Is great with kids.
In the middle of the following week, during my lunch break, I received a call from a person I spoke with before joining my group, now affectionately named “We think cats are cool.”
It wasn’t not the psychiatrist. Thank God. Or the party-loving student. It was J. I had actually forgotten about them.
The first time they called was between visiting the nosy lady and her secret husband and the cat lady. The dark days. I didn’t get to see their apartment after the initial call because they were out of town at the time. I also found out from the initial call with J that he was a man. With a wife. And two daughters. I quickly understood why their profile name was just an initial. I couldn’t discern if he was a male or female until I heard his voice on the phone, which was sneaky and suspect. I politely told him that I wasn’t interested but thanked him for returning my call. Definitely wasn’t expecting him to call me a month later.
“Have you reconsidered moving in? You’ll be treated like family!” he said.
I admitted to myself that I was a bit flattered, but I hadn’t changed my mind from the last conversation, especially since I was looking for apartments for three people instead of one. If I wanted to be treated like family, I’ll fly home to my own. It didn’t include paying rent or babysitting someone else’s kids.
“I’m actually looking for three now. Sorry, but I hope you find someone else. Thank you for thinking of me.”
After we said our byes, I ended the call.
I felt good about how I handled the call. At the same time, I still didn’t have an apartment to move into, and I had less than a month before my lease was up. I didn’t want to go back home…I almost wanted to sob into my buffalo chicken melt.
*
4:33 a. m.
I was only up this late, or early, for two reasons: I didn’t have work today, and I was finishing the last details of my thesis revisions. I was supposed to be in bed hours ago…Obviously it didn’t happen. I always got caught up in my work. Just like Mom. Every detail has to be right.
My thesis was due in a few days, but I wanted to turn it early. Staying up until almost dawn to finish it may not have been my best idea. My head was throbbing, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Were those tears falling onto my desk? I uploaded my thesis document to the website of an online copier shop that was nearby. Before I clicked the “finish” button, I realized I uploaded the wrong version. Craaaaaaap. I searched through my files again and found the right one. Small victories. Pick-up was at three in the afternoon.
I turned everything off and hopped into bed. I set your alarm to wake me up in four hours. The search for “the One” continued.
You’ll be on an endless loop of viewing apartments. Just like walking through a revolving door.
Another day, another apartment.