She could take the time to figure out what to do with all the stuff. She didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but she wanted to make this place hers, not Neha’s. She’d even gotten some links from Zoe to sites on decorating with a small budget. Crowded as this place was, it was a blank canvas. She had no idea what she liked and didn’t like when it came to having a home of her own. Color? Not this much. Minimalism? Probably. Art? Definitely not the naked man made of bottle caps that currently stared at her from one wall. She would keep some of Neha’s things, practical things, like the blue wingback chairs by the fireplace.
It had taken two weeks to get here from Seoul. Meena had finished the Rolling Stone story, then spent a couple of days in London, then spent a few days in New York, finally catching up with editors she’d rescheduled with in the past. It was important that they know she was back in the US for assignments. She would still go anywhere, but for a little while, it would be nice to cover Sturgis or the hot-air balloon festival in New Mexico if the opportunity came her way.
It was exhilarating, the idea of doing things she’d never done. She’d made notes in her planner about switching over the utilities currently being paid for by the estate once the year was up. There was a lot to do, from her driver’s license to tax things. It was daunting, but she was without the undercurrent of exhaustion she’d been carrying. She smiled to herself. It felt good. She’d made a decision, a choice.
Meena was startled when the door opened. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t locked it behind her when she’d come in. Then she laughed as Wally ran in and jumped on her, his front paws on her thigh. He nudged her for more.
“Hi, buddy.” Meena scratched behind his ears. “Do you remember me? I missed you so much.” Wally jumped again. “You got so big. You want up?” She pulled him into her lap, and he pawed at her thighs and chest, his face all over her.
“Wally, down.”
The pup looked up, and Meena braced against Sam’s stern voice.
“Wally, down,” Sam repeated.
The dog nudged his face into Meena’s armpit. She stood and put him down. “I see he’s still having issues with authority.”
He gave Wally an exasperated look. “He’s stubborn.”
“A dog with his own mind.”
“He’s made some enemies. Sabina hasn’t forgiven him for ripping up her slipper, and Uma still glares at him because he chewed up her laptop charger.”
Meena went down on her knees and cuddled Wally. “Oh no, Wally.” Then she whispered in the puppy’s ear, “Good job on the slipper.”
“Fair warning,” Sam said. “Don’t take your eyes off of him.”
Meena stood, and Wally went over to sniff her backpack. She followed him and pulled out a little gift she’d gotten on impulse. “Smart puppy.” She handed him a big bone. “Here, is this what you smelled?”
The dog took it out of her hand and moved to a sunny corner by the window and gnawed.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Meena said.
Sam shook his head. “It’ll occupy him for an hour, tire him out. I’m thankful.”
She tugged off her coat. She didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t texted her back. Two weeks was a long time not to respond. It was fine. She hadn’t been in touch for weeks before that. She hadn’t mentioned her trip. “I should have told you I was leaving.”
He shrugged and put his hands in the pockets of his black sweatpants. “You left a note.”
“I should have texted. Earlier.”
“You have your own life.”
It used to be that way. Now she had people she wanted to stay in touch with, wanted them to miss her. “I’m staying.”
“OK.”
“You’re mad at me.”
“I’m not.” Sam shook his head. “You’ve been clear that your life is fairly transient.”
She gave him the truth. “I ran. I let Neha in. Thought she was, well, you know. Then she wasn’t and I ran.” Because that’s who I am. Who I was.
“I get it,” Sam said.
“Can you maybe not be so . . . understanding?”
“I don’t have the right to be upset,” Sam said. “I’m not in your shoes.”
“We were friends. I didn’t treat you like one when I left.”
“Yeah.” Sam paused. “I thought . . .”
Meena waited, but he didn’t finish his sentence.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated.
“Next time, add me to your group chat with the aunties.”
“Are you sure about that? They send racy jokes and not-safe-for-work photos.”
He gave her a soft smile. “In that case, let’s keep things as they are.”
She didn’t like that. “I’ll text you separately. Just the two of us.”
His face lost some of its tension and Meena’s heart sped up. She could feel him, sense that she’d hurt him. It was more than attraction. More than friendship. She refused to be scared off by it. “You can leave Wally with me if you want. I’m going to unpack.”
“He’s almost six months,” Sam said. “You won’t get anything done if he’s here. Wally, come.”
The dog looked up. Stared.
Sam deepened his voice and gave him the same command. This time Wally stood, bone in his mouth, and went to Sam. Sam took Wally by the leash attached to his harness and left. He closed the door behind them.
There was distance between them, but Meena wasn’t daunted. She would figure out how to fix it. She rolled her big suitcase, the one she’d bought to fit more of her London stuff, into the bedroom. She would start here. She had emptied a few drawers for her things during her temporary stay, so she filled up that space. As for the rest of it, she’d keep it in the bag until the remainder of Neha’s things were cleared out.
Meena heard footsteps and went into the living room.
Sabina froze, a tin watering can in hand. “Meena.”
“Hi.”
Sabina regained her composure. “I thought you were still in South Korea.”
“I’m back.”
“I see.”
Meena wouldn’t back down, but she didn’t want to start off confrontational. She didn’t know how Sabina was going to handle her decision to stay. “How are you?”
“Good,” Sabina said. “Everyone is fine. Settling into the New Year.”
“Right. How was your New Year’s Eve party?”
“Fun. As always.”
Meena rubbed her arms. “I adjusted the thermostat, but it’s taking a while to heat up.”
Sabina put the watering can down on a stack of newspapers on the coffee table and moved to the radiator. She crouched down to turn the black knob. “I half closed the valves because no one was here. I wasn’t expecting you back.”
Of course not. “Thank you for taking care of the apartment while I was away.”