She hugged me so hard my coffee spilled onto the sidewalk.
“Welcome back,” she whispered.
I looked through the glass doors.
For the first time in weeks, I could breathe normally.
That evening, I found Graham waiting outside our apartment building.
He had flowers.
Cheap grocery-store tulips wrapped in plastic.
“I figured you’d want something cheerful,” he said.
I kissed him in the lobby.
Right in front of the mailboxes.
He didn’t hesitate.
But when we reached the third floor, he noticed the two large suitcases inside my apartment.
His smile faded.
“Renata?”
I touched his arm.
“I’m still going to São Paulo.”
And for the first time since we’d started dating, he didn’t immediately know what to say.
He Followed Me Beyond Our Hallway, But I Chose My Future
“I don’t want you staying in Milwaukee because of me.”
Graham said it while sitting on my living room floor, surrounded by sweaters and packing cubes.
