But it became something neither of us had expected: a relationship built on honesty, laughter, patience, and the freedom to choose each other without obligation.
One evening, almost a year after that first knock, Sarah came to my door carrying a small suitcase.
I opened it and stared.
She smiled.
“Before you say anything, I’m not moving in.”
“That’s a relief. I was just about to hide the wallpaper samples.”
She laughed.
“I booked us a weekend away.”
I looked at the suitcase.
“Just the two of us?”
“Unless you’d like to invite your neighbor and his newspaper.”
“I think we’ll manage without him.”
She stepped inside.
Then she reached into her handbag and handed me a small envelope.
“What is this?”
“Something I’ve been meaning to give you.”
Inside was a photograph.
It showed Sarah standing in front of her new apartment, smiling with a confidence I hadn’t seen when she first arrived at my house.
