The Neighbor

"I have two cartons of milk, the store's buy-one-get-one-free promotion. I'll leave one carton in front of your door."

Ericka read the new message. It was from Liam.

She got out of bed and stretched to relieve the aches, doing some random exercises, then got out of bed, dragging her sandals, and headed to the bathroom.

After her shower, Ericka went to the door and opened it, seeing a carton of milk by the side. She took the milk and went inside, locking the door several times.

"Thanks. You shouldn't have bothered."

Ericka poured the milk from the carton into a glass while replying to Liam's message.

She waited a while, but there was no reply, although the checkmark indicating a reply was visible.

Ericka opened her laptop and replied to a few emails, then checked some of her unfinished work.

These past few days, after breakfast with a sandwich and coffee, almost three weeks ago in unit 2704, Ericka felt increasingly comfortable in this quiet apartment.  This was the life she wanted.

Even after learning the true identity of her one-of-a-kind neighbor, she felt safe. Never uncomfortable.

Her relationship with Liam was strained. Ericka didn't want to interact too much with the werewolf, even though she knew, on days without a full moon, as Liam himself had said, he was just a freelance illustrator working from home.

Liam also distanced himself from Ericka because he understood that, even though Ericka said she wasn't afraid, a sense of anxiety still lingered.

It was a silent pact, binding them together in an unusual secret, but also keeping them separate in their own worlds.

They made an unspoken agreement not to interfere in each other's affairs, but to strive to be good neighbors to each other.

It wasn't difficult, it turned out.

They were both introverts, had jobs that required focus and concentration in their respective areas, didn't like to chat, and didn't have friends or relatives who would occasionally come and cause a commotion in their respective units.

Perfect.

The sound of each unit's door opening and closing, the slow footsteps in the corridor until they disappeared at the beginning of the stairs at the end of the corridor, were sounds that became familiar to them.

After two weeks, Ericka learned that the Blue Lavender apartment's residents were very small, no more than three people on each floor. Everyone stayed to sleep and keep to themselves, not socializing or knowing each other.

"I know a debt collector on the third floor. He'd be gone for days, come home, and then sleep all day in his unit," Liam wrote. "He wore a patch over his right eye. Like a pirate."

"I saw a middle-aged woman dressed in flashy clothes on the fifth floor. She was throwing out empty donut and yogurt boxes, lots of them," Ericka replied.

Another day.

"I won't be home for two days. Be careful and don't open the door to anyone unless you have an appointment," Liam wrote.

"Okay. Thanks, and be careful too," Ericka replied.

It wasn't a particularly regular routine, but it gradually became more familiar between Ericka and Liam.

Since that morning with the sandwich and coffee, they hadn't seen each other face to face, even though they were always in their respective units.

The occasional text message seemed sufficient, and Ericka was actually waiting for the next full moon to appear.

Liam, on the other hand, understood what Ericka was thinking without needing to explain, and he too was preparing.

A few days before the full moon arrived, Ericka heard louder noises coming from Liam's unit. Not the noises she'd heard when she first moved in, but the sounds of someone working on a carpenter.

"What are you doing? I hear sawing and drilling coming from your place," Ericka wrote.

"I am sorry. Are you disturbed? I'll try to be as quiet as possible," Liam replied.

"Doing renovations?" Ericka asked curiously.

"Just reinforcing the door and soundproofing the walls," Liam wrote.

"Oh, okay."

Three hours later, the noises stopped.

"Done?" Ericka asked.

"Not yet. Just taking a quick break and getting ready to buy coffee and snacks," Liam wrote. "I'm in the mood for some bread."

"I have coffee and bread, if you want some."

After writing the message, Ericka paused and stared blankly at her phone. Why had she written that?

She was about to delete the message, but Liam was typing, and a reply appeared a second later.

"I'm going. Too lazy to walk downstairs. Is it okay if I come to your unit?"

Ericka read the message twice before replying.

"It's okay. I'll make some coffee, and you can just open the door; I won't lock it."

Ericka was grinding coffee beans when she heard the door open and her name called.

"Come in. I'm in the kitchen," Ericka said. She frowned, realizing her voice was shaking slightly, as were her hands.

She was nervous.

Liam walked silently into the kitchen and held out a paper bag when he spotted Ericka at the counter.

"Peanut butter and blueberries jam," Liam said. "Also chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese from last night, if you don't mind."

Ericka smiled awkwardly. "It's okay. I also have some leftover fruit salad from last night, if you'd like."

Liam nodded and checked his watch. "It's not dinner time yet, but I guess that's fine, right?"

Their face-to-face conversation was awkward, but it was natural and flowing.

Ericka noticed Liam's appearance and complimented him inwardly.  The man was wearing a loose white t-shirt with the words "Wolf (UN)Addict."

It looked like a crude joke, but the image of a wolf crushed by a boulder was quite funny.

The t-shirt was paired with worn jeans and a black bandana that held back his charcoal-black hair, contrasting sharply with his gray eyes.

There were paint stains on his right cheek and neck, and he had a bit of sawdust in his hair.

"Are you... okay?" Liam asked, staring intently at Ericka.

Ericka returned his gaze, only briefly, then busied herself with stirring her coffee.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ericka replied. "What else could happen with a werewolf as a neighbor, before the full moon?"

"Ah," Liam said sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

Ericka chuckled. "Hey, why apologize? You lived here first. I'm the new arrival."

Liam sat down on the dining chair and looked around. "Your place is lovely. Warm and bright. You're also very good at arranging furniture."

"I rented this unit already in this condition," Ericka said. She brought two cups of hot, fragrant coffee to the dining table and handed one to Liam. "I don't know who lived there before, but all this furniture is included in the rent."

"Very nice," Liam murmured, sniffing his coffee. "Smells great. Thanks for inviting me."

"Nothing," Ericka said. "How are you? It's almost... the full moon."

"Yeah," Liam said. "But it's just a regular full moon, it won't make me too cruel. But I'll keep an eye out, now that I have a neighbor."

Ericka laughed, feeling a little more relaxed after taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm not moving, Liam, even if you force me. I don't have this remote anywhere else."

Liam gave Ericka a curious look.  He placed the coffee cup on the table after two small sips and cleared his throat, preparing for a question.

"So, neighbor, what's your story?"