Welcome to South Rock! Enjoy your stay, the sign said as Aiden drove past. Just seeing the sign almost made Marianna tremble in excitement. She bit her lip to keep from squirming too much.

  Almost as soon as they entered the city, various houses became visible along with a Catholic church and a brightly covered playground for children to amuse themselves on.

  Marianna cast a bright smile at Alna, who was watching her with a fond look. She took Marianna’s hand, pressing a light kiss to the knuckles. Two years ago, Marianna would have blushed at such an action, but today she was much too enlivened for that. Her smile widened, and she turned to look out the window.

  It was a beautiful day, now that the clouds had blown away, for the most part, leaving behind damp earth. People walked along the sidewalk, entering and exiting stores with shopping bags and drinks in their hands. One lady, in particular, was dressed rather extravagantly, with a sparkly purple shirt and large, hooped earrings. Complimenting the shirt was a light purple turban wrapped around her head. Besides that, from what Marianna could see, she wore simple jeans. Marianna thought she looked quite elegant.

  She felt like a child, almost bouncing in her seat in anticipation.

  “Don’t worry, Mary,” Aiden said with a chuckle from where he sat in the driver’s seat. “We’re almost there.”

  Feeling a bit sheepish, Marianna tore her eyes away from the crowded sidewalk to look at Aiden. He had stopped at a red light and now met her gaze through the rearview mirror, crinkles forming in the corners of his eyes.

  “Good,” Marianna said, still trying to keep herself from vibrating. She gripped Alna’s hand. “Sorry. I’m being dramatic.”

  “Not at all,” Aiden assured her as the light turned green. “I remember when Vicky and I got our first apartment together. We were just as excited.” He paused before adding in a teasing voice, “Although we were older than you and Alna.”

  Marianna looked over at Alna, who raised her eyebrows, looking amused. Shuffling closer, Marianna leaned her head on Alna’s shoulder. Soon Alna’s head rested atop hers.

  The scenery flew by, shops giving way to apartment buildings as Aiden drove them toward Hemlock Street. Marianna nibbled on her bottom lip, scanning the buildings in search of Ms. Harlie Baker’s building.

  Alna’s head lifted, effectively bringing Marianna’s attention to her.

  After kissing her on the lips, Alna pulled back and gave her a slight smile. “You’ll tear your lip open if you keep biting on it like that.”

  With a sigh, Marianna’s head dropped forward so that her forehead rested on Alna’s shoulder. “I’m just nervous.”

  “Are you?” Alna asked, her voice teasing. “I haven’t noticed.”

  Marianna swatted her lightly on the leg, earning a chuckle from Alna.

  Ten minutes after entering the city, Aiden pulled up in front of one of Ms. Baker’s apartment buildings. It was noticeably smaller than the other apartment buildings in the city. Two floors (including a basement, according to the website), the building was a dark blue with small decks situated outside of some apartments. It looked well-maintained, with what appeared to be new shingles on the roof and a few healthy-looking trees planted beside the building. Through one window, Marianna thought she saw a man reading a book in an armchair.

  She stepped out of the truck, so giddy she had to resist the urge to bounce on the spot. Alna’s arm slipping around her waist grounded Marianna a bit.

  In one of the parking spaces in front of the building was a small black car. As soon as Marianna, Alna, and Aiden exited the vehicle, one of the doors opened and an elderly woman stepped out. She approached them with a friendly smile.

  “Alna Holt and Marianna Whitlock, I presume?” the woman asked.

  “Indeed,” Alna said before either Marianna or Aiden could speak. “You’re Harlie Baker?” There was an amused edge to her voice. Marianna didn’t blame her. When they had learned that a woman with “Baker '' as her surname owned apartment buildings, it had almost felt like fate. To Marianna, anyway, seeing as Alna didn’t believe in fate.

  Either way, they’d agreed they had to check out at least one of Ms. Baker’s buildings.

  “I am,” Ms. Baker said kindly. “Nice to meet you.” She shook both their hands and then redirected her attention to Aiden. “And you are…”

  “Aiden Holt,” he said, offering his hand. “Alna’s father and Mary’s guardian.”

