We had to wait for the next weekend to move into the new flat. Daniel and I managed to get all of our belongings into three suitcases, but with the addition of Ronit's things that had just arrived from New York, we were soon packing five extra suitcases and three large boxes into the back of a moving truck that Ronit had hired.
'You have too many things.' I told her as we watched two burly men heaving them from the back of the container and carrying them into the new flat. She was leaning against the iron gates in front of the small concrete garden, smoking; a habit she'd returned to. I watched her as she held the cigarette elegantly between her fore- and middle fingers; I could see the veins in the back of her hand, just proud of the surface of her skin.
'You can never have too many things.' She blew the smoke away from us and smirked at me. 'Are you going to make me cull it all?'
'Not at all.' I said, wincing as one of the delivery men stumbled backwards and fell against the lorry. 'I want you to come to that conclusion on your own.'
That made Ronit laugh. 'I'm sure I will get rid of some of it. I didn't have time to go through everything in New York, it was easier to ship it all here.'
'How is Billy enjoying your apartment by the way?'
'He sends me frequent updates; normally worried ones. Yesterday he told me he had a party and a lamp got smashed.' She took another drag of her cigarette; I wanted to take it from her and take a long pull on it myself, but I was holding Daniel. 'He was terrified it was mine, but it just came with the apartment.'
'He sounds like an honest tenant.'
'Oh, he's a lovely guy. A bit egotistical and stupid, but we all are at that age, aren't we?'
'I wasn't.'
'You were quite the anomaly.' She reached out and held my hand. I realised then that I didn't think I would ever get used to the casual way in which she touched me. Perhaps I would one day, but it was still surreal for now. She threw her cigarette to the ground; I looked at it longingly as it rolled towards the road. She continued talking, 'Did I ever tell you about the time I almost went to a mad house party at Billy's?'
'No,' I said, still staring at the cigarette. 'Were you trying to be hip and cool?'
'I don't know what I was trying to do. God, can you imagine what I'd have looked like? A middle-aged woman embarrassing herself in front of a bunch of drunk twenty-year olds. Definitely not hip and cool.'
'I think you're hip and cool.' I stroked her hand with my thumb. She was just about to reply when one of the delivery men called her name.
'Ooh, one second.' She hurried away towards the truck. 'Why don't you both go inside?' She turned back. 'Put the kettle on?'
I did as she said; it was cold outside, and Daniel was only wearing one layer. We wandered into the warm flat. I saw an ocean of boxes sitting unpacked, the unmade furniture that Ronit said she would definitely get around to building and the sofa covered in stray bits of plastic and card. The sofa still gave me a shiver when I thought about what happened there not two weeks ago.
I put the kettle on and got some mugs ready, but Ronit was still outside so I left the tea to brew. When she eventually arrived, we sat on the floor and drank it lukewarm whilst studying the room around us; Daniel entertained himself with a box of his toys.
'I wish you could hire people to unpack for you. Do you think you can do that?' Ronit asked, pulling her phone from her pocket.
'Ronit.' I very lightly scolded her.
'What?'
'We can do this, it'll be fun.' I put a hand on her knee. 'Also, I want to snoop on all of your things.'
