Hot tears rolled down my face as I trudged up the stairs to my apartment. I didn’t even care to wipe them away as I almost tripped on the second to last step. The day had been horrible. I woke up late, rushed to get to work on time, but still got yelled at by my coworker for not cleaning up my office space for inspection. I held my smile, thinking that the day must get better, but it didn’t. Endless paperwork flooded my already paper-filled desk. After getting through half of it the day was done, but as I was packing up my boss entered my cubicle.

I was fired, he told me. The company had to make cuts in my department, and since I was the newest worker, I was the first to go. Defeated, I packed up what little junk I had brought to the office and left, jobless.

I fumbled with the apartment key and finally made it through the door and numbly placed my box on a side table and sat down on the couch for another bought of crying. I felt so alone.

“Hey, I was going to surprise you, but you were taking longer than usual to come home, so I decided to take a shower. I hope you don’t mind me stopping by unannounc-“ Kai said walking into the living room brushing his fingers through his wet hair before seeing my unraveled state.

“Babe, what’s wrong? Did something happen on your way back from work? Did someone hurt you?” He said sitting on the couch beside me, looking me over carefully.

“No I-I’m fine,” I managed to say after sniffling a bit, “I… I got let go from my job today.” I burst into another set of sobs,

“Oh no,” he said while pulling me to him. I laid my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. “Did you find out today?”

I nodded, “And now I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have to pay my bills somehow. I could barely cover this apartment with that job, how am I going to keep going?” I said, muffled by his shirt.

He pulled me away from him and wiped my eyes. “Listen, everything’s going to work out. That job was crap anyways. All you did was push papers. You’re better than that,” He wiped the few tears that were trickling down my face. “Plus, since we’ve been together for a while now, I was thinking you should move in with me anyways. And I’m serious about that.” He looked me in the eyes with the most earnest expression. “I’m serious about you. I’m serious about us.”

My tears stopped.

“Now don’t think about that stupid job,” He said before kissing my forehead.

I looked into his deep brown eyes and simply said, “I love you.”

He chuckled. “Oh I think I love you more,” He said brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “And I can prove it.”

He leaned closer to me so slowly and with such care that I immediately wanted to melt into his embrace. I felt the warmth from his body, pressed to mine as he looked into my eyes before closing his own. When his lips touched mine I knew I was loved. I wasn’t alone. I had Kai and he didn’t care if I had a job or not, because he loved me.