She gave a contented sigh as she swept the last bit of crumbs into the dustpan. There was always something so satisfying about throwing out all the trash that accumulated during the winter. That isn't to say that she hasn't cleaned since the start of the winter. Jessi made it a point to maintain a neat apartment. But since today was the official first day of Spring, she decided to give her entire place a scrub down and a makeover. She had vacuumed all the carpets; cleaned her bathroom; redecorated her bedroom; washed the dishes and kitchen counters; straightened her living room; and she was now reaching for the Swiffer mop to clean her dining room floors. 

Jessi watched as the steam from the mop lifted and vanished into the air. Thoughts of the previous winter began to float in her mind in much the same way. One thing was certain, it had been rough. She had gotten into a pretty bad argument with her ex-roommate over the lack of shared chores and untimely rent payments. The woman had seemed like a good roommate during the first couple weeks, but her true colors were soon revealed when Jessi found herself doing most of the chores and covering the entire rent. She hated confrontations, but it was necessary for her sanity. Ultimately, Jessi ended up moving into a different apartment in another complex. The rent was a bit higher, but the extra space was worth it. 

Then, there was the failed relationship. Jessi had met a guy during a costume party she went to in October. He was dressed as the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz. Now that she thought about it, the costume was an excellent reflection of his character. She soon learned that the man was fearful of anything that remotely resembled commitment. When she asked him if he wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner at her aunt’s house, he evaded the invitation by saying he had to work that day. While picking up a pie from her favorite bakery, Jessi saw him sharing cupcakes with a redhead in the corner of the shop. Needless to say, their relationship ended there. 

There were other things that had gone wrong too. A bad snowstorm prevented her from having the Christmas party she had spent a month and a half planning for. The below freezing days caused her engine to stall which resulted in her being late for work and getting yelled at by her pig-headed boss. Yep, last winter was definitely NOT a good season for her. 

Jessi put the mop into the closet and reached for the vase on the top shelf. She had bought fresh orchids from the flower shop and she wanted to place them on her dining table. They were a lovely shade of white. Jessi thought they would go pretty with her lilac colored walls. She had just reached the vase when she felt something moving on her hand. What she saw next caused her to gasp in horror. A light brown spider was making its way down her index finger and onto her hand. She jumped back, causing the vase to crash onto the floor. She shook the spider off and smashed it using a shard of glass. With the bug now dead, Jessi couldn’t help but notice the newly created mess around her. She groaned at the sight before reaching for the broom and dustpan. She was about to sweep up the glass when she heard a knock at her door. Jessi groaned even louder. She didn’t feel as content as she had earlier that day. She suddenly felt burdened by all the chores. 

She looked through the peephole and saw a set of white teeth gleaming at her from the other side. Aware of who it was, she immediately opened the door.

“Jung Daehyun, what brings you by?”

“I heard a loud crash, so I thought I’d be a hero and come save you.”

Even with all his chessiness, Jessi was happy to see her handsome neighbor. 

“This dame is doing just fine on her own, thank you very much.”

Daehyun was about to give a quick-witted answer when something caught his attention. 

“Obviously, you’re not okay.” Daehyun reached out to grab Jessi’s left hand. He brought it close to his face to inspect it. “You’re bleeding.”

Jessi looked at her palm and saw a trickle of blood forming from a small gash. She winched at the cut. “I must’ve gotten it when I used the glass to kill a spider.”

Daehyun tsked and shook his head. “Lady, haven’t you ever heard of using a shoe?”

Jessi felt her body heating up from the physical contact, so she retracted her hand. It was bad enough that her neighbor was attractive, but it was even worse that he visited her so frequently. 

“Yeah, well, it was the closest thing to me. I had to kill it before it got away.”

Daehyun chuckled and grabbed her hand again. “Silly woman. Come come, my dear. We should tend to this cut right away.”

Careful to avoid the glass that still lay spread out across the floor, Daehyun led Jessi to her bathroom. He gestured for her to sit on the toilet cover while he retrieved the antiseptic and bandages from her mirror cabinet. Jessi couldn’t help but notice how easily he moved around her apartment. It was as if he lived there himself. The thought both amused and scared her. 

“You’re over here way too much.” Jessi remarked as Daehyun kneeled in front of her. “You probably know where I keep my feminine products.”

“Under the sink, towards the left”, he said as he used a Q-tip to rub the antiseptic on the cut. 

Jessi pulled her hand back, both out of surprise and as a reaction to the burning liquid. 

Daehyun grabbed her wrist and held on tightly. He brought her palm to his lips and blew on the gash. His eyes met hers as he continued to blow on her hand. He saw a look of shock cross her pretty face and he felt compelled to explain his knowledge.

“Yah, don't get any weird thoughts. I was just looking for the plunger. I saw your products when I opened the cabinet.”

Jessi’s face relaxed before she screwed up her features in a look of perplexity. “Why did you need the plunger?”

A light dusting of pink crossed Daehyun’s cheeks and he cleared his throat to ward off the embarrassment. “Switch to Charmin! Haven't you ever heard the ‘phrase less is more!?’ This cheap toilet paper you buy is useless!”

Daehyun’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red with every word he spoke. Jessi had to bite her lip to refrain from laughing. “My toilet paper is just fine. Maybe you should just use your own bathroom.” She stuck her tongue out to emphasize her point. 

