One Night in New York

Chapter Seventeen

A new year means a fresh start. At least, that's what I'd always told myself, that each New Year brings us a clean slate. Be a nice person if you don't like how you treat people. If you need to be more active, go to the gym or take a brisk walk. And, if you're unhappy with certain aspects of your life, make changes. In any case, does anyone keep their New Year's resolutions? No, most likely not, but it provides us with positive motivation and, what else, hope to improve ourselves.

I made a resolution in 2019 to meet someone wonderful, and I succeeded. I met Liam ten months later, and we were engaged by the end of the year. Did I do everything on my own? No, Angie gave me a nice push the night I met Liam. I would never have met him if it hadn't been for her. That year, in 2020, I made no resolutions to change anything, only hoping for the best for our future.

What would the year 2020 bring? I expected only good things after 2019 ended on a high note, but that wasn't going to happen, at least not at first. January got off to a good start. On January 6th, we had a doctor's appointment, and Liam and I got to see our baby. It wasn't like the first time because I was alone in a panic with that one. Liam appeared to be as thrilled as I was to see how far our little one had come. I was twelve weeks and three days pregnant at the time. We had a 4D ultrasound and saw that our little nugget was perfectly healthy. We couldn't tell what gender they were because it was too early, but we could see their head, baby arms, and tiny legs. Knowing this tiny human was alive and well inside you was a surreal experience. On March 3rd, we planned to find out the gender of the baby. It was the only available date Liam and I could attend together. 

I was about to turn twenty-five in a few months, and I was excited. I was ready to be a mommy and a wife, and as the days passed, I longed for the day to come. I hadn't felt the flutters at that point because I was still too early, but I was told that day would be one of the best of my pregnancy. I had hoped so because, aside from the joy I was experiencing, my body was beginning to change in ways I had never imagined possible. Yes, my nausea had subsided, but my sense of smell had been heightened to levels I had never imagined possible.

"Is this what dogs feel like as they sniff out a bone, they smell it as if it were in front of their face?" I jokingly thought.

That was me; I used to love seafood, but the smell of it at the time drove me to the bathroom. I was bloated all the time, wearing mostly sweats and leggings, which wasn't much different from before I was pregnant. I peed every five minutes, my back began to ache, and my boobs inflated like helium balloons. Why was pregnancy a blessing in our lives but a curse on our bodies? I asked myself that question on a daily basis, but every time I did, I reminded myself that my body is our little angel's home for the next few months. And what are people looking for in their homes? We want to feel comfortable. Our bodies adjust to allow our babies to grow as comfortably as possible while being squished like a pretzel.

The rest of January seemed to pass just as quickly as the previous months. That is, until the 21st of January, 2020. Prior to that date, there had been reports of a virus outbreak in China. We all thought we'd be fine in the US because it appeared to be contained elsewhere. The first case stood on US soil on that date, in January. I was concerned, but because it was in Washington State, I assumed it would be isolated and would not affect us. As the cases arrived in our country, all major airlines began to halt flights to China. I became even more concerned because New York was a city teeming with foreign visitors. Liam reassured me that it wouldn't be too bad and that we'd take precautions until things settled down.

Did everything get better? No, things got worse. The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency on January 31st. People began to panic more, and I was no exception. According to what I saw on the news, it appeared to be a deadly virus. It was known as Covid-19, or the Coronavirus. As Liam tried to calm my nerves, reports of new cases flooded all media outlets, and I worried incessantly.

"What happens if it gets as bad as China over here, Liam? What would they do then?" I asked.

"Babe, I don't know, but my two trips to France next month have already been canceled, so I will be here with you. I am going to fly my parents up too so they can stay with us for a bit," he explained.

"Well, it's not that serious right now. Right? Do you think they must come up?" I could see Liam raise an eyebrow as I asked that question. I loved his dad and was coming around to his mom, but I was not keen on them coming to stay with us until God knows when.

But did I try to stop him? No way, they were his parents, and I'd be a jerk if I chastised him for wanting to keep an eye on them during a scary time.

The following week, we prepared the house for Liam's parents' arrival. We went out and bought a few weeks' worth of their favorite foods, and he even spent $5,000 on a replica of the coffee maker his mother had in her home. You know, the one I was having trouble with back in November.

His parents arrived shortly after the place was ready. For the next few weeks, we huddled around the TV and stayed glued to our phones for constant updates. I also checked in with Angie and Marcus to make sure they were both okay. Nothing had yet arrived in our city, but I had a feeling something would. The first Coronavirus death in the United States was reported on February 29th, the day after Liam's birthday, and the first case was documented in New York on March 1st. Our Governor declared a state of emergency as soon as the virus took hold of our city. The date was March 7th. I got a frantic call from Angie to turn on the news.

"I'm already watching Angie. Where are you?" I asked as I felt I needed my best friend.

"I'm actually leaving work. I'm going to swing by if that's OK."

"Of course, Angie, come over whenever. I'll be here."

Angie quickly arrived at our condo. Marcus came after, as we all needed to make a game plan.

"It appears that things are about to blow up in the United States; perhaps everyone should stick together. Because I have a four-bedroom condo, Natalie and I will share a room, my parents, Alyssa, Marcus, and Angie can all take the other 3. I'm simply thinking aloud. I'm not saying it will happen, but what if we end up like other countries, unable to leave our homes?" We all agreed that Liam had a valid point.

Angie and Marcus had decided to go home, pack their belongings, and come stay with us for a few weeks, or so we thought. But would it only be for two weeks? It would be a little longer. As we prepared to spend weeks together, Liam and the boys went to the store to stock up on food.

Things gradually began to close down over the next week. Angie and Marcus were laid off, and Alyssa's photoshoots were all canceled. As panic-driven news scrolled across everyone's screen, the panic was running rampant in the streets of America. We stayed in every day, waiting for any new developments in the case until the next major event occurred.

Angie and Marcus were planning on returning home after nearly two weeks. When the story broke, the men had gone to the store to get a few things for the week. It happened on March 20th. We learned that a stay-at-home order would be issued beginning at 8:00 p.m. on March 22nd. I dialed Liam in a panic because I didn't think we had enough food or water.

While they were gone, Liam decided to get more of what he thought we would need. He ended up standing in line for nearly two hours because everyone else had the same idea he did, and he eventually came home with his purchase. What was the most important thing he bought? Can you make a guess? Toilet paper, indeed.

"You have about fifty rolls of toilet paper, Babe. I know there are eight of us, but how often do you think we'll go to the bathroom in the next few weeks?" It was quite a sight to see, so I had to razz him while the boys were lugging bulk toilet paper into the condo.

But I couldn't make fun of him too much. Yes, we all did it. Toilet paper was hoarded as if it would never be produced again. We were hoarding toilet paper like it was gold, and for some reason, we wouldn't be able to wipe ourselves unless each household had about 250 rolls.

Our entire beautiful city was quickly shut down, and bustling New York City became more of a ghost town as most businesses came to a halt. We did our best at our home, playing games, face timing with my family, and trying not to irritate each other. Everything appeared to be fine at first, until it wasn't. We had only been at home for a week when things began to go south in our household. It was a moment I wished I could erase from my life.