HEJ, MY LOVE

PAPERWORK

Sierra looked at the clock and sighed. The French loved paperwork, and there Sierra thought it was just to keep people employed.

It took a five-minute form on the Internet to ask for her casier judiciare [criminal record] she received it a week later. Of course, it was empty, immaculate of any crime. Thank goodness the law didn't retain the nail varnish and sweet thefts that shop keepers pinned on her back instead of Cécile.

She proceeded the same way to get a copy of her birth certificate.

The woman carefully followed what ex-pats did. She even got her diplomas apostilled at la course d'appel de Paris [court of Appeal]. Her certificates were now legalized, and Sierra hoped it would simplify her job search in Sweden.

Now she sat in city Hall waiting.

She needed a certificate of no impediment and a single status affidavit. Both documents attested she was free of any engagement.

Even though she had her divorce papers, she had to have this in addition.

It wasn't as difficult as she expected, but it seemed long for the woman who wished to join her husband-to-be asap.

The other thing that clouded Sierra's mind wasn't a fickle matter. She was leaving France with Leone. Sierra could bet her right arm that the Gauthiers would do everything in their power to stop her if they got wind of her plans.

The worst thing they could do would be to get a restraining order to stop her from leaving with him. Though drastic, Sierra did not exclude the thought as she knew what they could do with or without provocation.

Thinking of this probability gave her stomach burns. The effect perfectly corresponded to the Gauthiers, who eroded anything or anyone they encountered.

Sierra's number appeared. She got up and went to the desk.

"Goodmorning."

"Goodmorning, madame, name and booking, please."

Sierra frowned, "booking?"

"You booked an appointment online, right?" The woman asked.

"Excuse me, it wasn't mentioned anywhere. I thought I could just come."

"Next," the administrator pressed for the following number.

"No, no, wait. I'm here; can't you do it?"

The woman shook her head, "no, I can't just do it. It's an official document that asks for careful verification. We ask you to book so we can already start to check. Then you bring in your original, and we double-check. We prepare the document, and you come back to pick it up."

Sierra sighed and lifted her eyes, hoping a miracle, before returning her focus on the stern administration officer, "please, I'm desperate here."

"If you really were, you would have booked next."

Sierra should aside as the next person came to the counter.

While the woman in the booth gave in her documents, Sierra took her phone out and searched for the booking space on the city hall website. She read the pages repeatedly, but she found no click here button or a highlighted book here.

She went back to the counter, "excuse, but there's no page for booking."

The admin rolled her eyes, "look at the bottom."

Sierra looked; all she saw was: general information, about, history, guide, copyright, help, and the breakdown of all the web pages before noticing the book an appointment tab.

How was a person supposed to see that?

Sierra's eyes grew wide when she saw no slots for the next month.

Did everyone wish to marry abroad?

She headed back to the counter, "excuse me."

"Can you wait for your turn, madame? You haven't got an appointment. Can you stop cutting in like this?"

It wasn't Sierra's habit to insist, but the woman stepped out of her comfort zone, "sorry, it's just I see there's no appointment before four weeks and I."

"We can't go faster than the music. Keep refreshing the page. Sometimes people cancel."

Sierra sighed; how could one lousy paper ruin her day?

She tried to keep her mindset in check and proceeded to her next rendezvous.

Sierra couldn't leave her apartment empty, and she didn't want to sell. Her mortgage still had twenty-three years left. It could become a pied-a-terre for when they would come to Paris.

Jade advised her to do Airbnb, but the idea of having multiple residents and handpicking them weekly or monthly was off-putting.

She preferred to find tenants with a long-term stay in mind. She didn't have any other requirements. She just wished for someone who would pay the rent on time.

Actually, she wanted someone clean, and one could not distill the feature from appearance still Sierra would try.

She hurried home to welcome the first visit.

When she arrived, the young man was already there with his long-haired Hellfest tee, baggy pants skateboard in hand. Despite his appearance, he was a student at the prestigious Science Po [famous uni].

"Hi, Nice to meet you."

The boy lifted his hand to gesture a Hi without looking into her eyes. There was no doubt he was one of the emo generation kids.

"So, as you can see, the apartment is spacious," Sierra spoke, but it was obvious the boy wasn't listening.

He took photos and only spoke when they entered Leone's room, "wow, this would make a great studio."

"Studio?"

"Yeah, I have a rock band."

Sierra thought of her neighbors. Some had kids like her. She didn't wish to receive their calls of complaint in Sweden. Also, the idea of seeing her sons' room turn into a recording studio didn't sit well in her mind.

She smiled, "the building is tranquil, my neighboursㅡ."

"So, if I understand, I can't invite a few friends to my place to party?"

Sierra mentally banged her head against the wall. The young man left shortly after.

The following person loved the apartment but hated the neighborhood. Her questions revolved around the area's crime rate.

"Have you been burgled?"

"No."

"I heard there was a lot of phone snatching and crackheads in the area."

Sierra blinked twice before saying, "there isn't more here than anywhere else."

"How many locks are on the door?"

Sierra wondered what the woman wished to rent there if she was so scared. She didn't need to ask the woman who supplied her with the answers, "your apartment is cheap and neat. It's just the neighborhood isㅡthank you for your time. I won't take the apartment."

I wasn't planning on renting it to you, thought Sierra.