Our New Normal

  Tori paused. “For now, the life assistance programs would be best.”

  “Sure,” Angie replied. “We have counselors who can assist you over the phone or in-person with any questions or concerns you may have, and they’re also available if you just need someone trustworthy to talk to who will understand what you’re going through. Our counselors are all volunteers, and they’re passionate about helping others. We have support group sessions on Sunday and Wednesday evening which are open to anyone who’d like to join. We also sponsor community events, including bingo and bowling nights, so that you can get to know others in a more informal setting. Finally, we are a sponsor of the LIFE Success program, along with other local businesses, which provides shelter, meals, education, and other needs to the homeless youth and adults in our community.”

  “Wow!” Tori exclaimed. “I didn’t realize how much the Center does.”

  “Thank you, yes! We try to do as much as we can.”

  “How much does it cost to become a member?” Tori inquired, worried that she wouldn’t be able to afford it. It just seems too good to be true, she thought. It has to cost a fortune.

  “There are no fees,” Angie replied. “The Center is run solely by donations, volunteers, and grants. We feel that anyone in the community, regardless of financial stance, should be able to seek the help they need or to assist the community in the way they see fit.”

  “That’s great!” Tori exclaimed. “I’d like to stop down, if that’s okay.”

  “You’re welcome to stop by!” Angie said. “If you’d like a schedule of events so you can decide which day to visit, we can email you a brochure or send it to your home, whichever you prefer. When you come to the Center, you’ll get all of our literature, we’ll give you a tour of the facility, and we’ll introduce you to some of the people who work and volunteer here.”

  “You said that the support group was tonight, right?” Tori asked. “What time does that normally start?”

  “They meet at seven,” Angie replied. “The tour takes about a half an hour, so if you stop down before six-thirty we’ll be able to familiarize you with the Center and get you signed up for the session.”

  “That sounds great!” Tori said. “I’ll stop by tonight for sure.” She looked over at Chloe. “Um, would I be able to bring my partner if she wants to join me?”

  “Of course,” Angie replied. “We welcome anyone to the center including family members, friends, allies, and significant others.”

  “Sweet!” Tori exclaimed, squeezing Chloe’s hand. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tonight then!”

  “I’ll be here,” Angie said happily. “Make sure to stop at the front desk to get signed up as a visitor so we can give you a tour. Ask for Angie if you get a chance.”

  “Okay,” Tori said. “Thank you so much for all of your help!”

  “Not a problem,” Angie replied.

  They said their goodbyes, and Tori turned to Chloe as she hung up the phone. “What do you think, babe?” she asked.

  Chloe nodded enthusiastically. “It sounds amazing! We should check it out.”

  Tori beamed. “I’m so excited!” she exclaimed.

  Chloe smiled, kissing Tori. “I think this might be the happiest I’ve seen you since our first date,” she teased.

  “It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve been this excited about something.”

  “While we’re on the topic of figuring stuff out,” Chloe began, “what do you think about hitting up a few thrift stores to look for furniture for your room?”

  “Are you sure?” Tori asked. “Don’t you want to rest on your day off?”

  Chloe shrugged. “I’ll have plenty of time to rest,” she replied. “Browsing a few stores for a couple hours isn’t going to burn me out. Not all of them will be open since it’s Sunday, but we can check out the ones that are open and look at the others on my next day off.”

  Tori’s eyes lit up. “That would be great, then! Thank you!”

  Chloe smiled. “Of course, babe,” she replied.

  * * *

  After showering, Chloe and Tori went to every thrift store that Chloe could think of. Tori struggled not to turn her nose up at the condition of the furniture, merchandise, or people in the stores; she felt as if her old self was trapped in a cage and furiously banging on the bars to be freed and start criticizing everything and everyone around her. Instead, she’d take a deep breath and try to find the silver lining. Though she would’ve never accepted used items in her former life, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury goods that her parents could; she’d just have to make the best of her new situation.

