Until Harmony (Until Her 4)

“Sure.” I smile. “Get some rest. I’ll be over later.”

“Okay.” She coughs as she hangs up.

I tuck my phone back into my pocket then follow Dizzy around the park for another half hour before leading him home. Once we’re back inside, I head for my bedroom and kick off my heels, trade my slacks for a pair of yoga pants, and my blouse for a tank top. Grabbing a sweater, I put it on then tie my hair up in a ponytail.

I call out to Alexa as I head across my living room on bare feet and wait for her to light up. I ask her to shuffle songs by Ed Sheeran so I have something to listen to while I clean up the kitchen and run the vacuum. I hate cleaning, so I try to stay on top of it, but between work and school most days, I’m not up to it. That is one thing I do miss about living with Willow; I never really had to cook or clean. She has always been obsessive about keeping things tidy, which meant everything was always done before I had a chance to pitch in, and dinner was always ready when I wanted to eat.

After I vacuum and put away the things that have gathered on top of every flat surface over the last week, I go in search of my cell phone so I can call in the order for Chinese food. Seeing a text from Michelle on the screen telling me that she will start searching for a house as soon as she has my budget, I text her back and tell her my max spending limit, and then I dig through my junk drawer for the menu for Pot Stickers. I find it in the back of the drawer under all the randomness that has been shoved in there since I moved in.

Once I’ve called and placed my order, I hang up and look at Dizzy, who has made himself comfortable on top of one of the fury blankets I have lying across the end of the couch. Placing my hands on my hips, I study him, and he lifts his head then tips it to the side. “Do you want to go see Aunt Willow?” I ask, and he jumps down off the couch, runs to me, and starts to spin in a circle at my feet, proving once more that I gave him the perfect name.

“All right, come on.” I head for the hall, grab his leash, hook it on his collar, and then pick up my keys and purse. As I open the back door to the car, he hops in then jumps up into his doggy car seat, knowing the drill. Shutting the door, I get in behind the wheel. After I pick up the food from the restaurant, I head to Willow’s. She lives in a small two-bedroom house on a tree-lined street just outside the city. She bought her house when we parted ways. She didn’t want to rent again, and I totally got that. If I hadn’t been in school and knew I didn’t want to move closer to our parents after I graduated, I would have bought too instead of renting.

Parking in her driveway, I get out, taking our food with me, and then open the door for Dizzy, who jumps down in a hurry to get out and explore. I snatch up his leash before he can get away then lead him up to the front door. Using my key to let myself into the house, not worried about walking in and finding a random naked man inside.

Willow, just like me, hasn’t had a guy in her life for a while now. In the love department, we haven’t been very lucky. I don’t know why Willow hasn’t settled down, but I know I’m too picky when it comes to men I want to spend my time with. I also know I should probably lower my standards. I just won’t. I want a man who is like my father, a man who is strong, who knows who he is and is okay with himself. I also want a man who wants me beyond reason. My father worships the ground my mom walks on, and I want that. I refuse to settle for less. Hence why I’m still single. Men nowadays (at least the men I’ve met) are wishy-washy with their feelings. One minute, they can’t get enough of you, and the next, they are claiming you’re suffocating them. Personally, I’d rather be alone than put up with that kind of unnecessary emotional bullshit.

Coming out of my head, I shut the door and let Dizzy off his leash. After setting the paper bag holding our food on the counter in the kitchen, I head through the living room toward Willow’s bedroom in the back of the house. The door is already open when I get there, and I find Dizzy up on the bed, trying to burrow his way under the covers to get to my sister.