Be still, my heart

Sky looked out the window. The sky was clear, the sunlight soft and warm against the glass. Time to get planting. She loved taking care of her plants. It was one of the things she looked forward to every morning when she woke up. That, and her cup of coffee. She had just received another batch of plants yesterday, and she was excited to arrange them outside on their shared balcony. I hope Tommy doesn’t mind the addition. There’s barely space left in the walkway. Tommy was Sky’s next-door neighbor on her floor. They lived in the same apartment building where each floor had its own gate and only two units. They were on the 5th floor and had been neighbors for almost four years now. When Sky first moved in, Tommy hadn’t been very welcoming. He barely spoke, and Sky thought things would be awkward between them. It turned out he was just a little shy around new people. Once you got close to him, though, it was easy to see that he was fun to be with. He was easygoing, honest, and naturally funny. That was why Sky sometimes wondered why Tommy was single, since he was very much a catch. She has never seen any woman around Tommy. Except her. After a lot of back and forth—borrowing ingredients here and there, an egg, some salt, sometimes even a whole meal—they eventually became friendly. Then friends. Sometimes, Sky felt maybe even more. They would stay in each other’s apartments and hang out, sometimes accidentally falling asleep on each other’s sofas. They had meals together almost every day, knew each other’s schedules most of the time, and took care of each other’s apartments when one of them was out. If that’s not a relationship, I don’t know what is, Sky thought. We just don’t do anything… romantic. Sky thought back to yesterday when Tommy passed by while she was watering her plants. He gave her a playful poke on the cheek and teased her for singing to them. “The plants are dying because of your singing!” Tommy said with a grin. Sky flushed, but more because of his touch than his teasing. “They’re absolutely thriving, thank you very much!” Sky shot back, sticking her tongue out at him. Tommy moved closer to her and leaned on the balcony rail, clicking his tongue. “Yeahhh, I don’t think it’s because of your singing,” he said. “I think it’s more because you feed them more than your dogs.” He laughed. Sky had two big black dogs, both strays she rescued from the streets. They used to be skinny with almost no fur, but with some good old TLC, she was now raising two black bad boys who would probably attack anyone who tried to hurt her. Tommy suddenly placed his arms around her shoulders and smiled. “Just kidding,” he said softly. Sky looked at him shyly, pausing what she was doing. For a moment, neither of them moved. “Hey, by the way, I’m actually having a party tomorrow night at 8 p.m. The guys from South Crest are coming over. The boys wanted to see you too. Can you come?” he asked earnestly. It turned out some of Tommy’s friends were actually Sky’s former students. They all moved in the same circles. Sky used to be an English teacher at South Crest before she shifted to freelance work in the graphics world. After graduating with a teaching degree, she applied to South Crest and taught there for five years. Even though the boys were about three years younger than her, Sky and Tommy were actually the same age. “Sure, it would be nice to see the boys again,” Sky agreed. “But I’ll be late because I have a client meeting at six. Is that okay?” “Cool. I’ll just drop by the store later for some party stuff, but I’ll join you for dinner, okay?” Tommy said as he opened the gate to their floor. Sky smiled and waved as he walked away. A party with the boys. This should be fun, Sky thought. Little did she know, it would be the exact opposite of fun. ================ Sky sighed. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, brows slightly drawn together. It felt like something was missing. But what? It wasn’t that Sky wasn’t pretty. She just felt like she didn’t have the kind of s*x appeal that easily drew men in. She was lean—fit, even—thanks to her home workouts. Not skinny, but not exactly sexy either. Still, she wasn’t frumpy. Her medium-length layered hair framed her small face, its chestnut brown strands catching the light. Her almond-shaped eyes, a soft gray-brown, paired well with her full lips. She was the kind of girl people would call cute… maybe even pretty. Just not striking. Not unforgettable. She had her fair share of suitors. And relationships. One in particular surfaced in her mind without warning. Sky’s expression faltered. She quickly shook her head and smoothed down her top, as if brushing the thought away. Today wasn’t the day to dwell on the past. She glanced at her outfit—navy slacks, a simple beige cropped blouse, and matching heels. This’ll do, she told herself, more for reassurance than anything else. She grabbed her bag and headed out. She was on her way to meet a client to present an idea for one of his business ventures. He also wanted a website designed, which was why he hired her in the first place. She couldn’t deny the nerves building in her chest. This client was known for being… difficult. But Sky couldn’t afford to turn the job down. She needed the money. Glancing at the time on her phone, she realized she was a bit early. Maybe she could grab something to eat first. That way, she wouldn’t be hungry later at Tommy’s party. At the thought of Tommy, a small smile formed on her lips. Tonight should be fun. At least, that’s what she thought. She had no idea that by the end of the night, everything was about to change.