Dearest - truly flung out of space

35 - Fresh start?

“What do you think about this one?” Carol asks and turns the screen of her laptop in my direction.

I take a closer look at the advertisement. 5 rooms, perfectly located, easy to connect to public transport, which is perfect for Rindy to get to school. The restaurant is not that either, and the uni is only a 10-minute bike ride. It looks perfect. 

“It's great, but we can’t afford it. 2500$ a month is not possible,” I reply and bury my face in my hands again.

“Well, how much can we afford anyways?” she asks and puts her laptop away, scooting a little bit closer to me. 

“I don't know. 1500$ maximum? I don’t think I can afford more. My salary is not that much, and the student loan also is not that amazing,” I sigh. It hurts me that I can’t provide as much as I would like to for Carol and Rindy. 

“Maybe we can still plan a viewing?” Carol asks, and I nod. I want to try luck but I’m scared she will be disappointed.

2 days later, Carol and I are on the way to the viewing of the apartment. It could be a beautiful Saturday morning. The birds are chirping, and the sun is shining. Carol and I make a left turn, and that’s when I see the queue for viewing. We knew we wouldn’t be the only ones, but we didn’t expect to see 20 other people. I want to turn around and go back home right then and there, bu Carol insists on staying. When she has set her mind on something, it is almost impossible to change her mind and make her see alternative facts. 

“Let’s go, Y/N,” she says with a firm voice, and I have no chance but to obey her. We enter the building and are asked to wait until the other people have had their chance to see the apartment. Carol and I spend almost 2 hours waiting. The time seems to pass backwards, and with each passing second, I feel my motivation leaving my body. 

“And you are the last interested couple? I’m sorry you had to wait so long,” a friendly voice suddenly says. A woman, maybe in her late sixties, early seventies, welcomes us into the apartment. She hands up a cup of coffee, and I decide to drink it since I don’t think declining her gift wouldn’t leave her with a good impression of me. 

“Oh, don’t worry. We didn’t mind the waiting,” Carol says and smiles. The woman smiles back at us and leads us inside of the apartment. Even the stairwell is beautiful. With every passing step, my hopes vanish a little further. How can Carol and I afford such a place? Finally, we enter the apartment again and are greeted by the woman again. She's once again apologizing for the long waiting time. 

“I'm sorry the other parties took so long to view everything. I was hoping they would finish sooner. However, we hope you are still interested in our apartment. 

Your application was very promising. May I ask, are you a mother and two children?” the woman asks and turns to Carol. 

This is the moment of truth. We can either lie to her straight into the face or we tell her the truth. And, as much as I know Carol, she will be honest with the woman. 

“Not quite. We are actually a couple. A lesbian couple and my daughter. I was once married to a man,” Carol confesses as if it was the easiest thing to say. 

“We can understand if this information changes the way you view us. We don't want to lie to you and live against our own grain. However, we understand if you don't want to rent your apartment to a lesbian couple,” I say and take Carol's hand. Something about this conversation makes me very uncomfortable and anxious. 

The woman shakes her head, immediately dismissing my worries.

“Don't be ridiculous. Your sexuality changes nothing about the first impression we got from you. We would like to ask you a few questions about how you plan to afford this apartment since it is very pricey. Are you two working?” the woman asks again and leads us to the kitchen where we sit down.

“I do. Although I am still a university student, I work as a waitress at a fancy restaurant. My salary is not that great but with a little bit of saving money, I will surely have the security I need to pay for the rent.  Mrs Aird, my girlfriend, is also looking for jobs so that won't be a problem. We will surely both get back to working. Our rent will always be on time. Right now… we have some issues regarding money. It's a little tight at the moment, so we would be immensely thankful if we could pay in instalments. That is, if we even get the apartment,” I explain and try to make it clear how responsible we are. The woman nods and looks at her husband. The air is tight, and I feel the fear and anxiety from all of us. Carol clutches my hand, probably looking for support. I glance at her and notice the small drops of sweat on her forehead. This is very important to her, and I know that she is thinking about our future. Not just mine or hers, but most importantly, Rindy's. Since we have already made contact with CPS, she can't risk it to get another backlash. This needs to work. For Rindy. 

“Well, that is good to know. My husband and I will discuss everything and then let you know how we decided. We kindly ask you to wait outside again. it won't take as long as before, promised,” the woman smiles and leads us outside. We walk back down the stairs, and I look at Carol. 

“How do you think it went?” I ask as I lean against a wall. 

“I don't know. I think the information about our relationship made her quite unsure of us. But I also don't want to pretend that we are something we aren't. I don't want to hide us any longer. And if this information causes people to decline us as potential renters, then that's on them. Our sexuality should not influence the way people see us,” she states and plants a kiss on my cheek. Her words make the whole situation a little lighter.  

It takes another 20 minutes until we are all led inside again. The landlady has made her decision. My hands are shaking as I walk into the kitchen area, squeezing myself in between the other interested people. Carol stands behind me and gently massages my shoulders. Her touch comforts me, just like always. 

“Thank you for waiting. We apologize if the waiting time has been too long, but we wanted to talk everything through in detail. We have made a decision that me and my husband and I feel  very satisfied with. We thank everyone who is interested in this apartment,” the lady explains, and my anxiety speeds up again. Carol tries to comfort me. 

The landlady looks at every person before her eyes land on Carol and me. My heart skips a beat. Could it be? 

“We think that you two are the perfect people for this apartment,” she says with a smile. Her husband just smiles at us. 

My hands are shaking as I take the keys from her. 

Carol Aird, we have a new apartment. 
----------
(a/n: Hello, my lovely readers! Welcome back to another chapter. I hope you are feeling welland I hope you like this chapter. I have finally finished the uni work. Well, the only thing left is the bachelors thesis, but I will manage (hopeully). I was thinking abu connecting more with you to know about your ideas and wishes for upcoming chapters and maybe new projects. If you want, you can send me a DM on Instagram (simply.sarah.xx)
Can't wait to talk to you, my friends.
Stay safe <3