Mia reached slowly for the cup of soup left outside her door. She was surprised that Leila remembered tomato basil was her favorite. Though she had argued she wasn't hungry, she brought the soup into her room and drank it slowly, feeling grateful that after all this time, Leila still cared for her. Strangely enough, Mia slept peacefully that night.
The next day, after Leila had returned from work, Mia was brave enough to converse with her about the break-up after having processed it longer.
"How are you feeling?" Leila had asked.
"Good. Thanks for the soup," Mia replied meekly.
"Oh. Of course," Leila said. The awkwardness still lingered between them, but Mia decided she didn't want it to persist.
"You were right. Julian wasn't good for me," Mia said. "And before you freak out, that wasn't your opinion that influenced me. It was all my own. I thought more about it, and...and I know we were too clingy. The more I got to reconnect with you and explore more of Maine, the more I felt like he was trapping me. I realized...I deserved someone better than him."
Leila smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. How did he take it?"
Mia shuffled awkwardly. "Not very well. He got kicked out of the restaurant we were in."
"Oh my God! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Leila asked concernedly.
Mia shook her head. "No. It never progressed that far, and I haven't heard anything from him since."
"You should've told me yesterday! If you feel unsafe, let me know, okay?" Leila asked.
Mia nodded. "Also...I went back to my drawing class today."
"Oh! How'd it go?" Leila asked.
Mia launched into her spiel about how they'd been excited to see her and even showed Leila some of her sketches from class. In the moment, everything felt peaceful and serene. Mia was surprised how calm she felt. For months she'd felt like she'd been living on the edge with trying to appease Julian and avoiding attachment to Leila and Maine, but ever since the break-up and her decision to remain in Maine, life felt more enjoyable.
"I have to tell you something," Leila had said.
Mia's heart leapt in her chest. She wondered why.
"I'm having a phone screening with the company next week. It's the first step in the interview process. I might not even make it through to the next stage—"
"I'm sure you will," Mia assured her, praying that her disappointment didn't reflect in her facial expression.
"Thanks," Leila said.
Silence lingered between them, and for a moment, Mia wondered if Leila would bring up the confession. They hadn't spoken of it since the night it occurred, but since Mia's comment the other night, she thought...maybe it was time to have a discussion about it. However, she wasn't brave enough to bring it up, and Leila, it seemed, wasn't planning on discussing it either. The conversation ended without either mentioning it.
In the weeks following her break-up with Julian, Mia was surprised how weightless she felt. She no longer had to keep her phone's sound on in case Julian called, there were no needy good night and good morning texts to send, and her days off had suddenly become filled with free time.
When she wasn't visiting the gravesite or working, Mia was spending time alone with Fuji in the apartment. He had bonded with her over the last few weeks, as if he had sensed that Julian wouldn't be returning. Fuji had let Mia stroke him a few times since the evening of the break-up and would even run around and play when Mia pulled out his favorite string toy.
As November carried on, the air grew colder, the leaves began to wither and fall, and in that time, Mia felt like her friendship with Leila was beginning to rekindle, maybe not to the place it had been before their argument, but somewhat close.
The movie nights and dinners shared together returned gradually. Mia enjoyed helping Leila cook in the kitchen, and most days, they ended up cooking together rather than assigning the meals to one person. They'd sing to songs on Leila's speaker and parade Fuji around the kitchen despite his annoyed meows.
During one of their movie nights, Mia's fingers accidentally grazed Leila's as she was reaching for the remote. Both of them stiffened immediately.
"Sorry!" Mia exclaimed.
"N-No worries," Leila responded.
After Mia turned up the volume, she flexed her fingers some. Glancing down at Leila's hand, somewhere in her desired to hold Leila's hand in hers one day.
The lingering touches began small. Sometimes their fingers would accidentally brush. Leila might touch her shoulder, or Mia would accidentally brush against Leila's waist when grabbing ingredients for dinner. They'd begun sharing a blanket while watching television together, and occasionally, their knees would bump against each other ever so slightly. Mia didn't know why, but each time they briefly touched, it felt like fireworks were exploding out of her skin. She longed to touch Leila more.
However, each time one of those instances occurred, Mia was reminded again that Leila was in the middle of a job interview process, and that in over a month, Leila might be gone. She tried not to imagine it. Each time she did, she would gaze at the couch where they watched movies and the kitchen where they cooked and would grow teary-eyed. Since when had she grown so attached to the place?
"I moved onto the second round of interviews," Leila told Mia when she returned from work one evening.
Mia was too busy untying her work apron to think much of it at first. Then, the reality hit her.
"Will this one decide?" Mia asked.
Leila shook her head. "No. This is just a virtual one with a member of the company. The final interview would be a panel interview in person. I'd have to fly for Connecticut for that. They're not having those until after Thanksgiving. I might not even advance. The phone screening was easy, so it's possible this one may be harder."
Despite Mia's desire to call out for Leila to stay, she knew it would be wrong to tell her not to go for it.