  Chloe frowned as she looked around the third store on their list. “It doesn’t look like they have much of a selection here, either.”

  “Yeah,” Tori muttered, discouragement settling in.

  “I’m going to check out the clothes while I’m here,” Chloe announced, heading over to the racks.

  “Do you ever find stuff here?” Tori asked, her nose crinkling as she looked at the racks of assorted shirts in no particular order.

  “Oh, sure!” Chloe replied. “I have really good luck in this shop, actually; they usually have a great selection of clothes in my size. I’ve gotten several shirts and pairs of jeans from here.”

  “But you work in a clothing store, with a discount,” Tori argued skeptically.

  Chloe laughed. “The discount isn’t that good; I would have to give my paycheck right back to Trend if I only got clothes there. Besides, I like the hunt.”

  “The hunt?”

  “Have you ever found a shirt on clearance that looks amazing on you?” Tori nodded. “Now imagine finding something like that for five bucks instead of fifty. It almost feels like you’re hunting for buried treasure.”

  Tori chuckled. “I like that. Maybe I’ll go hunt on the racks, too.”

  A few feet away, Tori browsed shirts for something she might wear. Most of the clothing wasn’t in the best shape, or it looked like it was something her grandma wore in really old photos. A few of the exceptionally gaudy shirts—heavily embroidered, frilly, or covered in sequins—made her chortle despite her best efforts to stay polite. She glanced back at Chloe and noticed that she was looking in her direction.

  “I’m sorry; I couldn’t help it. Look at this!” She held up a button-down shirt with neon, geometric shapes haphazardly splayed over the fabric and metallic chains sewn into the collar.

  Chloe giggled. “I’ll do you one better,” she said as she reached to her left and held up a dingy yellow sweater with bright blue, crocheted flowers protruding from every angle—including one right under the armpit.

  Tori started laughing even harder. She made it her mission to find the most hideous article of clothing in the building, and she began going down every row to inspect the clothes.

  Several minutes later, Tori gasped. “I found it!” she exclaimed, rushing over to Chloe. She proudly held up a gray, woolen sports jacket with ruffled sleeves, a shaggy fur collar, and pink sequined flowers embroidered on the chest.

  Chloe’s eyes went wide. “That is amazing!” she said with a giggle. “Try it on!”

  Tori did as instructed while Chloe put on the yellow sweater. Beaming, Chloe wrapped an arm around Tori and turned on her camera phone. She lifted her other arm, making sure that the armpit flower was visible. Tori reached up to touch Chloe’s face so that the ruffled sleeves were also in view.

  They both giggled as they examined the image. Their wardrobe choices were hideous, but they were beaming and looked like they were having a blast together.

  “I love that this is our first picture as a couple,” Tori said.

  Chloe laughed harder. “Oh my god, you’re right!”

  Tori kissed her on the cheek. “The first of many.” She slipped off the jacket. “I’m going to go put this back.”

  Chloe nodded. “I haven’t had any luck with clothes here, so we
can head to the next place if you’d like.”

  “That works.”

  * * *

  Tori could see the bedroom set from the storefront window. She pointed at it excitedly, tugging on Chloe’s jacket sleeve. “Do you see it?”

  Chloe nodded enthusiastically. “It looks like we may have a winner.”

  Tori rushed to the back of the building to inspect the matching tall dresser, nightstand, and wide dresser. Inspecting them up close, she was even more impressed with the set’s craftsmanship. Each piece had carved, clawed feet. The faces of the drawers and counters were curved and undulated like gentle waves, and the frame had carved, intricate floral patterns in the wood.

  Tori squeezed her way through a variety of dressers, tables, and wardrobes to get closer. She knocked on the pieces, noting that they were solid wood, and opened all the drawers to ensure that the tracks weren’t broken. Everything functioned as expected; the only drawback was that all of the pieces were worn from age and wear, and a few of the drawers were missing their hardware.

  “Those look great,” Chloe said as she caught up to Tori. “How much are they?”

