Welcome to the land of noise, rent, and questionable pizza!"
Mia blinked as Kim Carter flung her arms open dramatically in front of the taxi.
"You sound like the city's marketing team," Mia said, dragging her suitcase onto the curb.
"I could be," Kim said, flipping her braids over her shoulder. "Except I'd charge extra for sarcasm."
Mia smiled, exhaustion giving way to relief. "I can't believe I'm actually here."
Kim grinned. "Believe it, baby. Queens never lies."
Kim's apartment was exactly what Mia expected, small, cozy, and bursting with personality. The walls were covered with sticky notes, half of them motivational quotes, the other half shopping lists she clearly ignored.
A plant sat in the corner, hanging on for dear life.
"Still keeping that plant alive, huh?" Mia teased.
Kim gasped. "Excuse you. That's Gerald. He's thriving!"
"He's brown."
"Sun-kissed!"
They both laughed until Mia dropped onto the couch, face-first into a pillow. "Oh my God. I missed this."
Kim plopped beside her. "Missed me or my cooking?"
"You don't cook."
"Exactly," Kim said, grinning. "So it's obviously me."
Later that evening, Kim was sprawled across the couch in her office clothes , pencil skirt, heels long abandoned, hair a little messy ,while Mia sat cross-legged on the floor, eating noodles straight from the carton.
"So, how's work?" Mia asked.
Kim groaned. "Ugh. Same old circus. My boss thinks a 'quick meeting' means three hours of him talking about himself. And don't get me started on the coffee machine ,it screams louder than my ex when he stubbed his toe."
Mia laughed. "Still dramatic, I see."
"Please. Drama keeps me alive. Without it, I'd evaporate."
"Where do you even work again?" Mia asked, grabbing a napkin.
"Steele Enterprises," Kim said casually. "Big fancy building, zero fun. I'm just a tiny office minion in reception. smile, type, answer phones, and pretend I don't want to throw the printer out the window."
"That sounds… peaceful," Mia teased.
Kim threw a pillow at her. "Girl, peaceful is overrated. Give me chaos with good lighting any day."
The next morning, Kim insisted on showing Mia around the city.
"First rule of surviving here," Kim said as they crossed a street jammed with honking cars, "never make eye contact with a taxi driver. It's like looking into the sun , instant regret."
Mia laughed, clutching her coffee. "Got it. Avoid drivers, trust Google Maps, and never....."
"never buy street hot dogs from a guy who says 'trust me,'" Kim warned"I learnt that the hard way."
They spent hours wandering through small bookstores, thrift shops, and street markets. Kim made her try bubble tea ("it tastes like happiness and poor decisions") and took a million selfies in every reflection they passed.
By the time the sun dipped low, painting the buildings gold, Mia realized something had changed ,she was laughing again.
Really laughing.
It wasn't the fake kind she'd used to survive the last few months. It was the kind that made her eyes tear up, that loosened the weight in her chest a little.
"You okay?" Kim asked as they sat on a park bench, sipping iced coffee.
Mia nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think… I'm actually okay."
Kim smiled softly. "Good. Because I wasn't planning on babysitting a sad girl all week. My schedule's full of chaos."
"Rude," Mia said, shoving her lightly.
"True," Kim said, laughing. "But seriously, you needed this. A reset. A fresh start. No overthinking. No guilt. Just… life."
Mia breathed in the evening air, the hum of cars, the laughter of strangers, the smell of roasted nuts from a nearby cart.
For the first time in a long while, the world didn't feel heavy.
That night, as they walked back to the apartment, Kim talked endlessly , about her co-workers, her neighbors, the time her landlord mistook her for an influencer because she carried a ring light.
Mia listened, smiling, soaking in every silly story.
When they got home, Kim kicked off her shoes and said, "You know, I'm really glad you came."
Mia looked at her , the friend who always knew how to make the world lighter.
"Me too," she said softly.
Kim threw an arm around her shoulders. "Good. Because now you're stuck with me."
Mia laughed, leaning into her. "I've had worse fates.
They chatted late into the night before retiring for the day.
Tomorrow might bring responsibilities, maybe even opportunities. But tonight was about laughter, comfort, and friendship ,the kind that makes a strange city feel like home