Page 8 of When Our Stars Aligned

“It should! Stop acting like your life is over when it’s just beginning!”

“Look, I just don’t think I can do relationships again. I’m pretty burned by everything that happened. I’ve already come to the conclusion that I will dedicate the rest of my life to my career and I’ll adopt a bunch of cats.” I sigh.

“Aren’t you allergic to cats?”

“Okay, dogs. Instead of a husband and children, I will adopt a ton of dogs and become their pack leader. It will be great; I can let myself go and walk around my house in pajamas and dirty hair. They’ll still wag their tails when they see me. Hold on, I can see my luggage on the carousel. I need to grab it and get to my rental.”

“Clearly, we need to revisit this discussion again at another time. When will your car arrive?”

“It should be here by Tuesday. I’ll have a rental until then. It will probably be too late to call when I get to the condo, so I will send you a text to let you know I made it.”

“Okay! Be safe, breathe, and remember that I love ya!”

“Love ya too!” I grab my suitcase from the carousel and balance my carry-on on top of it. My life is pretty much all in this luggage I’m hauling. My contract is only for a year, so I put most of my stuff in storage and rented out my home.

I can’t believe I will have roommates again. It seems like forever since I lived with Jess and Jacob. We had fun and all, but that seems like a lifetime ago. The two girls I will be staying with seemed nice when we spoke on the phone. I’m sure we’ll getalong just fine. Being the people pleaser that I am, I can usually get along with just about everyone.

I pick up my rental car and thank God everything goes smoothly. I drive for about an hour before I reach my temporary new home: the Woodland Condominiums. Michelle, my new roommate and the owner of the condo, told me she would meet me inside the front entrance. She’s twenty-five and in law school. I know six years isn’t a huge age difference, but I can’t help but think that I was in kindergarten while she was still in diapers.

Thanks to our FaceTime chats, I recognize my petite blond-haired, blue-eyed roommate as soon as I enter the lobby. She greets me with a warm smile and offers to help me with my luggage. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person!”

“Thanks! I can’t believe I’m actually here!”

“Let me give you the grand tour.” She waves her hand around the lobby. “The building is set up as a square, so it’s easy to navigate. The main floor has the pool, a small gym, a laundry room, and a mailroom.” We head towards an elevator marked with anE. “Each side of the building is named after the side it faces. Our condo is on the third floor on the east side, so we live on 3rdEast.”

We step on the elevator and Michelle hits the button for our floor. The moment the doors open, I am hit with a delicious smell of something sweet—maybe vanilla? The scent increases as we walk farther down the hall.

“This is the best smelling hallway I have ever been in.” I take a bigger whiff.

“Yeah, that’s what brought the boys of 3rdEast to our place.” Michelle grins.

I give her a questioning look. She points to a door on her left. “This is 310, home to Alex and Carter.” She then walks a few steps and points to a door on her right. “This is 311. Jax liveshere, and this”—she opens the door to 312—“is our home sweet home. I do a lot of baking and the scent tends to drift out into the hallway. The boys can’t resist; they come over all the time to eat our food.”

“And when you say ‘boys,’ do you mean like little kids or—” The sound of laughter coming from a gorgeous woman in pink scrubs cuts me off. She’s on the shorter side and is super curvy, with tan skin and curly dark brown hair. She must be Gabriella, my other new roommate.

“Hi! I’m Gabby!” She walks over to shake my hand. “The boys Michelle is referring to are actually full-grown men, but they still act like a bunch of teenagers. They have the ability to feed themselves, but they seem to prefer the stuff we make instead of the ramen they keep in their kitchen.”

“I’m sorry." Michelle looks down at her feet. "I should’ve told you ahead of time. The guys come over a lot. Well, at least Alex and Carter do. We usually keep our door unlocked if we’re home because they always come barging in here to eat or hang out.”

I’m sure my eyes must be bugging out of my head at this point because I have so many questions.

“I know it sounds crazy,” Gabby explains, “but we actually have a great thing going on. If one of us cooks, they do the dishes; if they raid our fridge, they usually leave some cash on the counter or replace the groceries…eventually. Plus, they help with random things like killing the occasional spider or taking the trash to the compactor.”

“Oh, well, that doesn’t sound so bad.” The thought of waking up to a bunch of gremlins in the kitchen dissipates.

“Nope!” Michelle chirps. “In fact, they’re the ones who helped set up your room. Carter installed the new ceiling fan. Jax put your bedframe and nightstand together, and Alex, well, he put a fresh coat of paint on the walls.”

I chuckle at the last statement. Michelle told me that my room needed some restoration after their last roommate graffitied the walls. I take a look around the well-kept condo. It has a homey feel to it with light blue walls and white furniture. It’s an open concept where the kitchen is visible from the living room and dining area. While it’s not my home, it will do for a year.

Michelle shows me to my room and Gabby leaves for her shift as a nurse at the local hospital. I unpack a few things and send a text to Jess to let her know I’m all settled in for the night. Before I know it, the exhaustion from traveling catches up to me and I fall into a sound sleep.

***

I wake up the following morning just as the sun starts to peek through my curtains. I tiptoe around my room, looking for my bathing suit and goggles. I may be up with the birds, but the need to swim is necessary. I’ve suffered from anxiety most of my life, but it has been under control for the past few years.

I tried the typical suggestions of yoga or meditation, but I had too much trouble focusing. Swimming, however, has always provided me with a sense of collectiveness. Basically, I found the right combination that works for me.

I quietly slip into my bathing suit and pull-on shorts and a T-shirt. I grab my towel and goggles and head down to the pool. I push through the heavy glass doors, a rush of warm air and the smell of chlorine immediately putting me at ease. I take in the sight of the crystal-clear pool; it’s large but not Olympic-sized like I’m used to. There is one lane dedicated for lap swimmers, with the rest open for families or anyone who wants to just relax.

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