Two weeks passed in the kind of quiet that felt unfamiliar. The new apartment had slowly come together. A beige sofa she'd assembled with Sam's help. A floor lamp from the discount section at IKEA. A TV stand that leaned slightly to one side. A tiny round dining table she found secondhand online. Her new mattress still smelled like plastic in some places, but it was firm and quiet, unlike the bed she used to.
There were mismatched mugs in the cupboard now. A fridge that hummed louder than it should. Soft afternoon light that hit different spots than it did at the old apartment. She was still learning the pipes' noise that rattled, the neighbors that stomped from above, the occasional mewl of a stray cat outside her window.
