My dear neighbors have moved on. Tonight will be the first night that I sleep at home knowing that I will not hear the foot steps of the family that has lived above me for the past three years. Although I know it is very selfish of me to be as upset as I am, I still am. When I drove up my street and saw the furniture they left behind for trash pick up, it was reminder that I will not see their cars tonight. When I shut my door, it made a louder sound that echoed in the empty rooms above me.
Although life has made it harder to spend as much time with them as we used to, Nikki ans Zach and their beautiful little girls are a part of my family. They have helped my home feel like home. They have been every wonderful meaning of the word neighbor. I have always been able to count on them and they could count on me. If we ever needed something, we just had to walk up or down the stairs that separated us. I have been so lucky to have had such a wonderful couple living so close to me.
When Parker and I first moved here there were these awfully loud and disrespectful people living above us. They were so noisy and took up so much space that I was grateful when they moved out and we had the entire building to ourselves. Then my landlord told me that a young couple with an almost one year old girl were going to move in.....I was apprehensive at first but that vanished quickly. Both Nikki and Zach are amazing people with open hearts but my bond with Nikki was what grew first and fastest for me. Nikki is someone who completely understands how I think. She completely gets what I mean when I can't finish my thoughts in words. She is smart and outspoken. She never shies away from a discussion about anything. We reflected each other so greatly when we first met. We both had babies towards what should have been the end of college and both continued to take classes as moms. Through our connection, we sparked so many feminist discussions or just ranted about how motherhood is often cast aside from feminism. She found her feminist voice within the family and birthing. She has never ceased to amaze me as to how she is able to raise such a wonderful family with such autonomy. She continues to research those things that spark her interest and seek out others that have that same interest. We have drifted in terms of how we reflect each other lives. She has had another beautiful girl since she moved above me and is about to have her third undoubtedly beautiful baby. I miss her right now. I have missed her for some time. We used to put the kids to bed and then watch movies together or every Saturday we would go to Findley Market or have cookouts in our front yard or just sit while Quinn and Parker played together. But as many know, the older your children get or the more children you have, things change. Work schedules change. The amount of time we were home at the same time dwindled. But she has always been a wonderful friend, and I am so grateful that our lives crossed paths.
It isn't like they moved super far away.....its only about 10 minutes away (maybe 15). I know we will see each other often but I have grown so accustomed to their sounds, their patterns throughout the night, the sounds of Quinn and Sadie at bedtime, Zach leaving early for a 24 hour shift or when he used to get home very late from his long hours, Nikki leaving for work on Sunday morning, Quinn playing in her room or running around, Zach singing and Nikki laughing.....these sounds were comforting. Knowing that Parker and I weren't alone here. I am so happy for the house they found though, it is perfect for them and having a new little one. It fits exactly what they need right now and I anticipate the first grill out of the year there.
I really hope that no one moves in upstairs too. There will never be anyone else good enough to live above me.
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