Two Different Lights
For five years, I had stood by my girlfriend as she worked her way from a tiny street stall to a successful chain of stores. Three times, I waited for her to finally give me a home.
The first time, she bought a one-bedroom apartment.
I packed my bags, ready to move in, only for her to hand the keys to her childhood friend, who had just gone through a divorce.
"He's raising his daughter on his own. It isn't safe for them to live somewhere else," she told me. "Just stay with me in the basement for a few more months."
The second time, she bought a two-bedroom apartment.
I had already bought new sheets and gotten everything ready. Then, by some twist of fate, her childhood friend's apartmen