Apartment 3

    Veronica was exhausted and relieved to be returning home. She precariously balanced her white plastic bag full of Chinese take out in her left hand while she unlocked the apartment door with her right. She kicked aside an empty beer can and rolled her eyes as she made the mental note to send Tammy, the landlord, a text to complain about apartment 3 for the third time in a month. Tammy carefully opened the door and stepped into her pristine home. Ginger, her orange tabby, affectionately rubbed up on her leg as she kicked off her black stilettos. Veronica placed the food on her white countertop, deposited her keys in the small dish by the door, and flicked on the lights. She inhaled the soothing scent of lavender air freshener and called out to her smart speaker to begin her “Coffee Shop Playlist.” Songs began to play through the speakers as she opened her stainless steel fridge, grabbing a bottle of white wine. She grabbed a tall glass from the cabinet above her head and filled her glass. She glanced at it for a moment, biting her lip and looking around the empty kitchen, before she added a finger more. She smiled mischievously. 

    As she began to fill up her plate with noodles and pan fried fish, she heard a knock at the door. Startled, she cautiously stepped to her chained, white door. She peered out into the hallway and saw a young woman in a party dress standing distressed in front of her. Veronica grabbed her phone and started to dial 911 as she unlocked the door. She opened it a few inches, electing to keep it chained. “Hey, you’re Veronica, right?” slurred the young woman.

    “Yes,” Veronica answered cautiously. “What do you want?”

    “Have you seen Stacyyyy? I don’t know where she is!” the woman gestured wildly at the hallway.

    “No,” began Veronica. “Good luck!” she called and shut the door. Veronica turned back to her Friday night feast when she heard a thump against her front door. She rushed back and peered out, not seeing anyone. She peered out of the peephole and swallowed the lump in her throat. This was how women get kidnapped and killed. Fake schemes. Not seeing anyone, Veronica decided to ring Tammy. It went to voicemail. Frustrated, Veronica slowly opened the door, again keeping it chained, and again dialing 911 before. The young woman’s body toppled slightly against her pristine, white door. She was seemingly asleep. Gingerly, Veronica moved her pale, right arm out of the doorway and closed it. Veronica reached for the gold chain and took it off. She opened the door and stared at the girl. Her brunette waves were a tangled mess. Veronica smelled the strong stench of alcohol, cigarettes, and cheap perfume. Her heart filled with frustration as she glanced mournfully at her pristine white door. She considered leaving her neighbor in the hall. It was a closed building. She’d be relatively safe. Then, Veronica saw that apartment 3’s door was cracked. She sighed. 

    Veronica bent down and began to hoist the woman into her arms. She suddenly felt thankful for the hours at the gym. Veronica kicked her right foot out as she approached the woman’s doorstep, a few feet from hers, littered with mini alcohol bottles and more beer cans. Veronica pursed her lips. Upon entering, she was hit with a wave of nausea at the scent of more alcohol, more cigarettes, and more cheap perfumes. The lights were on which was a relief. Veronica stepped over the red Solo cups and past the few party guests, passed out on the floor, to the big red couch. It sagged deeply as she pushed the woman on. Veronica stepped back and placed her hands on her hips. She rang Tammy again who answered. “Hey, I’m with the lady in apartment 3. She had a party and is past out. I think…” Veronica started and glanced around at the young men asleep on the floor, “I think she needs some help.” On the other end, she heard a deep sigh and some mumbled conversation. 

    “I’ll be right there,” assured Tammy. Veronica ventured across the hall to her home, she changed into flats and a part of black leggings. She also threw on a T-Shirt as she promised Ginger she’d return soon. She locked the door behind herself. Within fifteen minutes, the familiar red and blue lights of law enforcement filled up the apartment building. Veronica was perched precariously on the old, red arm rest of the woman’s couch when the first officer entered. He was older, grey haired, and seasoned in his profession. In a loud, authoritative voice, he woke the sleeping guests calling out that only the tenants may remain in the home at this time. Veronica bit her lips as a few of the men stumbled up to her, asking if they could stay with her, “Just one night, gorgeous.” She shuddered as the other officer approached them and steered them away from her. As they were clearing out, Tammy entered. Her red curls were in a sloppy bun and she had chosen the exact same outfit as Veronica, which made her smile softly. “Hey, Sweetie,” she approached Veronica. “Thank you for helping out with this,” Tammy’s soft, mothering hand, touched Veronica’s muscled arm. She thanked the officers and they were left alone, in the silence of the aftermath. 

