Wednesday morning, Maya woke with a smile.
She hadn't smiled in the morning in years. She lay in bed and looked at the ceiling crack. The river. It didn't look like a crack anymore. It looked like a line on a map.
Her phone buzzed.
Leo: Good morning.
Good morning.
Did you sleep?
Yes. You?
No. I was painting.
What?
You. The kiss. I couldn't get it right.
Show me.
A photo came through. A small canvas. Two figures on a roof. Their faces were still blurred. But their posture was clear. They were leaning toward each other.
It's good, she wrote.
It's not right.
It doesn't have to be right. It just has to be.
A pause.
You're becoming philosophical.
Blame the kiss.
He sent a smile emoji. She'd never seen him use one before.
---
At 9 AM, she went to the facility.
Mrs. Patterson was in the common room, watching a game show. The volume was low. She was alone.
"You're smiling," Mrs. Patterson said.
"I'm not."
"You are. What happened?"
Maya sat next to her. "Leo kissed me."
Mrs. Patterson nodded slowly. "About time."
"You knew?"
"I'm old. I'm not blind." She took Maya's hand. "Are you happy?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I have."
Mrs. Patterson looked at the television. The host was spinning a wheel. "Happiness isn't a destination. It's a way of traveling. You don't arrive. You just keep moving."
Maya leaned her head on the old woman's shoulder. "That's deep."
"I'm full of surprises."
They sat like that for a while. The game show played. The clock ticked.
---
At noon, Maya went back to her building.
Mr. Chen was in the lobby. He looked worried.
"There's a notice on every door," he said. "The landlord is raising the rent."
Maya's stomach dropped. "How much?"
"Fifteen percent."
"That's illegal."
"It's a loophole. The building is rent-stabilized, but the landlord claims he needs the increase for repairs."
"He hasn't made any repairs."
"That's the point. We have to fight it."
Maya pulled out her phone and called Vanessa. The lawyer answered on the first ring.
"I heard," Vanessa said. "I'm sending a letter today. Don't pay the increase until we review it."
"What about the eviction?"
"The building still hasn't sold. That's your leverage. Use it."
Maya hung up. She looked at Mr. Chen. "We fight."
"We fight."