Chapter 7 - You Deserve a Break Today

"These make lovely gifts. Shopping for a wedding, are we?"

The clerk winked and rang up another pale green towel on the register. Diane looked up at her dubiously as she dug around in her purse for her credit cards.

"I know it's not a silver service or anything like that, but a new couple really needs things like these. How many times are they going to get out the fancy stuff anyways? But a nice set of towels, there's something they are going to use every, single day."

"Right." Diane smiled weakly, trying to be polite.

"You could save ten percent if you opened an account with us."

"No, just the towels, please. And I'll need the biggest plastic bag you've got. It's really coming down outside."

Diane quickly paid for her purchase, and hefted the heavy bag out to her car. One more stop and she could head home with all her new treasures. She pulled back out into traffic and wiped a lock of dripping hair back out of her eyes.The driving November rain didn't dampen her mood as she drove along. She was making a fresh start, and this was a ritual she had followed before.

"Come on, come on..." She jiggled the key back and forth, trying not to drop her carefully balanced load. As the lock clicked open, Diane nearly fell inside the door. She bumped clumsily into the side board behind the couch and chided herself, "Mental note, move the dang table." It was dark outside and just past dinner time, but instead of eating, she set to work putting everything it its place. After about an hour, she stepped back and surveyed her new apartment.The walls had beautiful walnut wainscoting which rose up to meet antique ivory wallpaper. There was no fireplace, but the large window seat which looked out on two chestnut trees across the street more than made up for it. And to her absolute delight, the new items she bought perfectly matched the tiled bathroom and giant clawfoot tub.

This was an unfamiliar neighborhood to Diane, but the small apartment had an old, elegant interior that she found irresistible. She could no longer afford the place that she and Bobby had lived in with their combined incomes. It just wasn't home anymore anyway.

Finding a new home was a depressing task at first. By the time she got off work in the early evenings it was already dark and she didn't feel much like driving all over the city to inspect apartments. Yet, fate had intervened. Once a new and dear friend found this spot for Diane, her whole world brightened considerably.