  Marianna had to resist the urge to shoot him a surprised look at that. He wasn’t Marianna’s guardian in any official capacity, seeing as the government still considered Mom and Dad both her parents and guardians. Not that it mattered all that much anymore, with Marianna being eighteen, but even so, hearing him claim her like that made warmth spread in her chest.

  If Ms. Baker was at all confused about Aiden’s presence or his relationship to Marianna, she didn’t show it. Instead, she simply nodded and pulled some keys out of her purse.

  “Shall I show you the apartment?” she suggested, gesturing to the building before them.

  “Yes, please,” Marianna agreed, jumping in so that no one could talk before her. Alna glanced over at her, eyes fond.

  With a nod, Ms. Baker led them to the building, where they entered through a side door.

  “This door will take you to the apartments upstairs,” she explained as she unlocked it. Ms. Baker took the lead, her hand brushing the railing as she ascended the steps. She wore a ring with a sapphire on her right hand, Marianna noted.

  “It enters right into the hallway, as you can see,” Ms. Baker continued, stepping aside so that the trio could enter as well. Once inside, Marianna looked around with curiosity. “Behind that wall over there is the living room and kitchen and down that hall is the bathroom and bedrooms.”

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  She led them to the living room.

  It was spacious, as far as living rooms in apartments went. Although Marianna suspected it would seem less so once it had something to fill the space. Mounted in the far wall was a window, giving a view of the next apartment over, and a hint of the street they had just come down. It let in enough light, so much that Ms. Baker didn’t even touch the light switches.

  “What’s the utility bill like?” Aiden asked as they followed Ms. Baker into the kitchen.

  “Fairly low, compared to some places.”

  As she continued speaking, Aiden opened the fridge and peered inside. Marianna crept up behind him, looking over his shoulder for a moment. Concluding that it seemed all right, she turned to the sink, turning on one tap. The water ran in a steady stream with no issues, as far as Marianna could tell.

  “And the neighbours?” Alna said. “What are they like?”

  Unlike Marianna and Aiden, Alna didn’t seem to examine the apartment too closely. She had situated herself at the point where the living room became the kitchen, eyes sweeping over the space slowly. Marianna, however, knew little to nothing would escape Alna’s sharp gaze.

  “Oh, I have strict rules.” Ms. Baker, seeming to realize they were done with the kitchen, led them down a hallway. “Anyone who rents my apartments is to be mindful of the fact that they are not the only ones who live in the building. If they are causing a ruckus, they get a warning.” She gestured to one room. Marianna and Alna filed in, while Aiden remained in the doorway. “I give three warnings in total. If the matter persists, then they are asked to leave. I have had to evict some people a few times.”

  They were in a bedroom. It was small, but no smaller than her and Alna’s room if she thought about it. It could fit a twin bed, like she and Alna shared. Or even a queen. That would be the better option if Marianna and Alna continued sharing a bed.

  Walking over to the window, Marianna looked out, smiling at the pleasant view. It overlooked the parking spots in front of the building. Across the street, Marianna could see yet another apartment building, with a small, colourful playground beside it.

  Even now, Marianna could see some children at the playground, going down the slides and pushing each other on the swings. She smiled. Yeah, Marianna could definitely see herself living here. Now, if Alna would just agree with her.

  Marianna turned back to face the room, meeting Alna’s eyes. All it took was a few seconds of Alna surveying Marianna’s for her to understand her thoughts on the apartment. Alna turned thoughtful once more, looking around with obvious care.

  “There are two bedrooms, of course,” Ms. Baker announced as Marianna kept looking around. Not that there was much to look at, what with the lack of furniture. The paint itself was a rather boring grey, but Marianna figured it would look nice once she and Alna brought in some of their stuff.

  “Of course,” Alna said, giving no sign about her thoughts on the matter.

  After checking the bathroom, Ms. Baker led them to the second bedroom. Marianna surveyed the hallway walls, thinking about what types of pictures or posters she could hang up. Definitely some pictures of Colton and Evan. She could hang up a couple of family pictures as well.

