My phone within reach.
And absolutely
no intention of knocking on apartment 4B for a fourth time.
At 7:03, I heard movement above me.
Then his balcony door slid open.
I waited.
A minute later, his hand appeared beyond the railing.
Something small dangled between his fingers.
The tea bag dropped.
But this time, instead of sighing and throwing it away like I had done countless times before, I was prepared.
Because after three polite requests, several stained belongings, and one smug warning to “be grateful,” my upstairs neighbor was finally about to discover why I had spent the previous afternoon getting ready.
They say that people who truly love you will be there for you when life gets tough. I’ve discovered that sometimes the person who most clearly sees your pain isn’t the one who once vowed to love you forever.
The year before, I’d brought home three babies at once—Mandy, Randy, and Tobby. The three tiny car seats lay on the living room floor, looking like the most beautiful, stunning miracle I’d ever seen.
