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I'm good – I'll stop on the way. See you later! Bring your party hats!
Cassie
What's the occasion?
I'm just happy!
Ava
Nuff sed.
My spirit was lighter on the way home. It was like putting on happy glasses. The sunset was more gorgeous; the people were all beautiful, and everyone seemed to be smiling. I picked up some fresh fish on the way home with some veggies and couldn't wait to put on a simple but yummy fish wrapped in parchment paper. I think the frou-frou people called it Fish en Papillote, and it was going to be perfect for tonight. I picked up a cheap bottle of wine – the girls wouldn't be able to tell the difference – and practically skipped home.
I was about a block away from the apartment when I saw the familiar figure of Mr. Kruger slowly walking toward me. His cane and hat were unmistakable, even from a distance.
As we got closer, I yelled out, "Hello, Mr. Kruger! What are you doing this fine afternoon?"
He gave me his gruff nod, tipped his hat only very slightly and waited for me to reach him.
"Why are you so happy?" he asked. I laughed.
"Shouldn't I be?"
"You haven't been."
I was taken aback by that response.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been home more in the evening. You're not playing happy music. It's all sad."
OMG. Talk about paper-thin walls.
"I'm doing fine, Mr. Kruger."
He looked at me with his examining eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," I said resignedly. That made him peer even harder at me.
"Okay, okay," I relented. "My boyfriend broke up with me a few weeks ago."
"Aha!" he said, lifting his cane in the air. "I knew it."
Then he bent toward me and looked at me intensely. "Why?"
I couldn't believe that I was standing here, with fish in my bag, being interrogated about my love life by our German neighbor.
"Mr. Kruger!" I protested.
"Come on."
I dropped my shoulders.
"He wanted more of me. He wanted me to open up more to him."
"And…?"
"And I guess I'm not good at doing that."
