait any longer to unload at the apartment. Merewyn your dad will drive the truck you will come with me in our car.”
“Yes ma’am,” both dad and I said in unison as the four of us made our way to our respective vehicles and we drove onto my new apartment.
As predicted my mother took charge of the whole project and became commander and dictator. I resigned to the fact that I would just have to rearrange everything later and let her feel at home ordering the men around.
Jessie and my dad set up all of my furniture, which consisted of my bed, dresser and a love seat that my parents had in their guest room. I would have to buy more furniture as soon as I could because this place was scarcely filled with physical items.
My mother was appalled that I had nothing to put inside the kitchen, so while I was unloading my clothes into my closet and the men were assembling my bed mother made her way to Target and managed to bring back enough items to stock my kitchen from top to bottom. When I walked in my mouth dropped at the site. She had enough dishes for eight people, stainless silver pots and pans, my fridge was full of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and bottled water and apparently I now owned a spice rack.
“Mom, you kind of went overboard this must have cost a fortune.” I couldn’t believe how much she had done for me.
“You’re my only daughter, let me spoil you since you’re gone I won’t get a chance to now.”
“I love you so much, thank you.”
“Anything for you baby.”
By seven thirty my parents were ready to go back to their house, they gave me one final hug and a kiss and then suddenly Jessie and I were alone in my new apartment. I was grateful my dad and Jessie had already returned the rental truck so I didn’t have to do that tonight.
“Thank you for all your help today Jessie, I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
“Well you could have but it wouldn’t have been as much fun,” he teased at me.
We laughed together and then the awkward silence crept in. “How about we meet for lunch tomorrow, my treat, as a thank you.”
“That would be really nice, thank you M.”
“No, thank you Jessie. I would say we could get a late dinner but honestly I want to just soak in the tub and enjoy my new place alone. Get the feel of it you know?”
“Totally, I remember that feeling when you finally have a moment to yourself that no one else can dictate.”
“I am glad you get it. Saves me one less worry for offending you.” I grinned at him. “Want me to pick you up tomorrow or meet at some restaurant?”
“How about I swing by here and I take you somewhere, you pick I just drive.”
“That works for me, see you tomorrow say around noon?”
Jessie gave me a sexy smile as a response and then leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Sounds great.”
As I closed the door my heart started to flutter, I was falling for him all over again. It was going to be more than just the love I felt for him now, it was going to be the real deal and I was so thankful that I finally had my own space to clear my thoughts and think about it.
After locking the deadbolt I turned around and went into the kitchen to inspect more fully everything my mother had stocked the place with. The pantry I discovered quickly looked as if I had lived there for months. I had canned food, breakfast food, snack food, random food. Mom really outdid herself. The fridge was just as packed. When I opened the freezer I discovered that she had picked up my favorite frozen meal, which was enough to last a week if I didn’t want to cook anything. Perfect.
I pulled out the frozen lasagna, since that took the longest to cook, and placed it inside my oven. I set the timer for sixty minutes and then walked back to my bedroom.
The apartment was a two bedroom one and a half bath thirteen hundred square foot space. I had decided to turn the second room into a library, so that was where Jessie and my dad set up the love seat. That way I wouldn’t have to move it once I acquired living room furniture. I sat down on the sofa cushions and looked around the room. I could picture shelves along one wall covered in my books, alphabetized by author of course. Then along the other wall possibly some nice art work. I wasn’t going to put a television in here, but I would put a stereo. A nice musical vibe would feel good in here I decided.
After day dreaming for a few minutes in my new library I went into the master bathroom and turned on the tub. A nice hot soak was what my body needed and I couldn’t wait. Not that I didn’t love my mother, but she had a way of constantly ruining a good bath because for whatever reason she felt the need to talk to me constantly. I smiled thinking that I would never again have a bath ruined over something so trivial as my dinner selection or my laundry being out in the bathroom hall.
When I opened the bathroom closet and found my towels neatly sorted and all of my bathroom necessities out I smiled, this really was my home. I hadn’t been here but four hours and it already felt like my space. I know my dad had said the house would always be my home but he was wrong, that was always their home. This place, this apartment, it was mine.
I went into the bedroom and removed something to sleep in and then stripped my clothes. I needed to find a new laundry basket because mine was broken in the move, but I would do that tomorrow. For now the discarded garments would remain on the floor in a neat pile. Walking back to the bath the mirror had already started to fog up from the heat. Placing one foot into the tub the warmth instantly felt perfect. I slid my body down into the oversized porcelain tub and let the warm water overtake my worries. I felt my muscles relax and everything fall into place.
Twenty minutes later I was toweling off and putting the fresh clothes on. It was then, when I had my hair wrapped in a towel and walking into the kitchen to check on the progress of my dinner, that I realized I had no cable.
Thank God this apartment lease came with electric, gas and internet included but I would have to remember to order cable tomorrow. For tonight I would rely on my trusty laptop and Netflix for entertainment.
The oven timer said twenty one minutes left which was perfect. Just what I needed to finish drying my hair and to set my bed and laptop up perfectly for my evening alone. After arranging my bed I decided that I needed to also purchase some oversized pillows. Something soft and good to cuddle with or snuggle into was always a good thing. You could never have too many pillows.
When the oven timer buzzed I went into the kitchen. I could smell the delicious food throughout the whole apartment and was ready to dig in. I removed one of the new plates from the cabinet and grabbed two pot holders. My mother had really thought of everything when she set my kitchen up. Pulling the meal out of the oven and setting it on the stovetop, the steam shooting off of the top of the meal at a steady pace.
Life on my own was starting out rather nicely.
With my meal on my plate, my body snuggled comfy in bed. and Netflix pulled up on my laptop I hunkered in for the night and enjoyed the remainder of my evening. There was a new series that I hadn’t seen before suggested to me and after clicking the start button I was all set. My fork easily cut through the lasagna and the first bite of hot Italian food went down my throat like heaven.
I was two episodes into the series when I heard my cell phone go off. The ringer was silent but the vibration on my night stand still brought my attention to it. I paused the show and reached over to see that Jessie had sent me a text message.
“Hope you’re enjoying your first night,” the text read.
I couldn’t help smiling, I quickly responded. “I really am. It is perfect. Thanks for checking on me.” I added one of those emoji smiling faces to the end of the message and pressed send. I looked over at the time and saw it was almost eleven at night. I should get to sleep because I knew tomorrow even though it was Sunday would still be a busy day. I put the phone back on my night stand and walked into the kitchen. It was then that I realized that mom would no longer be cleaning up after dinner and I would now have to do all of that domestic work too. The only drawback to living alone I thought, and then laughed.
Once the kitchen was cleaned and the left overs neatly stored in the refrigerator I went back into the bedroom and shut down my laptop. I would need to also grab a couple lamps tomorrow because the overhead light in the bedroom was very bright. I would want something less obtrusive for my everyday use.
My cell phone went off again and I instinctively knew it was Jessie. Opening the message I smiled when I read, “Goodnight M.” He wasn’t trying to overwhelm me and I appreciated that.
Plugging my phone into the charger I placed it on the night stand and then snuggled back into bed. My eyes felt heavy and I knew the moment that I placed my head on my pillow I would fall asleep.
Today was the first day of the rest of my life.