Can't Rain All The Time

The consistently busy lobby on the ground floor of the apartment was nice and toasty when I first stepped inside, glad to shut out the chilly October weather, the smell of sweet pumpkin spice instantly filling my nostrils. Ellen, the manager of this section of the apartment building - it was so big, they had to divide it into three fairly equal sections, just to keep it somewhat organized and more easily maintained - was quite intent on making sure her lobby was decorated to the appropriate season or holiday. Candles could always be found, its wax slowly melting with each passing second of being lit, at the front desk, in various shapes and sizes.

This one in particular was in the form of a small pumpkin, a clear dish resting under it to catch any drips of the now liquid wax. A few others circled around it, each representing a color familiar with fall - one crimson, burnt orange, and dandelion - molded into the outline of leaves. She was a petite woman, probably pushing 50, with dark brown hair that swayed from side to side at her chin, silver strands slowly becoming more and more visible with each passing year. And, in the three years Andie and I had lived here, I don’t think I had ever seen her small body encased buy anything other than a formal dress suit of some type. She was all about work, anyone could tell by simply doing a once-over on her.

I passed by her desk, only acknowledging her presence when she shot me her usual, friendly smile, the same one I got each time I came in, in which case I slowly returned it, mine noticeably more forced than friendly. I would occasionally stop and make small talk with the nice woman, but not very often. Usually just on those days I was feeling more ’saucy’ than normal.

Taking the elevator to my floor, I was surprised - and thankful - to see that no one would be taking it with me. There was something about elevators that made me resent them. They were awkward, bringing strangers together for twenty seconds in a tiny, crammed area. Oh God, and the silence that fills the entire miniature room when no one knows anyone else there, so they just remain silent. Let me tell you, that is probably one of the most deafening sounds in the world. I mean, at least have some music playing in the background or something. What’s an elevator without music, anyways?

The sound of a light ding suddenly brought me back to earth, pulling my stare away from the cream colored linoleum flooring and to the door, just in time to watch it open, the number of my floor illuminated above it red.

The second I walked through the front door of the apartment, I dropped my bag on the ground and went straight for the arm chair, plopping my body into it with great force, making it rock back and forth quickly a couple of times until I stopped it by planting my feet firmly into the ground.

“How was work?” Andie’s voice met my ears, coming from the kitchen. Her tall - well, tall compared to myself - frame rounded the kitchen wall so she was in the living room.

It seemed as if, these days, Andie was really the only person I could converse with anymore. Maybe because I knew, whatever I said, she wouldn’t judge me, and I found some comfort in that.

“Uneventful,” I told her with a sigh.

She smiled sympathetically at me, taking a seat in the arm chair opposite me.

This was usually part of our evening routine - when Andie was actually home at this time that is. She’d ask me about work, I’d answer, and whether she sat down or not decided on where the conversation went from there. If she went back to the kitchen, or whatever it was she happened to be coming from, our small talk usually ended there. I’d flip on the tele or find something to eat and she’d go do whatever she did. However, if she sat down or at least stayed in the room, I knew her well enough to be able to see she had something to tell me.

Much like now.

“How was your day?” I asked politely in return.

A huge smile spread across her lips as I picked up our latest subscription of AP from the coffee table in front of me. On the other side of the kitchen wall, I could hear the click of a burner being turned on atop the stove. I quickly looked up, confused.

Andie obviously noticed this, and a light laugh passed through her red lip-glossed lips.

“I had an awesome day,” she admitted shamelessly.

I smiled at her. At least one of us was happy, right?

Then, a sudden wave of realization washed over me and I put two and two together; Andie’s smile, clanking in the kitchen.

“You didn’t tell me you were seeing someone,” I said, pretending to be offended.

“Well…I wasn’t sure if anything was going to happen, you know?” she explained, and I nodded in understanding. “I met him a few days ago when I was doing my laundry.” She laughed. “He lives in the West wing, but their laundry mat was full so he came over to use ours. We started talking and…yeah.”

As I said before, they had to break it up into three sections; mine and Andie’s being the middle.

“What’s his name?” I asked, feigning curiosity.

She beamed at me, and before she could get another word in, a third voice leaked throughout our apartment.

“Hey, Andie? Was your roommate planning on eating with us?” a deep male voice asked.

I looked towards to entrance of the kitchen, seeing a tall, slender man walk out. His short, messy hair had been dyed black, the roots clearly showing some brown, and hid his gray eyes from view until he brushed it out of his face with a set of scrawny fingers.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Andie said, smiling at me as she fell onto the seat next to me, practically half of her body on top of mine.

“Oh…hey,” the guy grinned sheepishly. “Were you?”

“Yeah, sure. That is if you two don’t mind…?” I asked more than stated, not wanting to intrude on the two, only to receive a hit in the arm from Andie.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I minded,” Andie’s newest boyfriend smiled warmly at me. “I’m Logan.” He continued to walk towards me, hand extended.

“Melody,” I replied, shaking his warm hand. He walked back into the kitchen, leaving me and Andie alone once more.

“He cooks?” I asked in disbelief, my jaw hanging open slightly.

“Yep,” she smiled proudly.

She suddenly jumped up from the chair and myself, startling me at first. I watched with interest as she walked to the table by the entrance; our mail table.

“I almost forgot,” she said, walking back to me, now with a piece of what appeared to be teal cardstock in her hands. “This came in the mail today.”

She handed over the postcard sized paper to me hesitantly, staring intently at me as my eyes scanned over the fancy print.

Directly in the middle of a beige, glittered flower like design that framed the paper were the words:

Please celebrate with us, Nicholas Davis and Kimberly Craig, as we begin our new life together…

I didn’t even finish reading the card to see when or where this would take place. I simply stared at the first part, having trouble to fully register it.

Now, don’t get me wrong, even though it bothered me that my little sister would be getting married before me, I was happy for her. She found someone that ‘completed’ her and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Awesome. No, what really pissed me off was that I was finding this out when everyone else was. She hadn’t even had the courtesy to call me, her own sister, to share the news.

“You okay, Melody?” I heard Andie ask, and I looked up at her, quickly plastering a fake smile on my lips.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied, rising to my feet and setting the invitation down on the coffee table along with the magazine. “I think I’m gonna go shower real quick before dinner. Do I have time?” I asked hopefully. A hot, relaxing shower seemed nice at the moment.

“Of course,” she replied, watching me as I slowly walked down the hall and to my bathroom.