  Tori searched for the tag. When she saw it, her eyes went wide. “The whole set is only thirty bucks!”

  “That’s super cheap for all of that!” Chloe said.

  Tori nodded. “I’m pretty sure these are antiques. My father would’ve paid thousands of dollars for a set like this in pristine condition. Visiting all of those antique shops with him over the years is paying off, I guess.” Her heart panged with grief as she remembered her father’s passion for collecting antique furniture, but she pushed it aside. “Everything appears to be in working order; the only real problems are the wear and missing drawer pulls.”

  Chloe scoffed dismissively. “That’ll only take one trip to the hardware store. We can replace all of the drawer pulls with new hardware, and we can pick up sandpaper and wood stain to restore the rest. It’ll look brand new in no time. We can make it a project for our days off.”

  Tori’s eyes lit up. “How do you know how to do all of that?”

  Chloe shrugged. “My uncle taught us when got our place. My mom didn’t have a whole lot of money when we moved out, so we had to make do with secondhand everything. Pretty much all of the furniture we have in our house has been restored.”

  “I would’ve never known that,” Tori said. “You must be pretty good at it.”

  “Once I teach you how to restore furniture, I can guarantee that we’ll turn that furniture into something your dad would be jealous of,” Chloe said with a devious grin.

  Tori looked everything over one last time before she nodded decisively. “Let’s get it, then! Though…how are we going to get it home?”

  “We can buy it now and they’ll hold it until we can come pick it up,” Chloe replied. “Let me see if Mark can help us real quick though.” She pulled out her phone.

  After a few rings, Mark picked up. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mark. It’s Chloe.”

  “Oh hey. Everything okay?”

  “I was wondering if you and your mom’s SUV were available. I have a few pieces of furniture I’d like to get from the thrift store, if possible.”

  “Um, I’m out at the moment, but I’ll be back in town in around an hour. Would that work?”

  “That works; we can get lunch while we’re waiting.”

  “We?”

  Chloe’s stomach twisted slightly. “Um, yeah, me and Tori.”

  “Oh.” There was a slight pause. “Okay. Well, I’ll give you a call when I’m on my way.”

  Chloe sighed with relief, grateful that Mark hadn’t changed his mind once he knew that Tori was with her. “Thanks so much, man. Want me to get you something while we’re out?”

  “Actually, if you happen to come across a chocolate milkshake and mozzarella sticks, I’ve been craving them all day.”

  “Consider it done,” Chloe confirmed. “Thanks again!” She turned to Tori. “All set.”

  Tori’s face flushed with embarrassment. “You didn’t have to call him up,” she insisted. “Your friends aren’t exactly fond of me—and with good reason. I don’t want to make him run errands for me.”

  “He’s fond of me, and he’s one of my best friends. Just consider it as him running an errand for me; we’d have to get this stuff to the house somehow, anyway. Besides, he’s getting a shake and cheese out of the deal, so he’ll be happy no matter what.”

  Tori nodded reluctantly. “Well, let’s pay for this stuff before someone else snatches it. Then, I’m buying you lunch.”

  * * *

  After some maneuvering, they managed to wedge the furniture into the back of the SUV, removing most of the drawers and stacking them in Chloe’s backseat. Both vehicles full, they headed to Chloe’s to unload.

  “Where are we taking all of this?” Mark asked as he lifted the nightstand and a few of the drawers.

  “Up to Tori’s room in the attic,” Chloe responded.

  “Tori’s room?” Mark repeated, his eyebrow raised.

  “My parents kicked me out when they found out I’m gay,” Tori hastily explained. “Chloe’s mom is letting me stay here until I can get stuff figured out.”

  Mark’s eyes widened. “Oh, man. That’s super rough. I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

  Tori shrugged. “I’m just glad that I had somewhere to go.”

  “Yeah,” he muttered, his eyes full of sympathy as he glanced at her.

