da latto.

"I just might like it here"

April 13th
Wednesday
10:25
__________________

Lee couldn't stop grinning as she turned the key in the lock.
Her key. Her apartment.

Six weeks ago, she'd been making ends meet from her part-time salon job, dreaming about moving out of her mom's apartment . Then, fate and a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought on a munchie run had handed her the break of a lifetime. It wasn't billions, but it was enough to breathe and enough to finally live.
The apartment was perfect a sun-drenched loft with big windows and creaky hardwood floors that felt like they had stories to tell. She tossed her bag on the counter and spun around in the middle of the living room, laughing.
This is it, Lee. Your new life starts now.
She was halfway through unloading a box of dishes when she heard it the scrape of a chair outside, the deep rumble of a man's voice talking to a little boy. Curiosity tugged at her, and she wandered over to the balcony.And there he was.
Tall, lean, a little scruffy in the jawline, wearing a plain white tee that made him look like he'd just stepped off a movie set. He glanced up, caught her staring...and smiled.

Hot neighbor alert.

"Hey there, new girl," he called up. His voice was warm, easy. "You just moving in?"

"Yeah," Lee said, trying not to sound like she was swooning. "Finally."

The little boy next to him probably about five or six waved up at her.
"I'm Nate," the man said, pointing to himself, then the boy. "And this is Theo. We're your welcoming committee."

Lee laughed, feeling something flutter in her stomach.
Maybe this was going to be even better than she thought.
But later, when Nate offered to help her carry up some heavier boxes, she learned the catch he was divorced, raising Theo part-time.
It wasn't a deal-breaker, but it made something inside her hesitate. Lee had just won her independence; she wasn't sure if she was ready to jump into someone else's already half-built life.

So she made herself a promise to herself Focus on her dreams first.

April 14th
Thursday
6:53am
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The next morning, Lee sat cross-legged on her bare mattress, laptop balanced on her knees. She pulled up Instagram and TikTok and started setting up her new brand: Hair by Lee. Tutorials. Tips. Client makeovers. She had the talent, she had the time and now she had the space to make it real. As she snapped a selfie under the perfect morning light pouring through her windows, she felt that this wasn't just her first apartment.
It was her first empire.
And if Nate and his adorable kid kept smiling up at her like that from downstairs?
Nanas notes!
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long time no see I'm back 🤤.