I wake up to the smell of bacon filling the room and the sounds of pans clinking in the kitchen. I freeze, unable to comprehend who would be doing this in my house. Or better yet, how they got in my house.

Slowly, I slip out of bed. My t-shirt reaches my bare knees and sways beneath me as I make my way into the kitchen. I hear a deep voice humming softly to himself as another pan clinks. I round the corner and find Zack cooking up a storm.

I clear my throat, unable to think of anything to say.

“Morning sunshine.” He throws me a grin over his shoulder. “Someone looks like she slept well.”

I blush and fold my arms across my chest. “Why are you here?”

“Making you breakfast. Isn’t that obvious?”

“I guess.” I mutter, still a little pissed from the way things went last night. “How did you get in here?”

“Firefighter trick.” He grins.

I roll my eyes glaring at him.

He ignores my attitude and continues to cook. “How’d you sleep?”

“I slept ok. Took me a while to fall asleep. You?”

“Didn’t.” His body tenses. “I did not sleep at all last night.”

“Why?” I ask.

I can’t tell if he couldn’t hear me, or is just ignoring me, but he doesn’t respond. I leave him to cook as I walk back to my room. I slip on a pair of sweatpants and put my messy hair into a ponytail. I feel really sad this morning, and angry. The smells remind me of the first and last time Ashley cooked me breakfast. The only thing missing is the smell of burnt toast.

She had gotten really drunk the night before while I was out on a date. The date was going amazing, up until the point Ashley called. She was crying her eyes out, slurring every word that came out of her mouth. I had to leave in the middle of the date, telling him she was sick. I gave him my number and went back home. I held her hair as she threw up into the toilet. I took care of her for the entire night. She woke up the morning feeling so guilty, she decided to make me breakfast. The sad part is, Ashley didn’t know how to cook for shit. So everything she tried to make, burned. I woke up to the smell of burnt food and a sheepish Ashley. It was one of my favorite moments with her.

I sit on my floor and throw my head into my hands. The same empty hole I felt the day I found out Ashley died consumes any happiness I may have formed over the past few days. Tears quietly escape the corners of my eyes and slide down my warm cheeks. All of a sudden, I feel a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around my body. They hug me tightly, as if they are trying to keep me in one piece.

“Stop.” I mumble, pulling away from him. “Don’t be like this.”

“Like what? I’m just trying to help.” He frowns.

“Stop acting like you care! Stop being all touchy feely with me if you don’t mean it. Why the hell did you act the way you did last night?” I shout.

“I was jealous. I saw the way you were acting with Sam and it just made me angry. It was stupid and immature and I realize that. That’s why I’m here making you breakfast. That’s why I couldn’t sleep last night. I felt like a dick. I’m sorry.” He pleads.

“You were a dick.” I mumble, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Can we just start over? I don’t like the way this is starting.” He shakes his head.

“The way what is starting?” I ask.

“This…friendship.” He smiles softly. “I want you to feel comfortable around me. I don’t want you to be sad anymore.”

“Fine. Then let’s start over.” I agree.

So we start over. We spend the next 2 weeks just hanging out. We talk to each other about anything and everything. He’s there for me when I need to cry, and he’s there to make me laugh. He helps me with this mourning process more than I could have ever imagined. It’s been so nice having him around. When I need someone to talk to, I know he’s there. The best part is we are strictly friends. Neither of us are trying to do anything else except be there for each other. He realizes I need time to cope with the loss of my best friend and he respects that. After about a week, he helped me put my house up for sale. There have been a few people coming in to look at it, and a few are talking about making an offer. This morning, Zack showed up with a newspaper of apartment listings and two Starbucks coffees.

“How about this?” He asks. “One bedroom, one bathroom. It’s affordable and sounds pretty nice.”

“Set the number aside and we’ll call the realtor after we go through the list.” I hand him the sharpie.

We continue through the listings, setting a few numbers aside. Zack suggested last night that I look into moving soon so when I sell the house I have somewhere to go. The idea of it had been on my mind for a while, so I was relieved when he suggested it. I figured I would just leave this house behind the exact way it was and get new furniture.

“Go take a shower. I’ll call some of the realtors.” Zack grins. “Take your time. I’ll see if I can set up something for today.”

“Thank you.” I smile and make my way to the bathroom.

I quickly hop in the shower, eager to feel the warm water on my tired muscles. Despite the help Zack has been, I still find myself crying myself to sleep on some nights. It’s hard when you lose your best friend. It’s as if a piece of you dies with them. I know Ashley wouldn’t want me moping around, which is really the only reason I’m still able to function.

I take my time in the shower as Zack instructed, making sure to shave. I spend a few extra minutes enjoying the hot water in between my actions. I hear a light knock at the door.

“Come in.” I call. The shower curtain is solid, so I know he can’t see anything.

“Just me.” Zack says as he closes the door. “I got a hold of a couple realtors that are willing to show you the apartment today. You up for it?”

“Definitely.” I poke my head out of the shower to grin at him. “Thank you so much.”

“Not a problem.” He smiles.

He hangs in the bathroom with me as I shower talking with me. It isn’t weird for us because it feels natural. I know I can trust him not to be weird or try to shower with me. It’s comfortable and I like it.

“Hand me my towel please.” I tell Zack as I twist the shower off.

He hands it to me over the curtain. “I’ll meet you in your room.”

Zack leaves the bathroom giving me a chance to dry off. I wrap the towel around my almost dry body and make my way to my bedroom where Zack is sitting on my bed holding Jasper. The two of them have gotten quite close over the week and it’s pretty cute to watch.

“So which ones said yes to today?” I ask Zack as I pull clothes out of my drawers.

“Two you were so-so about and that one you really liked. The one with the big bathroom.” Zack answers, keeping his eyes focused on Jasper.

I walk in my closet and close the door behind me so Zack can’t watch me change. I slip into my clothes quickly and walk back out into my room.

“Ready?” I ask him.

“Definitely.” He grins.

He puts Jasper in his cage and we take off looking for apartments. The first apartment we stop at is the one I was crazy about.

We tour it with the realtor, and I fall in love with every step I take. The floors are wooden, the kitchen counters granite, everything is so comfortable feeling. The master bedroom is large with a giant window on one of the walls, casting gentle sunlight through the room. The bathroom is huge, with a Jacuzzi tub and a walk in shower. This apartment is everything I ever wanted. Before we even finish the tour, I stop the woman.

“Please.” I beg. “Let me sign the lease. This is where I want to be.”

Her face brightens. “Sounds good. Follow me to the kitchen.”

After signing a few papers and payments, I now have a year lease with this apartment. We thank her profusely and drive back to my house.

“Can you believe it?” I grin at Zack, still excited. “That place is unbelievable. And it’s mine!”

“I’m so happy for you. This is going to be exactly what you need.” Zack squeezes my thigh from the drivers seat.

“I couldn’t have done it without you. Honestly, what did I do to deserve you? You have been the most amazing friend I can ever ask for.” I sigh.

“Don’t forget handsome. Most amazing, handsome friend you can ever ask for.” He winks at me.

“Okay Mr. Cocky.” I laugh. “Most amazing, handsome friend. Let’s celebrate. We should go out tonight. Let’s go to a club. I haven’t been dancing in a long time.”

“Sounds good.” Zack smiles as we pull up to my house. “I’ll pick you up around 9. I’m going to go back to my place for a bit.”

“Perfect. Thank you.” I give him a quick kiss on the cheek and flutter into the house.