Next door, my neighbor turned on his stereo, answering the question regarding how thick my walls were. Paper thin.
For a moment the grief and the panic and fear were overwhelming. Tears burned behind my eyes and I couldn’t take a deep breath. But I pushed the panic back. Smothered it. Just set it aside like a bag I didn’t want to carry anymore. I had so many of those kinds of bags, all along the edges of my life.
I closed my eyes and searched for calm.
Deep breath, Charlotte. This is not so bad. This is not forever. This is not permanent. This place is not your world.
I opened my eyes and took in my new home again, with my rose-colored glasses fully in place.
It wasn’t so bad here. The hardwood floors in the living room and bedroom were nice. A coat of paint. Some curtains to hide the bars. My coffee pot. Izzy up and humming in the corner.
It would feel like home. It would.
I could ignore the neighbor. I was good at ignoring actual humans.
As bad as this place was, and it was bad, I had to remind myself that it was actually perfect.
And my sister was okay. She was safe.
Which was all that mattered.
Pick up Bad Neighbor
http://amzn.to/2npi6Nk