[ENG] Forever

The sun is low over the rooftops of the city when I finally arrive in front of Sam’s grandmother’s house.

A light breeze blows through my hair as I heave my two heavy suitcases out of the car. Sam immediately comes to my aid with a broad grin on his lips. “How much have you stuffed into the suitcases?” he asks with a laugh, dragging one of my suitcases into the house.

Scott follows him with the second suitcase, a slight smile on his lips. “I thought everything would be divided up in a divorce,” he says jokingly as he carries the suitcase into the hallway.

Sam and Scott - my rock in the surf. Especially now that I’m turning my whole life upside down again at the age of thirty.

A new beginning.

I’m glad that both of them are there for me, especially Sam. He’s my best friend, I’ve known him since first grade. There are so many experiences that I have only shared with him. He was and is my ‘for better or for worse’.

One that doesn’t break.

There is also no one I would like more than Scott, who found the love of his life as soon as he went to university. Scott - his soulmate, as he says himself. It didn’t take twelve months and they were married.

They are probably the epitome of a dream relationship, the complete opposite of my now officially divorced marriage.

Maybe you could have guessed the end of my marriage, I think as I look at my two suitcases standing in the middle of the hallway. No, not maybe - in hindsight, it was quite clear.

I’ve always been a city girl, I’ve always loved the city lights and city life, no matter what city I’ve lived in. Country life was never my world, and then I met Andreas - the lovely guy from the country who took me there.

We were far too different from the start, but we both talked ourselves into a twelve-year relationship, ten years of which were spent married. Thought everything would get better with time. Thought our problems would somehow turn to dust. But in the end, we just put off the separation, just like the divorce.

Some people are simply not made for each other, and even if you don’t like to admit it to yourself, love alone is not enough.

The ideas, the people themselves, must also fit together.

“If Andreas doesn’t suddenly start wearing tight pants and bras, he probably won’t be able to do anything with my clothes,” I explain to Sam and Scott as I look with them at the late grandmother’s house, which is far too big.

All the reels from social media automatically run up and down in my head, in which people say that a house only cost an apple and an egg back then and is now unaffordable. This house is probably perfect for such a reel, because it’s exactly the same here.

After all, I need to know all this because I’m not only Sam’s best friend, who he’s letting live in this house temporarily for free, but also his estate agent.

“Seriously, where’s the rest of your stuff? Furniture and stuff? You can’t come back after more than ten years and only have clothes,” Scott asks in amazement.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted. Andreas was kind enough to pay me off in full. A completely new start,” I explain as I look out onto the street through the sweet old curtains.

Ideal for families, ideal for selling. We just need to find the right potential buyers.

“The first viewing is next week, we really should clear out some of the furniture by then. I’ve already spoken to Thinas on the phone and we’ll get a twenty percent discount on the furniture we borrow,” I explain to the two of them.

I know they want to renovate the house as cheaply as possible, but of course want to sell it as expensively as possible. Just because you own a property with a certain market value doesn’t mean you have the money in your bank account.

But now I’m here to get the money into their account.

Suddenly I accidentally bump into a small side table belonging to Sam’s grandmother and Scott immediately snorts in annoyance. “Watch out! You’re supposed to be selling the house, not destroying it,” he scolds.

“Relax, darling. If Caroline has learned anything in her marriage, it’s how to work with her hands,” Sam defends me with a wink.

Scott rolls his eyes as I decide to look on the bright side. “Sam’s right! I’m actually looking forward to sprucing up the house for you and selling it,” I defend myself. Even if it actually means more that I clean it and decide where to put which furniture for the viewing. Because I’m not much of a handyman.

“You’re just happy to be living somewhere for free,” Scott replies with a skeptical look. It’s kind of funny, but I don’t ask any more questions. He seems so different from before, but maybe I’m just imagining things.

But I can’t shake the feeling, especially when I see him giving Sam a look on the way to the kitchen.

“Don’t worry about it, he’s a bit bitchy at the moment,” Sam tries to excuse him and sits down next to me on the couch.

I nod, understandably. I know that the two of them have had a difficult time.

“Your grandma had good taste, but to be honest, I can’t stand those dead animals on the wall. If you’re attached to them, I’d take them down if I were you, otherwise I’d throw them away,” I say skeptically, looking at the stuffed deer head hanging above the TV and staring at me.

I know that his grandfather was a hunter. I have no problem with that. I myself got to know a lot of hunters in the country with Andreas. Andreas was even a hunter himself, but we didn’t have any animal heads hanging on the wall.

“That reminds me, there’s one hanging in your room too,” Sam explained and I suppressed an annoyed groan.

“It’s a deer’s head,” he adds and has to laugh when he sees my face.

“It all has to go, it doesn’t make a good impression on families who are planning to spend so much money on a house,” I explain to him and he nods.

It might be a little difficult to draw potential buyers into the show and say: “Here could be the high table for your child, the stuffed duck opposite is also keeping an eye on them”.

“Did you know we’re having a party tonight?” he suddenly announces with a broad grin.

“A party?” I ask in surprise.

“Yes, surprise! A welcome party, I’ve invited everyone from back then!” explains Sam resolutely.

“Wait a minute! Tonight, here?” I ask skeptically.

I know Sam likes to party and I’m actually quite enthusiastic about it. But I’ve only just flown here for a few hours, I’ve hardly slept and I’m exhausted.

“Don’t worry, you still have a few hours before the party. Do you think I’m not thinking about the fact that you’re probably tired? Honey, I make my living knowing exactly that! You should remember that from your wedding,” he says, his face playfully grimacing in horror before he continues.

“I’ve already stored the alcohol in the fridge and cellar and there’s not much that can break here anyway. So it’s a no-brainer,” explains Sam with a grin.

“But really tonight? Couldn’t we have postponed it?” I ask skeptically.

“We’re all over thirty, this isn’t going to be a teen party like back then,” Sam interjects directly, giving me his dachshund look.

“You know Sam, once he sets his mind to it, he won’t let it go,” says Scott as he returns with cold drinks.

“Especially because I’ve invited someone you absolutely have to meet,” Sam adds with a broad grin.

“A date? The signature for my divorce is just dry,” I remind him.

“Haven’t you been separated for over a year?” asks Scott and this time he smiles too.

I breathe in and out deeply as I look around the living room.

The two of them know that very well, they know everything about my life anyway. I really have no excuse, because Andreas already has a new girlfriend who I even know. After all, Andreas, she and I lived together in the house we used to share until yesterday.

So I nod in confirmation and meet their gaze.

So that’s how my new life begins.

I can’t wait to see how it turns out.