“They do have the unit upstairs open if you’re interested. What do you pay in rent?” Gray asked as they figured out it would be the same amount.
“Can I take some pictures of yours? They’re the same?” Becca asked, smiling as we agreed. This apartment was closer to the city as opposed to being walking distance from work. It was in a safer part of town, located near neighborhoods and local businesses.
When we were in bed later that night, Gray laughed as he kissed me. “I can’t believe the girls might live here, too.”
“It’s a great unit for them,” I told him, pressing my naked body close to his. “I love the idea of just running upstairs.”
“You’ll both have to drive to work,” he reminded me as I shrugged.
“We should anyway since we go out with everyone after our shift. We can carpool a lot of the time.” I smiled, sliding my hand down his bare stomach.
“You’re terrible, Hay.” He chuckled, and I kept moving.
***
Summer slowly turned to Fall. Mari moved to Seattle into the two-bedroom apartment in our building within three months. I made the full move to Gray’s apartment a week before my old building burned down. It was shocking, and when the paper reported it to be arson, it made me wonder if the owner needed the insurance money.
Two people ended up getting fired at the theater due to not working as hard as needed, and Lisa was one of them. I felt relieved that I wouldn’t have to deal with her any longer, but it would add to my job for a time until she was replaced. Becca even helped out around the theater before serving coffee, and we increased our hours for the next few months.
As a result, Gray picked up more work and spent long hours working with podcasts. Mari always worked a lot of hours, and the fact that she was at a new gallery only proved to be the same as before.
It felt like I saw Gray at night when we were both exhausted. I knew that working so much was a good thing so that we could put away some money for the future. We still made a point to have family dinners on Sunday, and it seemed as though Gram loved having two daughters.
I left the theater surprisingly early one night when it turned out to be slower than expected. Becca was out with Mari, and I knew that Gray was working with a new podcast. I headed down the street to grab a drink at a bar I used to frequent, thinking I could order some food as well. It felt a bit like the old days as I ordered a beer and a burger, taking a seat in a booth to surf the net on my phone.
I thought about how much life changed over the last few months as I ate, greeting some familiar faces as they entered. Friends came over to join me, asking what I was up to. The apartment fire was brought up, and I was surprised to hear that it was intentionally set. It started in my downstairs apartment as well.
“Were you threatened by anyone?” I tried to think, considering the things that Ryan said to me.
“Not really,” I replied, sipping my beer. “I didn’t even live there anymore.”
“Where are you now?” Jake asked, and I smiled as I told him all about Gray. They congratulated me as we made a toast, making me miss my old friends. I used to get wild with these guys in my single days, and they still seemed to be the same way. We visited for a few hours before I headed out to go home, bumping into Ryan just outside of the bar.
I could see that he was drunk, slurring his words as he held onto the building. “You’re not supposed to be okay,” he murmured as I stared at him.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked as one of his friends came out to help him into a car.
I walked to my car, wondering if Ryan did set the fire, and why? We broke up a while ago, and there didn’t seem to be any resentment that would lead to that. He was extreme at times, but I never took him to be violent.
I went home, seeing that my apartment and Becca’s was dark. I guess I’d be back alone for a while, knowing that Gram was asleep for the night. I walked in, locking the door and grabbing a beer before sitting on the couch with my laptop.
I woke up on the couch in the dark as someone crashed into the kitchen table. “Gray?” I asked as I sat up, looking through the dimly lit room.
“It’s me,” he said in a low voice as I rubbed my eyes. “I tried to be quiet. I’m sorry.”
“What time is it?” I asked, watching as he dropped his keys on the floor.
“Late. We had some beer and started talking. Time got away from me.” He wasn’t looking at me, making me worry.
“The guys from the podcast?” I asked as he nodded. Gray finally looked at me.
“They’re cool. We got a lot done, but I’m beat. Want to get some sleep?” I shrugged, locking the house up and following him to bed.
“We’re working too much,” I told him as I wrapped my arms around him. Gray shifted, and I opened my eyes to look at him.
“I have a few more clients now. I don’t see it stopping.” He sounded tired, and I held him closer. “You’re working more hours, too.”
“We might hire some help. I told them I’d like to be home a bit more.” I hadn’t said that yet, but I would for him.
“Let’s talk about this tomorrow. We can go to lunch.” I heard him start snoring, feeling rejected even though I knew that he was just tired. So was I.
We only managed to have a short lunch before he got called to work, and it was that way for the next few weeks. We had dinner with Gram and the girls like clockwork on Sunday, but Mari and Becca talked most of that time. Gray and I were both distracted with work, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Ryan and his words at the bar.
I headed to the bar again one night after work. Becca was meeting Mari at some event at the gallery. I knew Gray wasn’t home. I walked in to see Jake and the guys at the bar, smiling as I joined them. “You’re back.” He hugged me, and I nodded slowly.
“I just finished work, and thought I’d stop by.” We made small talk until I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw that it was Gray. “Hey, babe. Are you okay?”
“Vivian is in labor. They think everything is going to be fine, but she wants someone there for her. Her mom is sick.” My heart dropped at his words. We’d kept in touch with Vivian over the weeks as she waited for the baby’s arrival.
“Are you at the hospital?” I asked, and he told me that he took her there. I got the room number, calling Becca since the girls got to know her. It was past the point of pregnancy that they were concerned about, so the delivery should be fine. “I have to go. I’ll come back.” The guys could see that I was in a hurry, telling me goodbye as I ran out of the door.
I hopped in my car to drive to the hospital, parking and making my way to the area that we first visited her in. Gray stood against a wall, meeting me in the hallway. “She’s close. She told me that we don’t have to be in there with her, but she’s also scared to be alone.” My face paled, and he smiled. “We could be beside her, not actually helping.”
“Okay. I guess.” I always swore that the only person I’d be there for was Becca in this situation. I felt close to Vivian, just not this close at the moment. “What’s wrong with her mom?”
“The flu. She can’t even get out of bed, much less be here. Vivian is devastated.” His face fell, and I knew that Gray was speaking the truth. The father never attempted to support her, and we were her family now, along with the girls.