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"Mm." She considered it for a moment. "Okay, make it your place. I've never seen you in a place not connected to art. Who knows if you even exist outside of the art world?"
"I'll send you my address so you can find out."
I heard the smile in her voice as she said, "Deal."
I counted down the seconds until I saw her smile in person.
Cleaning wasn’t a thing when you didn’t have many belongings. I moved some of my stuff around in preparation for Noah, only because I felt like that's what you were supposed to do when you had company. I returned some books to the shelf, folded the one throw blanket I owned, and fluffed my couch pillows before running out of things to do. I’d never been too self-conscious of my space. It was a place I crashed in after work. But as soon as Noah walked through the door, I became acutely aware of how boring the place looked.
She was in the same outfit she wore to work: a pink maxi skirt and white sweater vest. Her hoop earrings and glasses were gone, hair pulled in a high puff with a few strands escaping the tie.
"I don't think I've ever seen you without glasses," I said as she studied my living room. The pink wire frames had grown on me—I liked watching her push them up her nose with one finger or use them as an impromptu headband.
"That can't be true." She spun around next to my coffee table, taking in the sights. Her hands were occupied with a concerning number of bags, one of which smelled amazing.
"It is." I joined her side, helping set her things down.
"Is it weird?" she asked.
I shook my head. "No, just different. I can't decide which I like better."
"I'm cuter with them," she said with a shrug. "They make my features more symmetrical."
"That so?" I tried to swallow my laughter at how matter-of-fact Noah sounded. Thank God she was here. A quiet home was usually my safe haven, but tonight, I couldn’t imagine being alone.
“It’s so,” Noah confirmed as she started unloading her bounty. "Now, I didn't know what you'd like, so I kind of whipped up a bit of everything."
"What?" I smiled as she laid out pink Tupperware. "You made all this?"
There were at least ten containers, varying in size but all stuffed to the brim. I recognized rice, greens, and barbecue chicken, but the rest of the dishes were foreign, with numerous ingredients.
"When I don't know what to do to make people feel better, I cook." Noah placed her hands on her hips, studying her handiwork like she was still unsure.
My throat was tight and only got tighter when she said, "I also got you some comfort things, just in case the food wasn't enough."
"Really?" I tried to remain calm, even though my mind raced. Was this what it felt like to be taken care of? To be looked after?
"Yup." Noah smiled as she unpacked another bag and held up a black blanket with skulls on it. "Felt it fit your vibe."
I laughed. "Why? I mean, you're right on the vibe fit, but why a blanket?"
"Because it's fleece," she said, like that explained everything. When I gave her a blank stare, she continued, "Fleece blankets are the ultimate comfort item. Trust me, I cozy up under mine every chance I get and start to feel better instantly."
I smiled, accepting the blanket. "This is…all of this is really sweet, Noah."
She waved her hand like it was no big deal, and I didn’t know how to convince her otherwise.
“So…" Noah looked around my living room. "Did you move in recently?”
It took me a second to clear my throat and deposit her gift onto the couch before I answered. “I’ve lived here for about four years now.”
I watched as she walked to the glass sliding doors that led to my patio. There wasn’t any furniture; the only sort of decor out there was a dying houseplant Tyson had gifted me last Christmas.
“Four years?” Noah frowned. “And I thought my place was depressing. At least I’m not trying to live in a void of nothing.”
I laughed. “Thanks.”
“You haven’t even tried to hang something up?” She waved her hand at the wall; the subtle wince in her brow wasn’t lost on me. Nor was how she pulled her hand to her side, keeping it there as she continued to make a list of things I could put on the eggshell white walls.
