Maura moved into her new apartment just one day after she gave the landlord her deposit. Jane had offered to help her move, but Maura wouldn't hear of it, although she couldn't move her belongings by herself. Maura knew Jane didn't deserve to help her. Allowing Jane to help her would make Jane feel needed and Maura feel dependent, which is a feeling Maura never wanted to have again. Dependence on Jane was something Maura experienced all throughout their marriage. She depended on her for love and protection, but those days were over for them. Maura no longer needed Jane and, now that they weren't living together, she would no longer have to see Jane outside of work.
While at work, they put up a façade. As far as everyone else was concerned, they were married—happily married. Jane and Maura weren't ready to expose the truth about their separation just as they weren't ready to expose the truth about their relationship nearly three years ago. They were both aware of possible conflicts when they began dating and they knew the conflicts would worsen with their divorce. Jane and Maura didn't want anyone to take sides, so they planned on keeping their pending divorce to themselves until it was final—if it ever became final. Maura was aware of Jane's actions after receiving the papers and she knew it was going to be a long, painful process if Jane had her way. Reconciliation, and not the root of their problems, is all Jane talked about, which only frustrated Maura.
Once the movers Maura hired had left, Maura got to work on arranging everything in her new apartment. She was exhausted, but she wanted to do something to keep her mind off of what was happening. It had been years since Maura lived alone and it was going to take time for her to get used to her new situation. As she hung up wall decorations and reassembled a bookshelf, Maura realized just how alone she really was. She didn't need Jane to assemble anything, but she remembered how much fun it was to assemble furniture with Jane when they first moved into their house. Assembling their bed was a priority, although they didn't exactly need a bed that afternoon because Maura had insisted on the two of them making love on the kitchen countertop first.
Maura glanced at the countertop in her new kitchen and it dawned on her that this countertop held no memories and neither did the shower or any other surface in her apartment. It may not have been as spacious as their house, but this apartment served as a new beginning for Maura and for Bass. Seeing Bass slowly maneuver himself in the kitchen gave Maura a sense of comfort. Her beloved tortoise was there with her and if Bass could feel at home she, too, could feel at home in her new apartment.
Maura didn't just have a new apartment; she had a new apartment building and a new neighborhood. When evening approached, Maura decided it was time to treat herself to something special for dinner while simultaneously exploring all her new neighborhood had to offer.
Maura was about to head out the front door of the building when she saw a woman on the other side, both hands filled with shopping bags. She was struggling to open the door on her way in, so Maura made it appoint to be polite and open the door for her. The woman appeared to be Maura's age or maybe a few years younger with a similar fashion sense. She was the type of woman Maura could see herself befriending and friends were what Maura needed, especially now that she was in a new neighborhood.
"Thank you so much," the woman said to her.
"You're welcome," Maura responded. "Lord & Taylor? I've been meaning to go there. Most of my favorite designers are releasing their autumn lines."
"I just got back from the shops at Prudential Center," the woman told Maura. "It's almost time to put away the summer dresses or at least put cardigans over them."
"Or blazers," Maura added.
"A woman after my own heart," she said and casually touched Maura's arm. "Are you new to this building? I've never seen you before."
"I just moved in today," Maura responded. "My name is Maura."
"Samantha," the woman said as she smiled at Maura. "But everyone calls me Sam. I better put these bags away. It was nice meeting you, Maura."
"Likewise," Maura told her.
"I hope you don't think this is out of line, but you seem friendly and that's a rare quality in this building," Sam began to say. "I'm in apartment 921 in case you ever want to stop by for a glass of wine and talk about our favorite designers."
"I'll take you up on that offer," Maura said before they waved goodbye to each other.
When her new friend turned to the side, Maura couldn't help noticing how familiar her profile looked. She had a feeling that she had seen her before, but where? As she walked around her new neighborhood, her mind never left Sam's profile. She wondered if she had met her before, maybe at a wine bar or Saks Fifth Avenue. No, I would have remembered her. She's beautiful and quite charming. I'll just tell her how familiar she looks when I spend time with her. That'll spark a conversation and I'll have my answer then.