Today was moving day.
After a whole day of painting and cleaning up the mess that came with it, the apartment was finally ready to move into.
After school Brandon borrowed a truck from a friend. Back at the house, they loaded Callie's bed, dresser and the rest of her belongings. On their way to the apartment, they picked up the kitchen table and four chairs they found advertised in the paper. The people selling it were moving, so they got a great price for them. As they loaded them into the truck, the wife asked them about their living room sofa. They were unable to sell it and they were leaving in two days, she explained. "You haul it and it's yours."
"I've got to give you something for it." Callie urged.
"You know, I remember moving into my first place. It wasn't easy. If you ask me, the kindness of strangers is pretty underrated."
"Well we appreciate it, we will take you up on your very generous offer. And thank you." Brandon interjected before Callie could decline her offer.
They made the necessary adjustments to the items already in the truck to accommodate the sofa.
They arrived at the apartment and began the unloading process. Sofa first. Brandon lifted while Callie barely dragged it. "You know what, I didn't think this through." she said while trying to catch her breath.
"What do you mean?"
"I definitely should have bribed Jesus to help us."
"Come on. The hard part is over. The rest of the stuff will be a breeze."
"Says the guy who cursed my dresser while trying to get it into the truck."
"Daylight is burning..." He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her outside.
"Noooo. I changed my mind. I don't need furniture. Or clothes. I'll sleep on the floor and and wear the same outfit everyday." she said in her whiniest voice possible.
"Not gonna happen." He pulled her along out to the truck and they finished getting the rest of her belongings into the apartment.
She plopped on the sofa like she was never getting up again.
"Nice try. You are going to put the stuff away in your bedroom and I'm going to contemplate the terrible decision we made to buy a bookshelf that needed assembly."
"Slave driver." she murmurs as she limps away.
Brandon was sitting on the floor with the parts and pieces of the bookshelf were scattered everywhere. After a half hour of plugs, pegs and brackets he decided to check on Callie. He stopped in the doorway to see Callie sprawled out on her bed face down, and that she hadn't unpacked anything.
"Callie? What are you doing?" he said with a chuckle.
She rolled on her side and mumbled "I tried to start, but gravity isn't working under the bed so I had to lay on it on so it wouldn't fly away..."
He laughs a the thought. "You're pathetic, you know that?"
"Actually, I do. Help me." she lifted her arm in the air and he laid on the bed beside her. "I'm so tired..."
"I know you are."
"Can we just stop for the night?"
"Okay by me. That bookshelf isn't going anywhere."
He wrapped his arms around her and they cuddled in her bed for a couple of minutes.
"Hey...it's all yours. You did it. Unpacking notwithstanding." he said quietly.
"Yeah... I know."
Brandon waited for to say something else. "
"Hey. What's going on?"
"I'm just afraid I'm not going to be able to do this. That I'm going to somehow screw this up. I don't want to fail...I don't want to let you down."
"Hey hey hey.. Look at me." He lifts her chin up. "Look at me." Her eyes look up at him. "You won't let me down, Callie."
"You don't know that." Tears were welling up in her eyes.
"Yes. I do. You know, you don't have to do this if you aren't ready."
"No. I am. I am ready. I just...for once, I just want to get things right. I don't want you to give up on me." She sniffles and wipes her tears.
"If there's one thing I know about you Callie Jacobs, is that whatever obstacles are in your way, you always come out on the other side. And I want you to listen to me right now. I will never, never give up on you. That's not ever gonna happen."
She nods her head a little. "Okay."
"Okay. I'm always going to be right here for you. I'm not going anywhere."
He kisses her forehead.
"You always know what to say to me."
"It's a gift."
She lets out a little laugh and gives him a kiss.
After a minute they are interrupted by a knock on the door. They look at each other
"Are you expecting someone?" Brandon asked.
"No..."
Brandon gets up and goes to the living room. Callie is right behind him. He grabs the mallet he was using to assemble the bookshelf and holds it up and walks over to the door "Who is it?" He asked with a low angry voice.
"The police." Stef answered with a laugh.
He lowers the mallet and unlocks the door.
"You know, a peep hole may be a good idea..." Stef suggested as she walked through the door.
"It's on the list, I promise." Callie assured her.
She looked at Brandon. "So that's your plan? To clobber somebody with a mallet? Where did I go wrong with you?" she joked as the rest of the family files inside.
Lena presents Callie with flowers.
"Thank you they're beautiful. I may have to get creative with a vase though."
"Hey, nice digs." Jesus admired.
They all look around.
"Oh, hey, you got a sofa! It's nice" Stef commented.
"I couldn't resist the price. But then I have lamps but no end tables."
"And you really need to get a TV. You know, for video games?" Jude suggested
"Hey I did not prompt that..." Brandon said, pointing at Jude.
Callie laughs. "Okay, we'll see bud."
Marianna hands her a box. "It's a housewarming gift. From all of us. Well, Moms paid... Anyway, open it!"
"You didn't have to do this."
"Of course we did." Lena wraps her arm around her.
"But you've all helped me so much already."
"Just open it, geez!" Jesus urged. "I mean, I want to know what we got you."
"Way to back-peddle there Jesus." Marianna joked.
Callie sets the box on the table and opens the package. It's a set of pots and pans.
"Oh my god, wow. How did you know I needed these?"
"A little bird told us." Stef said, nudging Brandon.
"We don't want you eating take out all the time." Lena added.
"Well you won't have to worry about that on my budget. Seriously though, thank you so much. And thanks for being so great about this."
"We want you to be happy, Callie, we really do." Lena assured her. "We're still skeptical, but we have faith in you honey."
"So, do you want the thirty second tour?"
"Sure!" Jude answered.
She walks the few steps that it takes to get to the kitchen. "Okay, this is the kitchen, where miracles could happen..."
"Here's the living room, of course. And right in there is my bedroom and bathroom." she points to the bedroom doorway.
"You like the wall colors? Totally all my suggestions." Marianna said proudly.
"They look great." Lena replied.
"When can I come and visit?" Jude asked.
"As soon as I get a tv. You don't want to be completely bored, do you? But I can totally help you with your homework until I do get one. Fun, right?"
"That's a..." Jude tries to find the right words. "...a rhetorical question, right?"
"Yep. Keep up with that book learnin bud." She smiled at him and he smiled back.
"Okay we'll all get out of your way so you can finish your unpacking. Hurry up before she kidnaps one of you to help." Lena joked.
"Everyone, let's scoot." Stef ordered. Everyone gave Callie a hug and headed out the door.
"Brandon, home by ten, right?"
"Of course. I just want to make sure she's settled in."
"Alright then. Love you hon." Stef said to Callie before she shut the door.
They sat on the sofa and Callie snuggled in.
"I'm tired..." Brandon said, recalling what she had said earlier.
"Oh I almost forgot." She dug into her pocket and put a key in his hand.
"What's this?"
"It's a key, Einstein. I thought you should have one. For emergencies and stuff." She smiled.
"I like the implied 'and stuff.'"
Then Callie sat up straight. "Oh my God, my homework! I haven't even started!"
"You're not alone." he realized.
"I got caught up with the apartment I totally forgot." She got up and searched for her backpack, which was next to the few boxes in the living room. "I'm going to be up all night. Brandon, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"You forgot your homework to help me."
"I wouldn't change a thing. You're worth it."
"Stef and Lena won't feel that way if we fail Trig."
"Go. Do your homework." He pulled her close and gave her a long kiss.
"I'll copy your homework before school..." he said as he headed out the door.