𝘉𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘪𝘥𝘦 #1

9. Adrift

Shots – Imagine Dragons

I arrived at Leah's house the following Friday after leaving work; she had told me she'd be alone all weekend since Wade would be immersed in a photography project, and we'd spend time together. She had also taken the entire week off from the company because she needed it and was exhausted, and wanted to spend time with him before he left, and now it was my turn. I missed her and felt ready to share some of my feelings and discuss them with someone other than myself.

I parked my car beside hers, got out, and retrieved my small bag from the trunk. As I approached the front door, my best friend came out to greet me with a smile. As we drew close, I hugged her tightly, and Lee reciprocated with equal force, causing my body to relax, yet my throat constricted, wanting to cry. I hadn't realized how much I needed this hug or how helpless I felt about everything that had been happening for a miserable week. Her hands caressed my back for a couple of minutes in silence until she spoke.

"Do you want to buy ice cream, grab a drink, and talk?"

I laughed, pulling back and wiping away the tears I hadn't noticed falling down my cheeks. I recalled a moment from years ago, at the beginning of high school, when we gathered at her house to discuss the guys we were into back then. We were a bundle of emotions and juvenile hormones in the worst sense, where all you want to do is tear your soul apart, and we ended up devouring a two-liter tub of chocolate ice cream and soda. It was straight out of a movie, but it made us feel better. So I nodded enthusiastically.

"That's fair and necessary." I pouted, my lower lip trembling, a warning that I'd burst into tears again at any moment. What was wrong with me? I didn't understand why I had this constant urge to cry, to let sorrow consume me. Did I need to? But what was the real reason?

She invited me in, guiding me through her house, and I realized it was my first time inside since arriving in Cambridge. The place was incredibly cozy: the living room was separated from the dining room and kitchen by a wall with a small arch. There were large armchairs, and the walls had a discreet pattern that added a Victorian touch without overdoing it. The room was equipped with a TV, bookshelves, decorative furniture, plants, a music system, and numerous photographs strategically placed to delight.

I listened to Leah's voice as we moved through the ground floor, pointing out doors and rooms. They had a massive window leading to the patio, where I could see a pool from my position. I followed her, absorbing every detail, and then we went upstairs to the second floor, where four doors lined a spacious hallway.

"The last one is mine," she said, stretching her hand to point left, then continuing with the two doors on the right. "Guest rooms." She opened one, then the other: the first had a queen-sized bed, armchairs, and a desk, while the second had a double bed and similar harmonious furniture. "The larger bed has an en-suite bathroom, and the other is here," she indicated, pointing to the last door. I nodded, gazing at the pictures on a small table between the rooms. Most featured the couple, but there were also a couple of frames with each of them with their respective families. This brought back memories of afternoons spent at her house with her sister and parents when my own parents asked me to stay over for work or other reasons. "Yours will be this one," she said, smiling as she entered the room with the larger bed. I followed, dropped my bag onto the L-shaped sofa, and went to the window. In the distance, I spotted a small forest, and looking down, I saw the same pool I'd noticed from the living room.

"You have a beautiful house. It reminds me a lot of the one you had in Russia." I sat on the edge of the bed, and she did the same beside me, hugging me and leaning on my shoulder while my head rested on hers, returning the embrace. My chest tightened again at the gesture.