Drake was ready by eight a.m. for his day job. Louise was still recovering in bed from her evening shift.
He buttoned his shirt, tucked it in, fastened his belt, then undid all of it when he remembered that he had forgotten to put deodorant on.
Louise shifted in bed, opening one eye to watch him undo his shirt.
“You’re a really handsome guy,” she said.
“You’re a really sleepy girl,” he replied, then crossed the small room to give her a kiss on the forehead. “So go back to sleep.”
She held an arm high for him to fall into her. Drake gave her another kiss on the cheek, then nearly tripped on her work uniform on his way to the door.
Louise had been issued three classic-styled uniforms from the diner two blocks down, and was terrible about washing them before she ran out of clean sets.
“I love you,” she told him as he stood in the doorway. The words were nothing new, but it still hit him the same every time he heard them.
“I love you, too,” he replied. “I’ll see you later.” Later could be later that evening, or later tomorrow morning. Either he’d have to work late in a boring office job, or she’d volunteer for a double at the diner.
Neither of them had the dream job. Neither of them was on their way any time soon to afford anything other than rent in Mark’s apartment. But they were working toward it.
Drake was putting his time in and was putting money aside. He could develop the projects he was passionate about when he had time to himself at home. Louise, after deleting the FanGirlz account, had no idea where she wanted to go from there. But she knew the diner two blocks down made the best Rueben’s in the neighborhood.
It wasn’t the life they’d dreamed of.
It was better, because there was room to grow.