to talk about it, who would actually care instead of just smiling and nodding? Who would be okay with sitting around doing nothing? Those are the only people who matter. Everyone else is wasting your time.”
“That’s kind of bleak.”
Kristen shook her head. “It’s beautiful. Once you find those people, you don’t have anything to worry about. Ever. It doesn’t matter what bullshit comes your way. You go to those people and it’s okay.”
Emma looked down at the bottle in her hand, then up at Kristen. “Are you just really desperate for a roommate?”
Relieved laughter escaped Kristen’s lips. “I was talking to myself before you woke up, so…yeah, maybe.”
“Can I have some time to think about it?”
“Yeah. No problem.” She hopped up from the futon. “I was going to work out before you scared the hell out of me. You can join me if you want.”
“Didn’t you just drink a beer?”
“Yeah, so?”
“I thought alcohol and exercise were two of those things you don’t put together.”
“I ate an entire Taco Bell for lunch I need to work off.”
“An entire what from Taco Bell?”
Kristen patted her gut. “The Taco Bell. The whole thing.”
“Coming from you? I’m guessing you accidentally saw someone eating a taco through a distant window and think you got fat by proxy.”
Kristen snorted. “I haven’t dieted like that in years. And I was never that bad. Move around enough and you can eat whatever the hell you want.”
“Does that mean we can order a pizza?”
“Does that mean you’re staying over again?”
Emma stood and walked to the kitchenette, depositing her empty bottle in the recycling. “It’s almost five now, so…I might as well, right?”
Kristen went back to the bedroom, shouting over her shoulder. “Go ahead, order a pizza. There’s cash in my wallet.”
She heard the sound of the refrigerator opening. “Hey, was that your last beer?”
“Yep.”
“Feel like running to the liquor store?”
“Want me to do your laundry and give you a sponge bath while I’m at it?”
“Could you?”
“You’re a smartass, you know?”
“Just remember you’re the one that wants to be roomies.”
Kristen pulled her street clothes back on, athletic shorts over the black Under Armour she’d put on after the fright of Emma’s awakening, and wondered just how many damn times she’d have to change in one day. “Hey, if it’s the cute delivery guy, give him a good tip.”
“Hoping he’ll give you the tip, too?”
Kristen stuck her head out of the bedroom. “Oh, come on.”
“You asked for it.” Emma’s laugh carried throughout the apartment. The television came to life with an explosion of noise, the volume dropping in tandem with the frantic clicking of a remote. “I didn’t think anyone actually got thirsty enough to want it from a pizza guy.”
Kristen crossed the apartment, pocketed her phone, and took her keys from the counter. “Has anyone ever told you your generation’s slang is weird? Because it’s weird.”
Emma sat cross-legged on the futon, eyes glued to the television. “Whatever, grandma. You know you’re only a few years older than me, right? Hey, that footage from Temple is on TV again.”
“When isn’t it?”
Emma ignored her, listening intently to the reporter on the TV. To humor her, Kristen listened, too.
“The Milwaukee Police Department released a statement today detailing the possibility of a link between the siege on Temple Financial and a recently discovered theft from the Milwaukee Public Museum. A nearly three-thousand-year-old ring believed to be Egyptian in origin disappeared from the museum’s archive. The ring was originally donated to the museum by Temple Financial. The Milwaukee Police Department urges anyone who may have information on the theft to call their tipline. Tips can be made anonymously.
Some speculate the theft of a five million dollar Stradivarius violin in 2014 put Milwaukee on the map for black
“That’s kind of bleak.”
Kristen shook her head. “It’s beautiful. Once you find those people, you don’t have anything to worry about. Ever. It doesn’t matter what bullshit comes your way. You go to those people and it’s okay.”
Emma looked down at the bottle in her hand, then up at Kristen. “Are you just really desperate for a roommate?”
Relieved laughter escaped Kristen’s lips. “I was talking to myself before you woke up, so…yeah, maybe.”
“Can I have some time to think about it?”
“Yeah. No problem.” She hopped up from the futon. “I was going to work out before you scared the hell out of me. You can join me if you want.”
“Didn’t you just drink a beer?”
“Yeah, so?”
“I thought alcohol and exercise were two of those things you don’t put together.”
“I ate an entire Taco Bell for lunch I need to work off.”
“An entire what from Taco Bell?”
Kristen patted her gut. “The Taco Bell. The whole thing.”
“Coming from you? I’m guessing you accidentally saw someone eating a taco through a distant window and think you got fat by proxy.”
Kristen snorted. “I haven’t dieted like that in years. And I was never that bad. Move around enough and you can eat whatever the hell you want.”
“Does that mean we can order a pizza?”
“Does that mean you’re staying over again?”
Emma stood and walked to the kitchenette, depositing her empty bottle in the recycling. “It’s almost five now, so…I might as well, right?”
Kristen went back to the bedroom, shouting over her shoulder. “Go ahead, order a pizza. There’s cash in my wallet.”
She heard the sound of the refrigerator opening. “Hey, was that your last beer?”
“Yep.”
“Feel like running to the liquor store?”
“Want me to do your laundry and give you a sponge bath while I’m at it?”
“Could you?”
“You’re a smartass, you know?”
“Just remember you’re the one that wants to be roomies.”
Kristen pulled her street clothes back on, athletic shorts over the black Under Armour she’d put on after the fright of Emma’s awakening, and wondered just how many damn times she’d have to change in one day. “Hey, if it’s the cute delivery guy, give him a good tip.”
“Hoping he’ll give you the tip, too?”
Kristen stuck her head out of the bedroom. “Oh, come on.”
“You asked for it.” Emma’s laugh carried throughout the apartment. The television came to life with an explosion of noise, the volume dropping in tandem with the frantic clicking of a remote. “I didn’t think anyone actually got thirsty enough to want it from a pizza guy.”
Kristen crossed the apartment, pocketed her phone, and took her keys from the counter. “Has anyone ever told you your generation’s slang is weird? Because it’s weird.”
Emma sat cross-legged on the futon, eyes glued to the television. “Whatever, grandma. You know you’re only a few years older than me, right? Hey, that footage from Temple is on TV again.”
“When isn’t it?”
Emma ignored her, listening intently to the reporter on the TV. To humor her, Kristen listened, too.
“The Milwaukee Police Department released a statement today detailing the possibility of a link between the siege on Temple Financial and a recently discovered theft from the Milwaukee Public Museum. A nearly three-thousand-year-old ring believed to be Egyptian in origin disappeared from the museum’s archive. The ring was originally donated to the museum by Temple Financial. The Milwaukee Police Department urges anyone who may have information on the theft to call their tipline. Tips can be made anonymously.
Some speculate the theft of a five million dollar Stradivarius violin in 2014 put Milwaukee on the map for black
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