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yourself to bagels。 Alex； I’m sorry to say that we didn’t get three
Coffees since we didn’t know you’d be here。” My dad looked genuinely
upset； which was touching。 I knew he still had trouble with his
youngest daughter having a boyfriend； but he did his best not to
show it。
“No worries； Dr。 S。 I brought some stuff； too； so it looks like
there’s plenty。” And somehow； my dad and my boyfriend sat down on
the futon together—without a trace of awkwardness—and shared an
early…morning breakfast。
I sampled salt bagels from each of their bags and thought about how
much fun it would be to live with Lily again。 We’d been out of
college for nearly a year now。 We’d tried to talk at least once a
day； but it still felt like we hardly ever saw each other。 Now； we
would e Home to each other and bitch about our respective hellish
days—just like old times。 Alex and my dad prattled on about sports
（basketball； I think） while my mom and I labeled the boxes in my
room。 Sadly； there wasn’t much： just a few boxes of bed linens and
pillows； another of photo albums and assorted desk supplies （even
though I lacked a desk）； some makeup and toiletries； and a whole
bunch of garment bags filled with un…Runway…esque clothes。 Hardly
enough to warrant labels； I guess it was the assistant in me kicking
in。
“Let’s get moving；” my dad called from the living room。
“Shhh！ You’ll wake Kendra；” I loudly whispered back。 “It is only
nine in the morning on a Saturday； you know。”
Alex was shaking his head。 “Didn’t you see her leave with Shanti
before？ At least； I think that was her。 There were definitely two of
them； and they were both wearing suits and looking unhappy。 Check
their bedroom。”
The door to the room they managed to share by bunking their beds was
ajar； and I pushed it open slightly。 Both beds were made
meticulously； pillows fluffed and matching stuffed Gund dogs propped
up on each。 I didn’t realize until then that I’d never so much as
stepped foot in their room—in the few months I’d lived with these
girls； we hadn’t had a conversation of longer than thirty seconds—I
didn’t know exactly what they did； where they went； or if they had
any friends besides each other。 I was glad to be leaving。
Alex and my dad had cleaned up the leftover food and were trying to
map out a game plan。 “You’re right； they’re both gone。 I don’t even
think they know I’m leaving today。”
“Maybe leave them a note？” my mom suggested。 “Maybe on your Scrabble
board。” I’d inherited my father’s addiction to Scrabble； and he had
a theory that each new Home required a new board so I was leaving
the old one behind。
I took the last five minutes in the apartment to make the tiles
read； “Thanks for everything and good luck XO Andy。” Fifty…nine
points。 Not bad。
It took an hour to pack both of the cars up； with me not doing much
more than propping open the door to the street and guarding the
vehicles while they went back upstairs。 The bed movers—who were
charging more than the actual cost of the damn thing—were running
late； so my dad and Alex each started downtown。 Lily had found our
new apartment through an ad in theVillage Voice； and I hadn’t even
seen it yet。 She’d called me at work from her Cell Phone in the
middle of the day； screaming； “I found it！ I found it！ It’s perfect！
There’s a bathroom with running water； a wooden floor that only has
minimal warping； and I’ve been here four full minutes and haven’t
seen a single mouse or even a roach。 Can you e see it
immediately？”
“Are you high right now？” I whispered。 “She’shere； which means I’m
not going anywhere。”
“You have to enow 。 You know what it’s like。 I have my folder and
everything。”
“Lily； be reasonable。 I couldn’t leave the office right now for an
emergency heart transplant if I needed one； without getting fired。
How can I e look at an apartment？”
“Well； it’s not going to be here in thirty more seconds。 There are
at least twenty…five other people at this open house； and they’re
all filling out applications。 I need to do thisnow 。”
In the obscene world of Manhattan real estate； semilivable
apartments were rarer—and more desirable—than seminormal straight
guys。 When you added semiaffordable into the mix； they became harder
to rent than your private island somewhere off the southern coast of
Africa。 Or probably harder。 No matter that most boasted fewer than
three hundred square feet of dirt and rotted wood； pockmarked walls；
and prehistoric appliances。 No roaches？ No mice？ This one was a
keeper！
“Lily； I trust you； just do it。 Can you e…mail me a description？” I
was trying to get off the phone as quickly as possible since Miranda
was due back from the art department any second。 If she saw me on a
personal call； I was finished。
“Well； I have copies of your paychecks—which； by the way； really
suck 。 。 。 and I’ve got both our bank statements and printouts of
our credit histories and your employment letter。 The only problem is
our guarantor。 It has to be a tristate resident who makes more than
forty times our monthly rent； and my grandmother sure as hell
doesn’t make a hundred grand。 Can your parents sign for us？”
“Jesus； Lil； I don’t know。 I haven’t asked them； and I can’t very
well call them right now。 You call。”
“Fine。 They do make enough； don’t they？”
I wasn’t really sure； but who else could we ask？ “Just call them；” I
told her。 “Explain about Miranda。 Tell them I’m sorry for not
calling myself。”
“Will do；” she said。 “But let me make sure we can get the place。
I’ll call you back；” she said and clicked off the phone。 The phone
rang again twenty seconds later； and