Daehyun rolled his eyes and retrieved a band-aid. He removed the coverings and gently placed the band-aid on her hand. He soothingly rubbed the spot for a couple seconds before giving it a quick kiss. “There, all done.” 

Jessi felt her face warm. She wished Daehyun wasn’t so attentive. It made it more difficult for her heart to maintain a steady rhythm around him. Jessi stood up quickly, almost knocking Daehyun over from where he had been kneeling. “I gotta clean up that glass.”

“I’ll help. We can’t risk you hurting yourself again. You’re almost out of band-aids.” 

Together, they cleaned up the glass, and Jessi had Daehyun to retrieve the second vase. They walked into the dining room, where Jessi finally had the chance to neatly arrange her flowers. She began clipping the stems while Daehyun mixed the plant food and water in the vase. 

Jessi’s mind couldn’t help but wander as they worked quietly. In retrospect, a lot of good came as a result of her bad winter. She now had a nicer apartment that was closer to her job; the poor treatment from her previous boss compelled her to switch to a different department. Her new boss always pushed her to reach new heights. Jessi found herself continuously surprised by her ability to excel. It was also nice that the new position paid a higher salary. Lastly, the bad season gave her the chance to meet Daehyun. She first met him when she moved into the apartment. He helped carry boxes from her SUV to the apartment. He came by for frequent visits after that. During the Christmas snowstorm, he suggested they build a gingerbread house to entertain themselves. They listened to Christmas songs and drank cinnamon lattes while working on their candy-covered creation. Daehyun was a delightful addition to the new life that began for Jessi as the Spring neared.

“Do you always stare off into space while holding sharp objects?” 

Jessi snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her hands. She was holding the last unclipped orchid. Daehyun had long finished mixing the plant food and had opted to watch Jessi.

“What were you thinking about?” Daehyun inquired.

Jessi smiled as she clipped the last orchid. “I was thinking of all the new beginnings that came with Spring.”

“Oh yeah? What kinds of beginnings?” Daehyun probed. 

“Me living here, working in a new position, and meeting you. A lot of good things have happened.”

Daehyun placed his hand over his heart and feigned admiration. “Awww, you think of me? I’m touched.”

Jessi couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She tossed a stem at him and remarked, “nevermind; forget what I said. I wouldn’t think about a loser like you.”

Daehyun laughed at her response before getting up from his seat and walking towards her. He took the scissors out of Jessi’s hand, set them on the table, and then wrapped his arms around her waist. Jessi reacted instantaneously and attempted to move out of his grasp. He held her tighter so that she wouldn’t escape his embrace. 

“Yah! Dae, stop being funny!! Let me go you pabo….”

Daehyun captured her lips with his own. He moved ardently against . Her lips were as soft as they looked. He had always wanted to feel them.

Jessi let out a tiny whimper and struggled against him. Daehyun pulled back and met her gaze.

“What was that for!?” Jessi exclaimed.

“I’ve been thinking about new beginnings too.”

“What does that have to do with me!?”

“I want to begin a new relationship with you.”

Jessi felt her heart stop. Her mind swam and her legs felt like jelly. “Wha-what are you talking about?”

Daehyun’s fingers traced tiny circles on the sides of her waist. “Jessi, I like you a lot. Heck, I’ve moved beyond that stage. I’m in love with you.”

Jessi stared in disbelief; unable to comprehend what was going on.

“I visit so often because I love spending time with you. I cook your favorite foods because I want to make you happy. I always joke with you because I want to be the reason you smile. I can’t get enough of you.”

The next few words that came out of Jessi’s mouth were in a whisper. “How long have you felt like this?”

Daehyun rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “For awhile. I was never really sure how to tell you or even whether I should tell you. We have a good friendship, and I was a bit worried that it would make things awkward if you knew how I felt about you.”

Jessi smiled. “Well, it’s too late for that since the cat’s out of the bag.”

Daehyun gave a lopsided grin. “Yeah, I guess so. At least it’s off my chest.”

His face looked like a tomato and he kept rubbing his neck as if wondering what to say next. The moment caused Jessi to giggle. Soon her laughter developed into a full blown guwaff. 

Daehyun’s eyebrows creased and his lips turned downward. “Yah you weirdo. A man confesses to you and the first thing you do is laugh at him. Maybe I should rethink this whole love thing.”

Jessi laughed harder and leaned into Daehyun for support. “I can’t help it. It’s just that I’ve been feeling the same way for so long, but I thought I was doomed to be in a one-sided crush.”

Daehyun’s eyes lit up and he enveloped Jessi in his arms. “You mean you love me too!!??”

Jessi nodded. “Ne, I love you too.”

Daehyun kissed her again, and this time Jessi happily accepted. He swiped his tongue against her lips and she opened for him. He let out the slightest moan as he felt her fingers glide gently over the hairs at the back of his neck. Jessi decided she liked his response, and slid her fingers further into his hair. 

They remained close even after they broke away from the kiss. He leaned his head against her's and smiled. “So as your new boyfriend, can I ask a favor from you?”

“Yeah, anything.”

Daehyun gave his best smile before saying, “Can you come over and help me Spring clean my apartment?” Jessi frowned. She grabbed a pillow from a nearby chair and advanced towards Daehyun, ready to attack him. He ducked and ran as Jessi chased him around her apartment. 

Yep, there were definitely a lot of new beginnings to look forward to. *****