Flat 1, right?

Katherine stood there, all sweaty and covered with mud, proud of herself. The garden looked better than ever and you couldn’t even know that once the ground was covered by weeds. She sighed happily as she stepped inside to take of her dirty clothes.

“Hey, honey! Sorry, I didn’t hear you coming in, I was hanging the clothes”. Stella greeted her boyfriend with a sweet kiss on the lips.

“It will be hard, but I think I’ll get over it”, George said sarcastically.

It was nice, finally having a place of their own. No parents, no younger siblings and most importantly, no noise. It was just them with each other. Stella sat next to him on the couch, while George nuzzled in her neck.

“Do we have anything for lunch?”

“Um, actually no, I didn’t manage to cook, I just came back from work too”, Stella said.

“It’s okay baby, we ‘ll just order something. How’s pizza?”

She smiled at him as a sign of yes. She couldn’t believe how in love she was with the man in front of her. And living together was really easy. Sure, it was only one month now, but she could tell it would work.

Ding!

Peter rushed to the oven, as his wife entered from the backdoor.

“Peter, it smells amazing in here, what did you make?”

“Oh, you know darling. Just my favorite thing of all time”

“So, we’re having pizza”, Katherine chuckled as she watched her husband pulling the pizza out from the oven, with a pair of oven gloves on his hands and a big smile on his face.

“Yes! But it’s homemade and all the ingredients are fresh, including the tomato sauce, from your lovely garden. How’s that going, Kate?”

Katherine rumbled about the finished garden to him. That place was like a gem inside the city and that garden made her feel like they were still in the countryside. It only took her three months to make it just how she dreamt it. The vegetables were planted first and after they settled in their new home, the flowers took their place in every little spot Katherine good find bare. The colorful palette of the garden matched the outside of the house. A little white detached house, with a small garden in the front and a bigger one in the back. The two gardens connected from the side of the building with a stone path.

The truth was that they have spent a lot of money to start their life together. They needed money for the first rent, internet, water, electricity, heat and the list could go on and on. So, when, George decided it was a good idea for them to buy a car, they had their first fight in their new apartment. Yes, they both worked, but Stella was a part – time waitress who still struggled to get her degree and George’s salary alone couldn’t carry them. After a long argument, a compromised was made to buy a used car, only because Stella’s parents agreed to help financially.

They entered the garage with their fresh new car – well, not really new, but you know. Stella closed the black gates of the beige building, as George parked the car next to someone else’s.

“Who do you think has this car?”, he playfully asked pointing to the car on his right.

“I don’t know, honey, and I don’t care. You shouldn’t either.”

“Oh, come on, I want to get to know our neighbors!”, Katherine pout.

“No, you want to gossip and I’m not encouraging that”, Peter said as he continued to read his newspaper, unbothered.

Katherine really wanted to meet the couple that just moved across the street. They’d arrived earlier that week and they had this amazing car parked outside their door. What did they do for a living? Why did they move? Did her husband got a new job in the city, as Peter did? Or did they move because they wanted a change of scenery?

“It’s not gossip, Pete. I am socially curious. And a friendly person. I’m going to give them a freshly made lemonade as a welcoming gift and invite them over for dinner. Is Saturday good?”

Peter looked his wife with adoration. He asked her too much; moving to the city, leaving her family and friends behind, while he hunted this big job. He was so lucky that he managed to find this house for her, with a garden. She loved nature, but he should have known she would ‘ve felt lonely at some point.

“Saturday sounds great, Kate”

“For real? I was thinking to have the girls over for drinks on Saturday”, Stella frowned. Maybe she frowned a little bit too much on purpose, to win him over.

“Oh, I see. Come here you sad little baby.”. George wrapped her into a warm hug and kissed her cheek.

“What do you say, we make a little welcoming party on Saturday? Not something big, we both invite our friends over and maybe tell the neighbors they could come too.”

“Isn’t some sweet grandma living in the basement?”, Stella asked him.

“I am no judge. If she feels young and wants to mingle, she can come.”

Saturday night came quickly and the place looked amazing. George really outdone himself with the décor; some led lights and a couple of mini neon signs he found online and the living room was screaming “It’s party time”. Stella, of course, got the drinks and a variety of snacks to pass around all night.

