The Sun That Kissed The Flower

Home Is Where The Heart Is

"I can't keep looking at these listings anymore... I'm going to lose my mind..." I sighed deeply while leaning my head on my desk.

"No luck today?" one of my colleagues and close friends Erik, who specialized in Victorian Literature, had peered over my shoulder to look at my laptop.

"Why is it so difficult to find a place for 3 people?"

"Maybe you're not looking at the right sources?"

"I am..." I sighed while leaning back. 

"All of these places are like death traps for babies. I'd have to spend more money on baby proofing everything. We might as well live in a bubble wrap dome..." Erik laughed and then patted the top of my shoulders a few times to encourage me.

"Cheer up, I'm sure you'll find a place to compromise on..."

"What's this?" another one of my colleagues in our Department, who specializes in a wide-range of Indigenous Literature, was poking her head through my office door...

"Kira is having trouble finding a place that won't hurt her sister's unborn child..."

"Someone's overprotective, huh?" I looked over at Morgan a little aghast. She was now tying her long hair into a ponytail.

"Have you seen the structure of most modern housing? All those sharp, marble edges. Sliding cupboards and hamper doors, hardwood floors and wooden steps... do people designing houses ever consider young kids?"

"Well..." Morgan said while walking over to my desk: "they do, you just need to broaden your range..."

"But I have--"

"Here..." Morgan was now opening up her phone. She scrolled a little before lifting the screen up to my gaze. "My friend knows this person. They'll do the work for you."

"A real estate agent?" she passed me her phone and I looked at their credentials a little.

"But their commission rates..."

"How long have you been looking? And how long will you continue to look? Do you plan on sleeping on your old couch for the rest of the year?" I sighed in defeat while grabbing a notepad and pen. I jotted down their contact info and passed the phone back to her.

"I'll let them know you'll be calling..."

"This really is a last resort, isn't it?" I leaned on my desk again and Morgan chuckled.

"Don't worry. In less than a few weeks your whole life will change..."

"I hope so..." I groaned. Erik smiled at me before going back to his office.

"You have a class in 30 minutes..." Morgan reminded me and I sat up a little too quickly. My neck started to ache a little.

Maybe this was what needed to be done...

Yes, I had a feeling my fated house would be just around the corner...

***

After all of our classes were finished, Morgan and I decided to go get some drinks. Erik had an evening class so we agreed to get dinner together another night...

When we got to the bar across from our campus, I threw back a few glasses of red wine before asking for my third...

"Easy there..." Morgan said while dipping one of her tortilla chips into salsa.

"Hannah loved drinking wine so I wouldn't dare drink in front of her... I've missed having a glass of wine after work..." I gently squeezed the neck of the crystal clear glass before looking up. Morgan was ordering a cocktail for herself.

"What would you do in a situation like this?"

"What situation?"

"A relative leaves for 2 years with zero contact. Then they suddenly show up pregnant."

"I would do what you did... probably..." I smiled and Morgan smirked. She was handed her mimosa and we both did a quick cheers before we continued to talk about work and any personal issues we had of late...

After my seventh glass of wine I felt the ground underneath my feet shake a little... I knew I was at my limit. I pushed the glass back and looked at Morgan who was half-asleep at the bar table. I smiled and then leaned in to grab her phone that was ringing. It was her partner calling to ask if they could pick us up.

It was just after midnight at this point...

While we waited outside together I looked up at the clear, dark sky... it was getting closer to fall so there was a slight chill in the air...

I supported Morgan's body as she rested her head on my arm.

During these nights, after drinking for quite some time it felt like my momentary fogginess brought a sense of nostalgia... it was strange. It was like having an out of body experience in order to experience... to feel something I hid away in my mind...

I had a sense that someone out there in the world was waiting for me... when I lost part of my ability to hold onto reason, that feeling that I was missing something became heavy...

I smiled to myself thinking that if there was something hidden in my subconscious then maybe it really was best not to know...

"You two... what will I do with you?" Aster, Morgan's partner, helped her up into the car before walking back to help me up.

"I can take a taxi..."

"No way. You're too drunk. You don't even know yourself..." while Aster helped me to the car I laughed a little...

In that moment when Aster helped me into the passenger seat I turned around... behind Aster a streetlamp was beaming directly behind her back casting a shadow... her figure transformed a little under my gaze... while I receded into an unconsciousness I thought I saw something...

"What?" Aster asked confused. "Who's Ren?"