House call

Nia’s plan had, in a horrible cosmic irony, provided the exact opposite effect from what we’d hoped. Not only did we end up leaving the rec center with far more questions than answers, but our sense of security was shattered. We weren’t sure what to expect anymore, and, much like the setting sun, any levity we’d once felt toward Rina’s absence was being inexorably consumed by dread.

Another series of knocks rang out as Nia’s knuckles met the door.

Nia: Rina? You home?

We waited, praying our insistence would yield any result. Sadly — predictably — we found no purchase. Nia placed her hands on her abdomen and folded over, an uneasy groan emanating from her as she did.

Nia: Auughhh, shit…this is giving me a nasty stomach ache, man. Can you check your phone again? Maybe you missed her?

I pulled up the messenger app for what felt like the hundredth time this last hour, but still nothing had changed. Nia’s expression fell as I shook my head glumly. Frustrated, she knocked once more, the action turning feverish as she rapped at the metal for far longer than necessary.

Nia: Rina? Hellloo? …Fuuuck…c’mon girl, please answer…

Nia pressed her back against the door and slid down, clutching her knees to her chest once she met with the ground.

Nia: …What do we do, Em? I’m getting really, really bad vibes.

It hurt my heart to see my love so hopeless, so paralyzed. I wanted to comfort Nia, to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright, but I didn’t want to be disingenuous. Empty platitudes like those could hurt the worst if not utilized carefully.

I settled on holding hands, our sweaty palms pressed together as we tried to take everything in.

Emery: …I’m not sure yet, love…

Nia: We gotta do something, don’t we? I’m worried!

Emery: We will, I promise we will. We’re not going to leave until we reach some form of resolution. What that entails…I don’t know yet. Just let me think for a second.

I wracked my brain, trying to come up with whatever reason I could for what’s happening. Maybe she turned off her phone? That didn’t seem likely, but maybe if she and the basketball team are on bad terms? Although if that were the case, she wouldn’t have responded to us at all, right? …Her phone could have died, but Rina was always pretty anal about having her devices charged.

…

Emery: Do you think she turned off read receipts?

A slightly puzzled look meshed into her otherwise anxious expression.

Nia: You can do that?

Emery: …You know, hun, I really need to sit down and show you how your phone works at some point.

Nia rolled her eyes, a transient smile blooming on her lips.

Nia: Whatever you say, dude.

Nia: …But do you really think she would do that? Like, there’s no way, right?

Emery: Well…no, you’re right. I’m almost positive she isn’t the type, I’m just reaching at this point.

…

Emery: Okay, here…um, I know it’s probably useless, but try calling her. If it goes straight to voicemail just leave a message, but if it rings then call her a few more times.

Nia: Ugh Em, shouldn’t we do something less, like…I dunno, less pussyfoot-y? We’ve already tried this kinda thing, hun.

Emery: I know, I know, I just want to reach out one more time before we take drastic measures. If this doesn’t get us anywhere, then we’ll go down and talk to the staff in the front office. We can ask them if they’ve seen her lately, use them to gauge if she’s okay or not. We'll explain the situation and hopefully they can help us.

Nia: But don’t a lot of these fancy apartments have, like, uber strict privacy policies? What if they tell us to fuck off?

Emery: We’ve come in with Rina twice, so even if they think we’re acting suspicious they wouldn’t immediately throw us out…probably. If that does happen though, and we don’t hear from her in the next…let’s say two hours, we can call the police and ask for a wellness check. Maybe that’s an overreaction, maybe we really piss her off and ruin our relationship, but I’d rather apologize a million times than…I don’t know, I’d prefer to not dwell on any of the alternatives.

On that grim note, I got up to stretch while Nia dialed Rina.

Nia: It’s ringing, so her phone’s not off. I’ll leave her a voicemail, tell her I’m gonna call her a few more times. I’ll stop after, I dunno, maybe five tries?

Emery: Sounds good.

It wasn’t perfect, but at least we had a game plan now. Concrete goals could make even the worst of situations weatherable. I took calming deep breaths and let my mind wander, becoming immersed in the surroundings as Nia left her message.

The sun was getting lower…not too surprising, it was already seven o’clock… Though perhaps a small consolation, at least today was nice. The way the building's loggia funneled this late summer’s breeze was calming, allowing it to gently embrace us. In the distance I could hear the leaves rustle en masse, simulating powerful waves that I could practically feel crash over me. The sky blazed a soft red, and the smells of seasonal cookouts wafted in the wind; even the dregs of afternoon traffic peppering the city streets sparkled in their own way. It was a peaceful, almost idyllic scene, brought down by our own personal turmoil.

I took it all in jealously: a family getting in their car…a dog tied by its leash to a tree…Nia’s emotive voice in the background…Rina hobbling through the stairwell door…

Rina: Ughhh! Hoooly shit…augh…

…?

Rina: God…whoof, why…haah…am I so fffucking dumb…

My head whipped around, locking onto Rina as she braced herself against the walkway’s stucco siding. She wore a jersey I didn’t recognize and had a mass of bags strapped to her body; one mesh bag full of gym supplies, one cutesy purple backpack shaped like a cat, and a multitude of grocery bags overflowing with food, toiletries, and other necessities.

I stared at her, a powerful mix of emotions flowing through me: Curiosity, amusement, anger, and more, all spun wildly beneath my surface. But, more than anything else, what I felt most was relief. She might have been panting and haggard, I might have been mad at her, but she was okay.

Nia turned, presumably to inform me she had finished her voicemail, but fell still as soon as she saw what I saw. The two of us waited until Rina caught her breath enough to turn around, whereupon she immediately froze in place. Her mouth hung agape, before quickly settling on that awkward smile we’d become so familiar with lately.

Rina: Uhhh, hey guys…wh-what’s up?