"Don't put yourself down like that. You're definitely qualified for this job. I'm sure you'll be flying to Connecticut in a few weeks."
Leila's cheeks looked red under the kitchen light. "Thank you," she said.
After hearing that news, Mia realized she needed to find better ways to spend her time. So when she wasn't at work, she'd go out and explore. Sometimes she'd go to the beach and dip her toes in the water. Other times she would draw. She attended drawing classes as frequently as possible, not wanting to be left alone with her thoughts. It hurt her to do so, but one evening, she even opened an apartment website to look at places for rent as the reality hit her that soon, she may no longer have a place to live.
As Mia kept herself occupied, the month continued, and Thanksgiving rapidly approached. Leila had been in hysterics earlier in the week, nervous for her interview. Mia had heard her practicing in her room late at night. Once, in the bathroom, Mia had even pressed her ear up to Leila's wall and listened to her speak. She had spoken eloquently and had gotten her point across well, Mia thought. Her heart sunk as she realized that there was no doubt that Leila would be moving to Connecticut for this position.
The Friday before Thanksgiving, Mia cooked on the stove and turned her head as Leila walked in, looking tired from a long day at work. Leila let out a sigh and set her work bag on the kitchen table.
"How was the interview?" Mia asked.
"I think it went well. Or I don't know. There were probably a few things I could've said better, but I included some extra notes in my thank-you email, so maybe that'll save me," Leila said.
"When do you hear back?" Mia asked.
"Not until after Thanksgiving," Leila lamented.
"Well, just enjoy the holiday for now," Mia suggested. "I'm making grilled cheeses by the way. Sorry. It's not that exciting."
"That's fine," Leila said. She squealed in excitement as Fuji leapt up on the table to greet her. Mia watched as she cuddled him in her arms and planted kisses on his forehead. "I needed this," she said, hugging Fuji close to her. "He's such good stress reliever."
Mia smiled.
"By the way," Leila said, finally letting Fuji down after he started yowling at her, "you're coming to my house for Thanksgiving, right?"
Mia flipped the grilled cheese on the stove and stared at her. "Oh...I don't want to intrude."
"I mean, if you have other plans, that's okay! You just didn't mention anything."
"I got an invitation from my aunt and uncle in Missouri, but I'm not going to go. They just ask me as a formality at this point," Mia said. "I haven't been since college."
"Then come to my house!" Leila exclaimed. "It's going to be small. Just my immediate family. The rest of the family couldn't come out this year."
"Are you sure?" Mia asked.
"Of course!" Leila said. "I'll text my mom right now."
Mia turned back to the stove, hoping it would hide the color rising in her cheeks. "How soon do you think you'd move...if you get this job?"
Leila grew quiet. "Some time in the new year. But I don't want to think that far ahead."
"You should be," Mia said, turning around and staring at her. "Because I know you'll get it and—" She paused, not sure what else to say.
"What will you do if I go?" Leila asked quietly. "Will you go back to New York? To Missouri?"
"No," Mia said. "I decided to move to Maine in the spring, and I'm going to make sure I stay in Maine for the time being. Maybe a few months ago I would've run back off to New York, or maybe even somewhere else entirely, but there's still so much I want to see and do in Maine. I've been talking with the local artists. They may be able to recommend me some art teaching jobs at nearby schools. It's not ideal, but it's a start."
Leila smiled at her. "I'm glad you've thought more about the future. If I do get the job, I'll make sure you find somewhere to live, and if you have to stay with my parents—"
Mia's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, I could never do that, Lei!" She paused, realizing she had just called Leila the nickname they had used when they were younger. "Leila," she corrected herself.
The room grew quiet after that. Thankfully, Leila seemed to ignore it.
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind. They wouldn't want you struggling to find somewhere to live," Leila explained.
Still embarrassed to have called Leila the intimate nickname Mia had used for Leila when they were children, Mia desperately attempted to end the conversation.
"Well, like you said, we don't know what the future holds, so no use talking about it now." She sniffed the air and suddenly spun around. "Shit. The grilled cheese is burning!"
Leila laughed. "I'll take that one," she offered.
Mia shook her head. "No. Not after your interview. You deserve a proper grilled cheese. I'll save this one for me," she said.
She heard Leila stand up from the chair. Her heels clacked as she walked over to Mia. A hand suddenly touched Mia's shoulder, and she turned, seeing Leila staring down at her. Mia's throat grew dry all of the sudden. She locked eyes with Leila.
"Thanks," Leila said. "And Thanksgiving will be a good time. My dad makes a great turkey."
Mia gulped, not sure why her eyes were fixated on Leila's lips. "Okay."
"I'm going to go change. Meet you out here in a few for dinner."
Mia nodded and turned back to the stove. She shuddered some, not sure what had come over her suddenly. Despite it being freezing, the air suddenly felt very warm in the apartment.
"Shit," Mia muttered. She'd burnt the other side of the grilled cheese too.