Chapter 3
water moves like blood
when friends are family bound.
Lover! one more time.
Even though I’d been gone for less than a week, the air in my apartment was stale, fetid. I had the entire top floor of a five-story walkup, an open plan flat surrounded by walls of windows. I didn’t like to feel cooped up and had moved out of our tiny family dwelling shortly after Jiji had passed. It was one of the nicer things that came with living alone – the ability to completely and utterly think about pleasing only myself.
I plopped my pack down on the large round table that served as office, crafting table and dining surface, then proceeded to check the garbage. As I’d suspected, I’d forgotten to empty the trash before I’d left. Trying not to gag and failing miserably, I tied up the refuse and
