Page 7 of A Roommate for Christmas
But it was the truth.They had been friends for over fifteen years, and they’d lived together for eleven of them.It was shocking they still hadn’t tired of each other.
Nadia was Paige’s best friend, her soul sister, and their friendship was the thing she treasured most.For years it had been them against the world.
In high school they bonded over their shared love for boy bands, theTwilightbooks, and the so-bad-they’re-good teen dramas on TV.It’s no wonder they spent hours each holiday season on the couch watching predictably cheesy Christmas movies.
They both stayed local and went to college at San Diego State University and didn’t have to think twice about rooming with each other.
During college, they partied and hooked up with cute boys, but at the end of the day they were always each other’s priority.No guy ever trumped their friendship.
As they approached graduation, Paige had an itch to get out of San Diego and live a bigger city life, and thankfully Nadia felt the same way.
They considered San Francisco, New York, and Boston, but looking at rental prices online made their wallets hurt.So, when they started looking into Chicago, it felt like the perfect balance of a big city while still being semi-affordable.
They sent in more job applications than they thought was even possible, and within a couple of months they each had something lined up in the Windy City.
Paige and Nadia took Chicago by storm with adventurous and wild spirits.There were new restaurants to try, new bars and clubs to check out, and plenty of men to meet.But like their college days, they each kept things casual, prioritizing their friendship above all else.
And then about a year after the move, Nadia met Linus, a sensible Swedish-American boy who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago.He adored Nadia and made her already bright light sparkle even brighter.
They dated casually at first, but it quickly developed into something that Paige could tell was serious.And while she was overjoyed that her best friend had found her match, there was a dull sting that their time as a dynamic duo was coming to a close.
Sure, Paige had a couple of work friends who were fun to hang out with, but no one could ever match Nadia.She was the real deal when it came to friends, and Paige was going to miss having her so close.
“What are you doing?”Paige asked as Nadia karate chopped the pillows on the couch.
“Oh, I’m just tidying up for some photos,” Nadia replied.“And trying to distract myself from crying.”
Paige could see her friend’s eyes were glassy.Nadia wasn’t a big crier, so it was clear this was an emotional morning for the both of them.
“Nadia, don't worry about straightening up, you have enough to do today.”
“Don’t be silly, Paige.I’ve already packed up my closet, decorations, and knick-knacks, and taken quite a few boxes over to Linus’s earlier this week,” Nadia said.“All that’s left is the furniture, which is yours.”
The girls peered into Nadia’s room.There was a queen bed and mattress stripped of the bedding, a dresser and desk with bare surfaces, and a closet with empty hangers.
“It looks so weird without all of your things.”Paige sniffled.
“I know,” Nadia said, her voice echoing in the empty bedroom.
The friends looked at each other, fighting the urge to break down in tears right then and there.
“There’s no time for tears!”Nadia exclaimed as she pushed past Paige to grab her iPhone.“We have pictures to take, and we can’t forget I’m only a twenty-minute walk away.”
That seemed to be the point both girls were forgetting.Linus’s apartment was a closer walk than Target.Still, it didn’t make the separation as roommates less painful.
Nadia snapped photos from every possible angle of the bedroom, the recently tidied up living room, the kitchen, and the laundry unit.
“I’ll AirDrop these to you.Give me your phone.”Nadia grabbed Paige’s phone without waiting for a response.“I’ve also taken the liberty of writing out a post for you to put in the Facebook groups.”
Paige rolled her eyes and laughed.Nadia was always the “mom” friend out of the two of them.It wasn’t surprising she had basically taken care of the entire roommate search.
Even with the groundwork taken care of by Nadia, Paige still had some apprehensions about making the post.
“What if my new roommate sucks?What if I only get weirdos reaching out to me?”
“There’s always going to be weirdos out there.But I have no doubt you’ll get some good options.It’s Chicago.People are moving here all the time.”
Nadia always knew the right thing to say.Something Paige was going to miss having access to 24/7.