    Tammy sighed as she walked into the kitchen. With expert knowledge, Tammy opened the wooden cupboard below the sink and grabbed a trash bag. Veronica couldn’t hide her shock and confusion as she watched Tammy bend and pick up can after can, dump cup after cup down the drain, and place dirty dishes in the sink. “You can go, Sweetie,” she told the trash bag, refusing to meet Veronica’s confused gaze. In the first few minutes, she had managed to clean up the kitchen and most of the living room. Veronica stood, “No. I can help.” Silently, she headed to the kitchen and began rinsing plates before loading them in the dishwasher. For a moment, Tammy held her gaze in silent thanks. They worked side by side, picking up trash and doing dishes. Out of instinct, Veronica reached below the sink to grab a couple dishwasher pods. “My niece is a good girl,” Tammy told the ceiling fan while standing in the center of the living room. Veronica stood from her position in front of the sink and saw a woman, weighed down by the burden of a complicated family. She hadn’t noticed before, but now saw the grey in her boisterous curls and heard the heave of strength lost in her words. “She’s just a bit lost…” Tammy readjusted the half full trash bag as she reached for another beer can. Veronica returned to her task, turned on the dishwasher, and allowed the familiar whir of water rushing in to soothe both of them. 

    “What’s her name,” Veronica asked.

    “What?” Tammy turned to face her. 

    “Her name. What’s your niece’s name?” she asked. 

    “Annie. Her name is Annie.” The two women stood in silence for a moment. Neither looked to the sleeping girl on the couch. Tammy heaved a big sigh and began to keep cleaning up. She tied the kitchen bag and picked it up from the living room. With a loud crash, the bag tore open. Tears filled her eyes. Veronica rushed from behind the kitchen to help her with a new bag. Through heaving sobs, Tammy pushed the trash around, rather than pick it up. “Stop,” Veronica raised her voice. She held up a hand and Tammy sat down. Her large bosom heaved as she did her best to compose herself. Veronica gathered the garbage, added the torn bag to the new one, and tied the new one. She placed it delicately by the front door. She passed Annie who turned onto her side and left her left arm fall from the couch. Veronica did her best to not stare at the scars. In the living room, her landlord had used half a box of tissues, her face red as a lobster’s. “Her mom was lost like this. Never seemed to find a purpose. I thought if I brought Annie to family,” Tammy began to sob again.

    Veronica wrapped her arms around the large woman. She felt the heat of heartbreak and the weight of Tammy’s head on her shoulder. “It’ll be OK. I was lost once,” assured Veronica. She cringed as she remembered waking up in her boyfriend’s dorm room with a mouth full of cotton and a headache. Veronica smiled at the memory of the white popcorn ceiling and the comfort of worn sheets She felt herself kiss his sleeping face gently, stumble out of bed, and try to squeeze back into last night’s little black dress.. Veronica allowed a sigh to escape as she watched herself in her mind’s eye at the local grocery store a couple weeks later. Her trembling fingers wrapping around a plastic box as she half ran to the self checkout. She remembered blinking back tears of humiliation as she turned around to the bathroom. With a racing heart, she tried to open the plastic packaging and cursed in anger as it fell to the ground. Veronica heard herself take a steadying deep breath and try again. She remembered the surge of accomplishment as she tore into the box and took out the little pink sticks. Veronica was sitting in Annie’s apartment with her arms wrapped around Tammy, and was lost in memory. She remembered sitting on a park bench and nervously taking Kyle’s hand in hers. Her hands were cold, but his were warm. Kyle’s shock wasn’t well hidden, but it morphed into excitement and hope at the ultrasound photos. Veronica’s eyes filled with tears at the memory of the relief she had felt two years ago. They decided they would conquer the world together. 

