Madison Avenue

Chapter 16.

Have no fear...there will be one more chapter after this one...The Epilogue.
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Not two months later, Ross and Rachel found their nearly brand new, once spotless apartment half empty and cluttered with boxes. All of the superfluous, decorative items that made their house a home-picture frames, candles, throw pillows, books, movies, CDs, and most furniture, for that matter-had already been packed away. The only items remaining were the ones absolutely essential to daily living, as they'd be officially moving the next morning.

Then, they'd shut the doors forever to the penthouse they'd refurbished and reconstructed all for themselves.

Ross was on the phone with the dean of the board in the barren living room, standing (as there was no longer really any place to sit) amongst the boxes and bags. As he hung up the phone, Rachel approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his back.

"I'm sad," she whined.

"I know." He turned in her embrace and kissed her forehead.

"What did he say?" she muffled against his chest. Ross exhaled deeply, obviously going to be very happy when the commotion and stress of all this was over.

"Well, I apparently have a week to move in and get adjusted before my first day at the museum. Also, they've set up a meeting for us with an interpreter when we get there to help us sort out the apartment stuff."

"This is going to be exhausting, huh?"

"Yep, sounds like it. What did your people say?"

"I don't start for two weeks after we get there, which is good, I guess, because it'll give me time to find a good preschool for Emma. Oh, but I did find out our apartment is, like, 10 miles from my office," she huffed, rolling our eyes. "Boy, nothing's easy, is it?"

"But, you know, when this is all over, it'll be so worth it."

"Mmm, I hope so," she whispered, hugging him tightly before walking away back into the kitchen. "So Monica said they'd be here around 7 tomorrow morning," she yelled back at him. Their friends had insisted on driving them to the airport. Their car had already been shipped.

"And what about tonight?" he asked, following her into the kitchen to help box away the last of the utensils and appliances. "You know, you still haven't decided what you want to do on our last night in New York."

At this, Rachel scrunched her nose up in dismay. She hadn't wanted to think about it. On the one hand, she kind of wanted to just spend the night at home, saying goodbye to this place they'd built and she felt belonged only to them, now. On the other hand, she didn't want to waste one moment away from the city. She loved this city-in a way, she'd really grown up here.

"Hmmm, well, you know, I think there's really only one thing we can do."

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Rachel pushed Emma's stroller through the double doors of Central Perk around 6 that night with Ross trailing right behind them. She looked around and smiled nostalgically.

It was only their third time going back there since they'd moved, and maybe their last ever.

Ross instinctively went to the counter to order coffee for himself and Rachel, while she staked out their seat on the couch. She watched her husband's conversation with Gunther. They were undoubtedly talking about the wedding, which made her smile, but she couldn't help but notice how their interaction seemed detached and vaguely indifferent. They were almost like strangers now, to the people here-to this place. They knew no one here, anymore, and that thought saddened Rachel.