Synopsis: Misty Day was a free spirit traveling around the world. She hardly came back to her apartment in NYC, but she couldn't move out because she was madly in love with the landlord, Cordelia Goode.

"Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map…Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go."

― Sarah Dessen, What Happened to Goodbye

Misty stretched her arms and breathed in the fresh air as she finally got off the plane. With so much commotion around her, it wasn't exactly an ideal moment to relax. But it was enough for her after an eight-hour-long flight from African continent. She had stayed there a few weeks, photographing one particular tribe. She would sleep, eat, and do anything with the people in their way so she could establish a bond with them. Of course it was not like living in New York, where she could get anything she needs immediately. But who needs all that hectic atmosphere of the city, when you can see the Milky Way above you at night?

That's what Misty loved about what she does. She somehow managed to make living as a photographer since she'd graduated from a college, but it became so much more than a job for her. She loved traveling and discovering new places. She loved meeting new people and learning about their lives. There was nothing better than this. Misty thought as she retrospect the previous journey. She could hardly wait for the next adventure.

On her way back to her apartment by taxi, she mindlessly looked at the city and the people passing by. This place is big, she thought. The city always had something to amuse her. Street performances, Broadway, travelers… and it always made her feel isolated. This city was too much for a girl from a small town in Louisiana. Quite frankly, she didn't have to have an apartment here. She didn't have many belongings to keep in her place. It would be so much easier for her to just travel around with two suitcases with no place to go back. And she would've done that without hesitation if it wasn't for one person. The thought of the person made Misty's heart flutter, and the corners of her lips turned upwards just a little bit.

When the taxi reached her final destination, she hopped off the car, thanking the driver for his short-time companionship. Her apartment was not a luxurious building that you see on TV, but it was clean and homely and just suitable for Misty. It was the only and the last thing in the chaotic city that reminded her of her hometown.

She still couldn't get the latest adventure off her mind when she got into the elevator. They probably don't know what an elevator is. Hell, who am I kidding? They definitely have no idea this huge box of iron is meant to carry people up and down. She mused.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she could smell someone cooking and hear music. Her room was at the very end of the corridor. She turned the key and stepped inside. Misty had only been away for a few weeks, but somehow the room looked like it had been missing its owner for many decades. She directly walked to the bedroom and put her bags on the floor. Since she would be gone sometime soon, she wouldn't even bother to unpack, except for one thing. Misty stuck her hand in a bag and searched for the object. She grinned at the feeling of the material on her fingertips. Making sure that no damage had been inflicted, Misty made her way to the door and headed to the first floor.

As she successfully remembered to check the mailbox, she agreed to herself that having an official home has at least one advantage. It amazed her how much of mail she got in a matter of a few weeks. None of it mattered anyway, she thought. As soon as she went through all of her mail, the door behind her opened as if on cue. Misty turned around and her eyes immediately met with shiny brown eyes.

"Welcome back, Misty. I knew you would be back soon." A blonde woman slightly shorter than Misty herself was standing at the door, smiling warmly. She was dressed in a white dress with pink flowers printed on it, a dress Misty loved at first sight.

"Hi, Cordelia. How have you been?" Misty beamed at her landlord. She was so excited to see the other that her grin turned into giggles. It was overwhelming for her, and she had no idea why. All she knew was that the woman made her feel warm inside every time she was around that woman.

"Fine, I suppose. How about you?" Cordelia responded with slight blush, hoping the wild blonde wouldn't notice it.

They had a small talk at the door, just to catch up with each other. Misty complimented Cordelia's dress, which the older woman dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I saw this at a shop and I really liked it, so…" she replied to Misty. It wasn't a lie, but what Cordelia didn't tell the other was that the dress reminded her of Misty and that was the reason of the purchase.

After several minutes, the landlord invited the other in, saying she had a package for the resident. Misty happily waltzed into the room and was immediately greeted by a black cat. "Mr. Whiskers!" Misty contently shouted his name and picked him up, which caused the cat to purr. Misty could feel the vibration of his body and smiled, telling him how much she had missed him.

"Thank you so much for taking care of him, Cordelia." Misty said as she releases the cat from her hands.

"Not a problem. You know I like him. I'm more than happy to help you." the landlord smiled. As a matter of fact, she loved helping the young girl with everything. It made her feel needed. It made her feel important. And it was especially flattering to know that she could be useful to the wild blonde. She wouldn't deny that there was something attractive about the girl; something that caused her to tickle inside. She was sure she would do anything for the other, and she had been looking after the girl's beloved cat whenever she was gone traveling. The younger blonde was a wild thing. She sometimes would be gone for a few weeks, and sometime she wouldn't be back for a couple of months. But Cordelia knew that as long as she takes care of the cat, the girl would come back to her every time, and it made the older woman feel safe.