“Hello Mary, hello Jack. Welcome to our home”, Katherine welcomed her guests with a wide, genuine smile.

“Thank you, Katherine, we really appreciating you having us over.”

“Please, -”, she replied to the tall blonde woman, “- call me Kate. This is my husband, Peter, I don’t believe you’ve met yet”

“Oh, we crossed paths on Thursday for a minute.”, Jack chuckled giving his hand to Peter.

“Yeah, I got to tell you Mary, you got yourself a man who knows his cars. He couldn’t shut his mouth about the beauty parked across the street.”, Peter shook his guest’s hand laughing heartedly.

It was refreshing having people over again. He may wasn’t used to be around a lot of people, but after Kate, he couldn’t imagine the loneliness again. Her family hugged him like he was one of their own, and when he asked for Kate’s hand, cheers erupted through the house. The whole block heard them that night and the celebration lasted for a weekend. His in – laws were the closest thing he had to a big family. Being an only child in a house with an abusive father and a scared mother, didn’t exactly scream “happy family”. After his mother passed from cancer, he left home, leaving his father alone - as he should have been all these years. And that’s how, he, a 15 – year – old boy, ended up working in a farm on the countryside. Kate’s parent’s farm. They were the ones who pushed him to hunt his dream and helped him get a degree from their local community college at economics. Without them he wouldn’t be in the city now, following a career on that accountant office.

“The place looks great, you guys!”, the squeaky voice of Stella’s friend, Nicole, pulled her out of her trance.

“Yeah, we love it too.”, George smiled at his girlfriend.

“Did you meet Paul yet? He’s a friend of George and I have the slightest idea you two might be working in the same building! Come, I’ll introduce you.”

Stella loved to watch their two worlds collide. At first, you’d thought these two weren’t going to last. An art student with a free spirit and the energy of a golden retriever puppy and a freshly graduated programmer with the attitude of a leader and the personality of an introvert. She was an open book and George was so closed to his cell, as much as a shellfish would be. But once they got to pass through the first impression, they could see each other crystal clear. Stella had such a creative mind, but in order to use it meaningfully, she managed to enhance her discipline; paint three hours now, practice her sketching skills one hour then. Sure, there were days when she lost time, because inspiration hit her or because she couldn’t think of a theme about a project, but she had a strict program about her studies and she followed it. George liked his life in an order and he watched everything through a logical pair of glasses; but not in his work. Of course, programming has rules, but if you put your imagination you can do amazing things; software design, websites, forums, apps, games and so many more. His job was – and he quotes Stella on that one – “No different than art. Just, instead of a brush, he’s holding a code.”.

The dinner was a huge success, as the two couples were getting along like they’ve known each other in years.

“Five years of marriage, huh? And you still tolerate with him?”

Jack laughed at his new friend’s joke and he pointed at a half – drunk Peter.

“You laugh now, but it’s only been a year for you. I bet it’ll be the only one.”

The two men laughed, while Kate brought the dessert; her famous apple pie. Peter could kill for a slice of that pie.

“So, -”, Katherine said as she sat in her seat again, “- have you thought about kids?”

The other couple chuckled, but this time with a hint of nervousness.

“Um, we have been trying for a while now”, Jack replied hesitantly.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that, I was just trying to make conversation.”, Kate said seeing Mary blushing and frowning at the same time. She was clearly uncomfortable.

“No, it’s okay. Really.”, Mary said looking sadly at her husband. “The truth is, we can’t have children. We can try, but…”

“But there’s a chance this won’t happen for us.”, said the young man as he took his wife’s hand on his.

It was like Peter saw the man for the first time tonight. He looked tired. He shouldn’t be, he was just twenty - six, he should be glowing. But the dark circles below his eyes suggested otherwise.

“I’m really sorry. You two would have made wonderful parents.”, Peter said to couple in the verge of tearing up.

“We’ve made our peace with it, a little while ago.”, Mary smiled at Jack. “We’re actually considering adopting.”

“That is so beautiful!”, Kate grinned to both of them. She smiled, but deep inside she felt a sincere pain for that woman. Not wanting kids it’s a thing, but not be able to have them is another. You lose a part of yourself and it hurts. She felt grief. But she didn’t have to show them that. They’d think she pitted them, while she actually had a great amount of respect for those two new friends sitting across the table.

