#12: Placemats
Yumi and Ulrich make the decision to stay in France after going back and forth between several different countries (ugh) for months. France is neutral ground and after ten or better years of schooling at Kadic and university they figure, why not, and start looking for houses.
It takes a while, but eventually they scrape together enough money to put the down payment on a house they had their eye on for months. It's little, three bedrooms, with peeling paint but they call it home. The gang volunteers their time to help lay new floors, and Aelita keeps paint swatches in her purse for weeks while they pick out paint that will help tie together their theme. Their "theme" being hodgepodge, mismatched furniture.
(There's a time they're all in a really good mood about it and call everything "heirloom" to make it sound like they don't mean "garage sale" or "hand-me-downs". Ulrich bands the word when they run out of beer.)
To signify the official move in, the Sterns plan a dinner. It's bad taste to pay your friends and they're pretty broke anyways.
The whole time they cook (well, Ulrich cooks and Yumi chops things) something feels off.
"It just doesn't feel permanent," Yumi argues as she whisks egg whites. "It still feels like we're renting."
"It's ours," Ulrich assures her.
When everyone finally gets there for dinner, William is holding an oddly wrapped package.
"Your first hostess gift," he tells Yumi when she laughs, hugging it against her chest. But her laugh quickly turns into something else when she opens it.
Their dining room table seats six without the panel or extra chairs. So when she pulls out six green and tan plaid placemats ("They match the kitchen!" –William) it all makes sense.
They're doing more than living in this house. They've marked their spot. Set down roots. They've found their place.