A short moment of silence filled the room, and Misty fidgeted nervously, wondering what caused the landlord to fall quite. She cleared her throat, which got the other back to reality. "So, is that one for me?" Misty asked, pointing at the package the other woman had put on the table.

"Oh, gosh. I'm sorry. Yeah, let me get that for you now." Cordelia giggled out of nervousness and walked towards the table, silently reprimanding herself for zoning out on her friend. She grabbed the box and made her way back to where Misty was, only to find out she had moved to drawers in the corner of the room.

There were about twelve objects on the drawers. Some of them were made of stone, some glass, and some were wood, but they all shared one thing in common; they were all cat-shaped. Misty got a small brown bag out of her pocket of her jacket. Cordelia watched her with a tiny grin as the wild blonde got a wooden cat no bigger than a couple of inches out of the bag and put it among other kitties. Satisfied with her work, Misty turned around and flashed a bright smile at her friend, causing the other to smile back.

"This is adorable." Cordelia murmured, picking up the new-comer of the collection.

"See, I went out to the middle of nowhere in Africa this time. There ain't no shopping mall. I had to curve that myself, you know." Misty replied. She wasn't sure if her friend would like it, but she was relieved to see Cordelia so happy and amazed by her work.

Neither of them remembered how exactly this thing had stated, but whenever Misty went somewhere, she would always get Cordelia a cat-shaped object from the place. Cordelia had perceived it as politeness when Misty gave her a souvenir for the first time, but the younger woman kept doing it to the point where Cordelia figured it might be more than that. The landlord still had no clue as to what this ritual symbolized, but she absolutely loved it. It meant that the wild blonde thought of her when she was away, and the very idea was enough for Cordelia to keep waiting for her friend.

"Africa. That sounds pretty amazing." the older woman stated calmly. She failed to add that she was jealous of her friend being able to see the world as she pleased, while she was stuck in the city being the landlord of an apartment that her mother had left. But she figured the traveler already knew and that's why she was bringing her souvenirs. Maybe I'm complaining too much and too often. She thought. Perhaps, she is just pitying on me that I can't go anywhere. Perhaps, she's fed up with me telling her how badly I want to travel like her. Perhaps –

Misty felt her insecurity and interrupted Cordelia's thought. "It's such a beautiful place. They have the most beautiful sunset you could ever imagine. I would sit on the ground and watch the horizon while making the cat." She laughed. The image of the sunset was still vivid in her mind, and Misty was momentarily back to the mesmerizing place. "I took some pictures, but you really have to see it with your own eyeballs to appreciate the beauty of it... I wish you had been there with me." she blurted out.

Surprised at her honesty, Cordelia looked at the other. She blushed at the fact that Misty had longed for her company in a foreign country and blushed even harder at the intensity of the sky blue eyes looking back at her eyes. It was overwhelming. She didn't know how to handle this. It always happened when Misty was around. Her body wouldn't listen to her, and her mind would stop functioning properly. She bit her lip and looked down to avoid any further eye contact or malfunction of her brain. "Ah, so, um, this…here is your package." still not meeting Misty's eyes, Cordelia extended her arms and handed the small box to Misty, who had a questioning look on her face.

"Um, thanks." Misty said. The older woman's sudden change in behavior made her concerned that perhaps she had been too forward with her affection. She surely was closer to the landlord than any of her residents, but she didn't know much about her friend's life. All she knew was that the older woman had a mother, who had a habit of neglecting her daughter. She wasn't even sure whether or not the mother was still alive. The landlord had never mentioned if she had a father or any other guardian figure. It broke Misty's heart to think that her friend was not so accustomed to receiving affection. Misty wanted so badly to tell her how much she adores her friend more than anybody. She knew the older woman deserved it, but at the same time, she didn't want to scare her away.

Still deciding whether she had stepped on the boundaries or not, Misty felt something on her legs and looked down. Mr. Whiskers was rubbing his face against her legs, reminding his owner of his presence. "I should probably get going." She sighed and said to the other rather reluctantly. The truth was that she didn't want to go, but her mind told her that it would only make the older woman more uncomfortable if she chose to stay. It was the last thing on earth Misty wanted. So she got her package and purring Mr. Whiskers in both of her arms and left the landlord's room, thanking her for the help once more.