  Ms. Baker then led them into the other bedroom, which was noticeably larger than the one before. Even the walls looked different, painted in a lighter grey than everywhere else. It still looked rather boring to Marianna, but she could picture her and Alna sharing this room. Perhaps they could convert the other bedroom into an office, so they had their own separate places to work.

  Marianna crossed the room, eyeing some nail holes in the wall with vague distaste. There were a couple of dents here and there, but the walls didn’t appear too damaged otherwise. Ms. took good care of her buildings.

  “This is the master bedroom, as you can see.” Marianna glanced over her shoulder and saw that Ms. Baker was smiling. “You two may have to fight each other for it.”

  Cue the awkward silence. Marianna and Alna hadn’t discussed keeping their true relationship secret, but it had remained unspoken that they wouldn’t flaunt their status as girlfriends, should Ms. Baker prove to be homophobic.

  With that in mind, Marianna forced herself to look amused. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Alna’s face remained blank, but Marianna had no doubts that she was unhappy as well.

  “So when do you think you’d be moving in?” Ms. Baker asked as they exited the building.

  “Not till September,” Marianna said, trying to shake off her feeling of melancholy. She’d been excited to look at this apartment with Alna, and she was determined not to let one careless comment ruin her mood.

  Aiden didn’t seem to be in the mindset, having fallen into a sullen silence which remained unbroken save for a few words here and there.

  Breaking her gaze away from him, Marianna forced herself to look at Ms. Baker as she continued to talk. “I’ll be going to college then. It’s nearby, right?” She felt more than saw Alna walk up behind her, standing behind her in silent support.

  “Oh, yes, very close,” Ms. Baker said, unaware of the sombre mood that had befallen the trio. She gestured with her left arm down the street, the opposite direction they had come from. “It’s just that way, only a twenty-minute drive on a good day.”

  “Great.”

  They left soon after that, saying they would be in contact closer to September, should they be interested in renting. Of course, it was unlikely they would get the exact apartment they had looked at by then, but Ms. Baker seemed almost certain she would have some vacancies by September.

  After saying their goodbyes, Alna and Marianna followed Aiden to his truck. He drove them first by the college and Marianna’s excitement returned. She surveyed the college with a smile, thinking of the time she would walk its halls not as a visitor, but as a student. Apprehensive as she was, Marianna had to admit she was looking forward to it.

  Aiden drove them to a park, where they pulled out their packed lunches and located a table to eat at. As Marianna unwrapped her tuna sandwich, she spotted a couple of kids trying to feed the birds swimming in the manmade pond nearby. The sight made her smile.

  Turning back to her companions, Marianna said, “Well, it’s a nice place.”

  Alna nodded, her mind clearly elsewhere. “I would have no objections to living there.”

  There was a scream from one of the children. Marianna glanced over in mild alarm, only to see them splashing each other with water. A woman rushed over to them, looking frazzled.

  “You don’t want to rent from someone who’s homophobic, though, do you?” Aiden asked, still looking upset.

  Marianna turned to look at him, touched by how much he cared. He was chewing slowly, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

  Alna was unaffected. “If we were to refuse to rent an apartment because of the owner’s prejudiced views, we may never find a place to live.”

  Resting her cheek on her hand, Marianna gazed at Aiden sympathetically.

  “She’s not wrong,” Marianna offered, taking another bite of her sandwich. After swallowing, she added, “Besides, it’s not like our relationship is any of her business.”

  When Marianna looked to her left, her eyes landed on the woman from earlier, who was now herding the young boy and girl to a picnic blanket nearby. Her eyes followed them for a moment. The woman’s hair was mostly brown with some evidence of red when the light hit it just right.

  Feeling like a stalker, Marianna turned back to Aiden and Alna, who sat across from her. Alna was looking over Marianna’s shoulder, apparently curious what had drawn her gaze. Glancing at Marianna, she gave her a knowing look. Marianna blushed.

  “I suppose you’re right,” Aiden was saying. He sighed. “I just don’t like it.”

  “Neither do we,” Alna said. Despite her words, she sounded unaffected.

  In the pond, a duck quacked.