  Tori swelled with excitement once they’d gotten all of the furniture into her room. She’d have to reinsert the drawers and arrange the furniture to her liking, but she was looking forward to the project. “Thank you so much for your help, Mark,” she said. “I really appreciate it.”

  Mark shrugged. “No big deal,” he said. “Actually, if you could use some lamps for up here, we have a few extra just collecting dust in our attic; they’re not fancy or anything, but they work just fine. We also have an old wooden wardrobe if you’d like something to use as a closet.”

  Tori’s eyes brimmed with tears. “That’s so nice of you to offer! Yes, that would be great!”

  He nodded. “I’ll bring it over sometime this week. I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow?”

  Chloe nodded. “Thanks again,” she said. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “Sounds good,” he said, looking back to Tori. “Hey, good luck tomorrow, okay?”

  Tori frowned. “Thanks; I’m probably going to need it.”

  Mark nodded and headed downstairs with Chloe.

  Once Tori arranged her new furniture and replaced all of the drawers, she hurried downstairs to bring up cleaner and furniture polish.

  Chloe heard her rummaging around in the kitchen and came to check on her. “You okay, babe?”

  Tori nodded. “I want to clean up the drawers before I put anything in them,” she explained.

  “Good call,” Chloe said, retrieving a cloth rag from a kitchen drawer. “We might as well clean it up so you can use them now, even if we don’t start the project for a little while.”

  “Exactly,” Tori agreed. “I’m just excited not to have to live out of bags anymore. I’m thinking maybe I’ll get a futon for up there, too, so I have somewhere to hang out as well as sleep.”

  Chloe grinned. “No rush on getting another bed; I like having you in mine too much.”

  Tori chuckled. “Believe me, I’m in no hurry to sleep alone, either. I’m more excited to have my own place to watch movies and lounge around.”

  “That will be great,” Chloe said, taking the furniture polish from Tori. “Let’s go get that furniture cleaned up and your stuff put away before it’s time to head to the Center.”

  Tori’s eyes widened. “Today has been so much fun and we’ve gotten so much accomplished that I almost forgot about going to the Center tonight!

  Chloe smiled. “Hopefully this evening will be just as good.”

  Chapter 31
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  Tori and Chloe sat in nervous silence on the way to the Center. Tori’s stomach was filled with butterflies as she tried to imagine what the Center would look like. Since the Center was a non-profit organization, Tori didn’t expect much aesthetically; their purpose was the main goal, not how pretty their building was. She imagined a dingy basement or wide-open gymnasium in which groups would take a corner and talk about their problems as their sobs echoed off of the concrete walls.

  As they turned onto the building’s street, though, Tori quickly realized that her expectations were wrong. The Center was inside a former church, its marble exterior and stained-glass windows stretching into the sky. The name of the Center and its rainbow triangle logo were emblazoned around a marquee. Black letters spelled out “Love is Love!” on one half of the sign while the other half advertised upcoming events. The massive front doors were ajar, inviting Tori and Chloe to enter.

  It wasn’t uncommon for other businesses to move into churches that had relocated or gone bankrupt; their town had a church on nearly every block, and many of them had been converted into offices, restaurants, bars, and performance venues. Buying these buildings cost much less than leasing a space in an office building, and the structure’s vast space could easily be converted into smaller offices, an open eating area, or a stage with an immense dance floor.

  Chloe scoffed as she parked in front of the building. “Ironic, isn’t it?”

  Tori nodded, the same thought passing through her mind. “My dad kept saying that I’m sinning against God by being gay. I wonder what the former congregation thinks of the Center.”

  Their eyes adjusted to the dim light as they entered the building. The front office was illuminated in shades of red and blue from the stained glass windows, and overhead lights had been added to the drop ceiling for additional lighting.

  A woman smiled amicably, standing up. “Hi there,” she greeted. She was a younger woman, most likely in her mid-twenties, and she was dressed in a button-down shirt and jeans. Her dark, curly hair was pulled back, the tendrils slinking down her back.