The next morning mom pops her head into my bedroom, “Good morning sweetheart, we think we found you and Scott an apartment. They’re coming over this morning so we can go take a look at it and put a deposit down if we like it.
They will be here in fifteen minutes.”
“Oh my God! Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?”
“You need your rest. I heard you chatting with the tidy bowl man last night.
Have a bit too much to drink?”
I don’t answer her question knowing it would lead to an inquisition. I bolt upright in bed and check the time, it’s after ten. It feels like the middle of the night. My mouth is pasty and my head throbs. Ignoring how I feel, I hop out of bed and rush into the shower, each step causes my head to pound more. I wait for the water to warm up and step in choosing my favorite body scrub. There is little time to waste.
I wore my favorite navy sweater with a cute little navy pencil skirt. I wear flats so I don’t look dressed up. The rest of the time, I spent applying makeup that highlights my features without making it look like I put any effort into it. Then I add the piece de resistance: Coach Perfume. Three misty sprays and then I’m done. The fresh aroma of percolated coffee wafts upstairs. “Do I have time for a coffee?” I call out.
“Sure I’ll make you one,” mom offers. I go downstairs and find her in the kitchen already pouring me a cup. I have about two sips when we hear the car pull in, “It’s okay, finish your coffee. I’ll tell them you’ll be a minute,” mom says. She goes outside to the passenger side of Scott’s car and starts talking to Deborah while I finished. I pop a pack of gum in my mouth, grabbing my purse and phone off the charger before joining them. It’s sunny and room temperature outside. The grass is turning green and summer is in the air. Mom hears me coming and opens the back door. Deborah gets out of the car and joins her in the back.
“What are you doing?” I ask politely.
“I’m sitting with your mother. You can sit up front with Scott.” “You don’t need to move for me,” I insist.
“I want to sit with her,” she smiles. “We’ll guide you from the backseat.” I roll my eyes at Scott, “Great, two backseat drivers!”
He smiles, “You look nice today.”
“Thanks,” I say, “you do too,” I’m sarcastic. He’s wearing his wife-beater T-shirt with a grey sweater and sweat pants. He couldn’t have spent more than two minutes on his appearance.
“She didn’t tell me we were going anywhere until twenty minutes ago,” he says referring to his mother.
“Same here,” I smile.
“How are you feeling after last night,” he asks quietly while turning the music speakers to the back of the car drowning us out?
“Rough, why did you tell everyone which University you chose in front of Michael?”
“Why wouldn’t I? It just came up. I had no idea you didn’t mention it to him. Does he know we’re sharing a flat?”
“Are you crazy? Of course not! Not yet,” I add. “Does Juliet?”
“She knew more than Michael did. She’s aware we picked the same University but not about our living arrangements.”
“You haven’t told her yet,” I state the obvious. “No,” he admits.
“Shouldn’t you?” I ask.
“Shouldn’t you?” He rallies back to me.
It's so weird, sitting in the car and not holding hands. I’m not used to it. I just want to reach over and place my hand into his. Come to think of it, he didn’t put his hand on my headrest when he backed out of the driveway either. He’s more distant. This wall has gone up between us and our being even a little bit physical with each other is a part of the past. Mom leans up between Scott’s and my seat. “Scott, your mother told me you have a new girlfriend. Is that true?”
He blushes and mom pinches his cheek, “That’s so cute Scott. What’s her name?”
“Juliet, Mrs. Moyes,” he says politely.
Mom laughs, “Just to think, you and Isabella had your mother and I believing you guys were totally in love with each other. The two of you missed your calling. You should have been actors,” she says affectionately before returning to her conversation with Deborah. A heavy silence falls over us for the rest of the ride. Scott pulls up to a newer apartment building and parks the car. We call the landlord who lets us in and meets her in the lobby. She introduces herself as Macy. She is a heavyset woman with strawberry blond hair that looks like she cuts it herself with a pink complexion littered with acne and eczema. Her glasses are from the eighties giving coke bottle rims a whole new definition.
We introduce ourselves and then she asks us to follow her. She walks with a bit of a waddle due to her oversized belly or maybe she has issues down there that make her walk like that. She looks like she just rode on a saddle.
She brings us to apartment 214. Scott and I enter first then Deborah and Mom follow behind us. The light maple-colored floors are either laminate or hardwood, having to guess I would say laminate. It’s cozy, I like it immediately. On our left is a kitchen that boasts of new wooden cabinetry with nickel-plated handles. The stove is hooded with under cabinet lighting. The living room is quite spacious and will easily hold two couches, a table, and a nicely sized LED television. There is only one bathroom with a shower and tub and two carpeted bedrooms that looked approximately the same in size.
I looked at Scott questioningly, “What do you think?” “Perfect, you?”
“Perfect.”
Mom and Deborah hug, “Rented!” Mom grins at Macy, “We’ll give you the deposit today and the kids will move at the beginning of September.”
“Oh no, no, no,” she says pointing her finger at mom. “The ad clearly states immediate occupancy. You either start renting the first of July or I’ll find somebody who will.” I subtly looked at mom with pleading eyes.
She turns to Deborah, “The kids like it and there isn’t too much to pick from, what do you think?”
“It will give them plenty of time to move in and get settled,” she says more to herself.
Mom reaches for Macy’s hand, “We’ll take it.” It took us over an hour to tie up loose ends and sign our lives away before we head out for food.