The First Knock

The First Knock

Rain had been falling since morning.
The old apartment building looked dull under the gray sky, with water dripping from broken gutters and puddles covering the narrow walkway outside. Maya tightened her grip on the small cardboard box she was carrying and sighed.
"This is home now," she whispered to herself.
At twenty-four, this was not how she had imagined her life. A year ago, she had a stable job, a fiancé, and dreams of getting married before turning twenty-five.
Now she had none of those things.
She had lost her job when the company downsized. Two months later, she found out her fiancé had been cheating on her with one of her closest friends. The engagement ended the same day.
Starting over was painful, but staying in the past hurt even more.
The apartment wasn't beautiful. The walls needed fresh paint, and the kitchen sink leaked. Still, it was affordable, and that was enough.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The room smelled of dust and fresh paint. There was only a mattress, two bags of clothes, and a tiny wooden table by the window.
She smiled anyway.
"One step at a time."
After arranging a few things, hunger reminded her that she hadn't eaten since morning.
She searched the kitchen.
One loaf of bread.
Half a bottle of water.
Nothing else.
"I'll have to buy groceries tomorrow."
As she sat on the mattress with a slice of bread, loud footsteps echoed from the apartment upstairs.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
She frowned.
"Someone's moving furniture at this hour?"
The noise continued for almost thirty minutes before it suddenly stopped.
Silence.
Then...
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Someone was at her door.
Maya wasn't expecting anyone.
She hesitated before opening it.
Standing outside was a tall man dressed in a black hoodie. His dark hair was slightly wet from the rain, and his sharp jawline made him look serious, almost intimidating.
His eyes, however, looked tired.
Very tired.
"I'm sorry," he said in a calm voice. "Did I make too much noise upstairs?"
Maya blinked.
She hadn't expected an apology.
"A little," she admitted with a small smile.
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I was moving a bookshelf."
She nodded.
"It's okay."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then he held up a small paper bag.
"I bought too much food. I thought you might want some."
Maya looked inside.
Two sandwiches.
A bottle of orange juice.
And a chocolate muffin.
Her stomach growled at the worst possible moment.
She wanted to disappear.
The man pretended not to hear it.
"It's fresh," he said.
She looked embarrassed.
"I... I can't take your food."
"You can."
"I don't even know your name."
He smiled faintly.
"Ethan."
"Maya."
"Nice to meet you, Maya."
She finally accepted the bag.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
He turned to leave before stopping halfway down the hallway.
"Oh."
She looked up.
"If the ceiling leaks tonight, call the landlord immediately. He likes pretending he doesn't know about it."
A small laugh escaped her lips.
"I'll remember."
He nodded once before walking upstairs.
Maya closed the door and leaned against it.
For the first time in weeks...
She smiled without forcing it.
The next morning, sunlight replaced the rain.
Maya woke early and began searching online for jobs.
Application after application.
Most companies wanted years of experience.
Others never replied.
By afternoon, frustration settled heavily on her shoulders.
She closed her laptop.
"I need fresh air."
On her way downstairs, she met the elderly landlady watering dying plants near the entrance.
"You must be the new tenant," the woman said warmly.
"Yes."
"I'm Mrs. Brooks."
"Maya."
Mrs. Brooks smiled.
"You've met Ethan already, haven't you?"
Maya nodded.
"He seems nice."
The older woman laughed softly.
"He is. Keeps to himself, pays his rent early, fixes things around the building whenever they break."
"Sounds perfect."
Mrs. Brooks shook her head.
"Nobody is perfect."
Before Maya could ask what she meant, Ethan walked through the gate carrying several grocery bags.
He wore a simple gray T-shirt and jeans.
Without the hoodie, he looked younger than she had thought.
He noticed them and offered a polite nod.
"Morning."
Mrs. Brooks smiled brightly.
"Perfect timing."
Before either of them could react, she pointed at Maya.
"Her kitchen tap is leaking."
Maya frowned.
"I didn't say—"
"Ethan can fix it."
Ethan looked between them before giving a helpless smile.
"I guess I can."
Maya laughed softly despite herself.
Maybe this apartment wasn't such a bad place to start over after all.