“Well, I say we cheer up, because a child, no matter where it comes from, it’s a blessing!”

“I’ll drink to that.”, Mary laughed through repressed tears.

“Shots! Shots! Shots!”

Stella got through a bunch of shots with her friends, as the rest of their party cheered for them. The party was a big success. Not too many people, but just the right amount to make some noise and give the house a colorful twist. Around midnight the doorbell rang and Stella went to open the door. She was a little bit of tipsy, but not drunk. Not really drunk, at least.

“Good evening.”, a small old lady greeted Stella outside of her door.

“Hi!”, she replied cheerfully.

The old woman chuckled in the sight of the half – drunk lady.

“I am-”

“Oh, I know who you are! You’re Mrs. Robinson, from the ground floor. Flat 1, right?”

“Yes, I am dear. You must be Stella. Your husband George informed me about the party earlier this week.”

“Wow, he is… he’s not my husband, not yet. Oh, I am so sorry, are we making to much noise? Would you like us to turn the music down a little?”

“No, not at all dear. You have fun while you can and drink for me too.”

“So, why did you come, so late?”, Stella leaned against the door, focusing on her neighbor.

“Um… You know, George said if I wanted to come, I was welcomed and I- I couldn’t sleep…”, Mrs. Robinson muttered.

“Oh my God!”, Stella yelled. “How rude of me, of course you can come in! Come, come, may I offer you some wine?”, she practically shouted so she could hear her.

“Thank you so much dear, a glass would be wonderful”, the woman grinned from ear to ear as she entered the house. “You have a such a lovely place”, she shouted back.

“Aw, thank you, you are so sweet! Sit here and George will get you your drink”.

Stella introduced some of the people to Mrs. Robinson as she went to find her boyfriend. She found him in the kitchen pouring himself a drink and she told him what just happened.

“I’ll get this young soul a drink right away then!”, George said happily.

“I love you so much”, said Stella, with the most loving eyes.

“I love you even more”

The dinner came to an end, as Jack and Mary left their house and Katherine and Peter were washing the dishes. They discussed their new friends, Pete congratulated his wife and her amazing cooking skills, until they came across the matter of the kids.

“I was deeply sad about them, Pete. Children are such a blessing. To want one and not be able to conceive it? It sounds like proper torture to me.”

“I know sweetheart. I know.”

All of a sudden, Pete, snaggled in his wife’s hug. She carefully put down the dish she was holding and hugged him back. She knew what he was thinking. Some people didn’t deserve to be parents and some couldn’t have the kids they deserved. She kissed his forehead and she felt a tear, dropping on her left shoulder.

George woke up first around noon. A few minutes later, Stella nuzzled in his neck.

“Hey you.”, she murmured through her teeth.

“Good morning beautiful”. He kissed her forehead as he held her closer. “Last night was amazing”

Stella smiled mischievously.

“You mean the party or after?”

“Both!”, George chuckled as he kissed her.

“When did Mrs. Robinson leave?”, Stella yawned, “I don’t remember saying goodbye to her.”

“You mean Mrs. Kate? She left around one o’clock, didn’t stay that much. But everyone loved her! We should invite her for coffee one day, she was so nice with everyone.”

“Agreed. Come now, we have to clean this place up.”

Three weeks after the dinner night, Katherine was getting these early morning nauseas. Poor Peter couldn’t help her a lot, but he did go to get her some medicine for her stomach.

“Babe, are you okay?”

The only thing he heard in response was Stella spilling her insides out.

“I’m going to the pharmacy to get you something okay? Just, please don’t die while I’m gone.”

“Ha ha, very funn-”, Stella couldn’t finish her sentence as another wave hit her.

Kate had to try something. Just to be sure. She bought a couple when they got married, just in case. She didn’t know what to expect, but whatever it was, it didn’t matter. It was going to be okay.

Stella pulled a test out of the bathroom cabinet. She had to be sure. It felt like regular stomach aches. It better be. Because that is the last thing she could handle right now.

“Babe-”

“Honey, I’m home!”, Peter yelled.

Kate walked outside of the bathroom with a pregnancy test in her hands, smiling.

“Is this what I think it is?”, George asked with fear in his eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Stella said, smiling softly, “it’s negative.”

“Pete… it’s positive.”