    Tammy brough Veronica back to the present when she wrapped her own arms around Veronica’s small body. “Thank you,” Tammy mumbled into Veronica’s long, perfectly curled black mane. The women seperated and dabbed their eyes with tissues. Tammy grabbed a blanket from the master bedroom as Veronica stared at the slow ceiling fan. She jumped at the sound of the dishwasher moving to the next cycle. Tammy gently placed a red comforter over her niece and flicked the lights off. Veronica stepped out first, followed by her landlord who stumbled with a  few keys on a humongous ring before finding the one with a little blue number 3 painted on it. She locked the deadbolt and handle with a click. She scooped up the trash bag and walked away towards the chute, without another word.

    Veronica opened her apartment door which seemed emptier now. Ginger greeted her with a fierce meow-dinner was now several hours late. A gentle love song played in the background and she kicked her flats off into the corner. With a sigh of relief, Veronica locked and chained her door. Veronica walked over to her counter and placed two hands on the smooth surface. She heaved a sigh and took a sip of wine, allowing the warmth to fill her stomach, kneck, and face. Veronica flexed and relaxed her toes on the cool tile. Ginger protested again and Veronica shot her a loving smile. She opened the fridge and pulled out half a can of cat food, pried the plastic lid off, and dished it off into Ginger’s blue fish shaped bowl. Her cat chowed down eagerly before prancing off for the evening. While Veronica warmed her supper in the microwave, she walked to her bedroom. In the darkness of her cocoon, she popped her bra off. She stepped into a pair of red silk pajama bottoms and slipped into slippers. She sat at the kitchen counter in her tall, black leather chair. She turned on a sitcom and sipped her wine. Veronica was surprised at her ravenous hunger while absentmindedly checking her phone. A few messages from work sat below a clock which stated an alarming 3am. Veronica rubbed her eyes and packed up the leftovers.

    Veronica walked from her open plan kitchen to the loving embrace of her large tub. She added a few drops of lavender bubble bath and filled it. Veronica reached into the linen closet and popped in a plastic, white bath pillow. She placed a large, fluffy pink towel on the toilet and lit a few candles around the tub. Veronica flicked off the lights and stepped into her new sanctuary, inhaling the calming aroma. Her arms reached to the sky as she stretched out her stomach and dropped her pajamas to the floor. With a pointed toe, Veronica stepped into the bubbles. She allowed her exhausted body to soak into the bubbles. She felt a flash of pain from her neck-a long day at the office combined with the disaster of apartment 3. Her hands reached below the neck pillow and cupped soothing water which she splashed onto her sore muscles. Veronica allowed her mind to drift to five years ago. To the bright, white lights in the waiting room and the sparkling parenting magazine. She felt the warmth of Kyle’s hand squeezing hers as they waited for her name to be called. Her heart was giddy with hope as they crossed out names on their two column journal. Veronica could see the friendly nurse in powder pink scrubs, the furrowed brow of the young ultrasound technician, and the way her doctor had said she had some bad news. Veronica felt the tears fall into the hot tub as she remembered the words: the baby doesn’t have a heartbeat; I’m so sorry.

    Ginger meowed. She was perched at the edge of the tub, staring into the bubbles. Veronica smiled and reached up a dripping hand, stroking her head softly. Ginger didn’t appreciate the water so she hopped off, defiantly swishing her tail. Veronica stepped out of the bath, drained and rinsed it. She dried off, brushed her teeth and hair, and changed into her silk pajama set, tossing the grey T-shirt in the dirty laundry. She sat at her large, wooden boudoir. Her hand drifted to the top right drawer which held her stationary. Veronica pulled out a single cream colored sheet with the large calligraphy V at the top-Attorney at Law written underneath. She reached for her favorite blue pen and shook it to get the ink flowing: You have to be lost in order to be found. Call me for a job opportunity. Veronica enclosed a business card and sealed it with her signature red wax seal. Her lungs filled with a big breath as she crept out into the kitchen and opened her door. She slid the envelope under the door labeled 3.