All The Stars in the Universe

Chapter 7.

Bex looked around the tiny apartment, which was now nearly empty. It was just after Christmas, and a lot had changed over the past month. Mrs. Hennessy had moved, Bowie had found a second, part-time job- at a pet store of all places!- and they finally had just enough money coming in to move into the apartment next door, even if things would be tighter than ever, financially.

She was happy about moving, really. Even just that one extra bedroom would make a world of difference to them, space-wise. But the move was bittersweet. Their apartment was part of she and Andi's history. It was the place where they really became mother and daughter; where Bex grew up and became a real adult.

Standing in the kitchen, she smiled wistfully. She was standing in the exact same spot where she'd been when Andi had called her 'mom' for the first time. Andi had been so much smaller back then that Bex, in her joy, could pick her up and spin her around in her arms. Now, a year later, Andi was almost as tall as her, and close enough to her size that they could share clothes and shoes. How was it possible that her baby had grown so much so fast, right before her eyes? When Bex first arrived home, Andi still looked and talked like a little kid. Now though, she was becoming a beautiful, poised young woman, with her own thoughts and opinions.

Sighing, Bex wandered into the living room, her footsteps echoing on the empty walls. She spotted a piece of leftover tinsel on the floor, shining in the morning sunlight, where their Christmas tree had been. She struggled to squat down and pick it up, but finally gave up. Her belly was getting too big to bend over comfortably.

She surveyed the room. It looked so much bigger without her sofa bed in it. Her dad had brought over her old bed from the house, for her and Bowie to sleep in, now that they had a room to put it in. She would be glad to sleep in a real bed- it would certainly be more comfortable during her last few months of pregnancy. And she was grateful that she and Bowie would finally have some much-needed privacy, but she and Andi had had a lot of fun times in that cozy living room; hanging out in their pillow fort, giving each other makeovers, and even just staying up into the night, talking, until Andi fell asleep next to her. Her eyes became misty.

"Hey, baby," Bowie said, coming up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing in the scent of her hair.

Bex came out of her trance. "Oh. Hey."

"We're almost moved in," he told her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I just need to grab the last few boxes. Your dad and I just set up the bed, so you can lay down and relax before work."

"Thanks," she smiled, leaning against him. "I just feel bad that you guys have to do all the work."

"Don't feel bad," he said. "We can handle it. Don't you even try to carry anything." He kissed her again. "You okay?"

"Just feeling a little sentimental," she told him, honestly. "I'm going to miss this place. I know it's silly, but I can't help it."

"It's not silly," he said, squeezing her shoulders. His eyes twinkled, as if he were thinking of a secret joke. "But why don't you come over to the new apartment with me? I think you'll like what you see."

"Okay," she shrugged. Bowie lifted up two stacked boxes effortlessly, and she followed him next door. She entered the new apartment, not quite knowing what to expect. Even so, she was still unprepared for what she saw. She sucked in her breath, taking it all in.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Do you like it?"

"It's perfect!" she exclaimed. She'd seen the apartment empty, of course, but Bowie had obviously been hard at work since she saw it last. He'd arranged the furniture, and some of her things, almost exactly as they had been in the old apartment, so it all felt new, yet familiar. Her eyes welled with tears, and her heart filled with intense love for him. She stepped into his arms and hugged him. "It's beautiful, Bowie."