She had been the one who had helped me apply for the scholarship I had received. So it was no wonder that where Professor Milton was concerned, I was blind. She could do no wrong in my eyes.
“I stayed with her for a couple of days,” I admitted. “But now I’m staying with Seth.”
Professor Milton looked at me searchingly. “You’re upset.”
I sighed. “I just have a lot on my plate at the moment. I don’t want to stay with Seth longer than I need to either.”
“Your brother loves you; I’m sure he doesn’t mind having you on his couch.”
“Seth doesn’t mind,” I explained. “But Cory does.”
Professor Milton frowned. “Who?”
“Oh… Cory is Seth’s girlfriend,” I said. “They recently moved in together.”
“I see…
“She doesn’t really like the fact that I’m staying with them,” I said. “I understand, the apartment is really small, and there’s not a whole lot of space for two people, let alone three… but she’s kind of passive aggressive about me staying there, and it’s starting to get to me.”
“Have you started looking for apartments close by?”
“I have,” I nodded. “In fact, I downloaded this app that’s supposed to help me find apartments in the area according to my specifications and within my price range. I’ve got three hits so far, but there was still something wrong with each of them.”
“Hang in there,” Professor Milton told me. “This takes time…”
“I don’t have the luxury of time,” I sighed. “I don’t want to overstay my welcome at Seth’s… and I think I passed that point a few days ago… at least with Cory.”
“Is that why you’re upset?” Professor Milton asked. “Because you haven’t found a place yet?”
“It’s not just that,” I admitted. “I guess… I’m worried about the whole roommate situation too. I haven’t had the best luck with roommates, and this time it’s going to be different. I won’t have the option of switching out roommates when the year’s up. This is more of a permanent situation, and I’m terrified I’ll be stuck with someone awful.”
Professor Milton smiled. “Did you know that
that was how I met my husband?”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yup,” she nodded. “I was twenty-six, and I was looking for an apartment in the city. But I didn’t find any that I liked enough or that I could afford. But one day I answered this guy’s ad, and I showed up to view the apartment. That was the first time I met Danny Brady. Six months later we were dating, and four years after that we were married. We just celebrated our fourteenth wedding anniversary.”
“Wow… that is quite the love story.”
Professor Milton laughed. “Ha, far from it,” she said. “I didn’t like him at first.”
“No way.”
“Oh yeah.”
“But you moved in anyway?”
“I was desperate for a place to stay,” Professor Milton admitted. “And I suppose I just panicked and said yes. That decision turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”
“What was it about him that you didn’t like?” I asked.
“He was so anal about everything, whereas I liked a little mess around the house. I like a home that feels lived in. I don’t know… they were little things really, but when you’re total strangers and then suddenly you find yourself living together, it’s a lot to deal with. You’re forced to compromise, to be understanding and empathetic. You’re forced to adjust to other person’s habits, both annoying and otherwise. It’s a big ask, and I thought of moving out several times in the first few months.”
“What changed?” I asked.
“I came home one night from this truly disastrous date,” Professor Milton told me. “The guy was a complete asshole, and he insulted me at the end of the night when I refused his offer to take me out again. He was so vicious that I came home crying. Danny was there, and he was amazing… he made me feel better immediately. He put on my favorite movie, got me my favorite ice cream, and he sat with me the whole night.