The unexpected attraction

I awoke to the sound of loud footsteps echoing through the two-bedroom apartment I shared with my grandmother, whom I affectionately called "Mee-maw." It was unusual for her to be up before me; her usual morning routine didn't kick off until 10 am. However, that morning, she was stirring before 6 am.

I couldn't help but wonder: was our house on fire?

With that alarming thought in mind, I sprang out of bed, clad only in a gray, oversized t-shirt and boxers, and hurriedly rushed out of my bedroom. Maybe I could salvage something from the supposed fire, if indeed the house was ablaze. Or perhaps Mee-maw was simply sleepwalking.

As if on cue, her bedroom door opened simultaneously with mine. Yet, she wasn't alone. In one hand, she dragged her large suitcase, which housed her collection of fancy clothes, while the other hand held two handbags and her phone.

"Mee-maw!" I exclaimed, frantically scanning for any signs of fire, but there were none.

I reached out to relieve her of the bags, and she offered no resistance. She let me take them from her and gestured for me to lead the way to the living room with a nod of her chin.

"Mee-maw, what's going on?" I stood my ground. "It's too early in the morning. Where are you going? Why are all your bags packed?"

With a twirl, Mee-maw, despite her seventy years, displayed an unusual amount of energy for the early hour. "You'll never guess what happened," she beamed.

"What happened?" I was eager to know, dropping her bags to the floor.

"Jeffrey asked me to move in with him!"

"Jeffrey? Who's Jeffrey?" I couldn't recall anyone in our lives by that name.

"My boyfriend, silly," she playfully tapped my shoulder.

"What? Jeffrey is your boyfriend? Didn't you just meet him last week?"

Mee-maw shrugged. "Time is relative, dear. You wouldn't understand, always playing nurse at that dull school, all year round, waiting for your mate."

I scoffed. "First, that 'dull' school pays my salary, which covers our rent. And second, what's wrong with waiting for my mate?"

The bags were now forgotten, and Mee-maw ushered me into her bedroom. She took a seat beside me on her temporarily abandoned bed and held my hands in hers. "Sweetie, waiting for your mate is not a bad thing. In fact, it shows how much of my DNA is in your body."

I nodded, lost in her words.

"I met your grandpa, my mate when I was nineteen. He was a mechanic, and I was a simple florist. But he loved me deeply. There's nothing quite like having your own mate. You won't have to be alone anymore; you'll have someone to take care of you and watch over you."

"I'd like that, Mee-maw," I whispered. Why did my mate have to be so elusive? I'd been waiting since I turned eighteen and shifted for the first time, but six years later, they were nowhere to be found.

"I know your mate is out there," Mee-maw comforted me, her touch gentle on my cheek. "But you also have to make an effort to find them. You're twenty-four, and yet you hardly go out to meet people. You forget this is your apartment; there's no curfew for you anymore."

"Mee-maw," I began to defend my non-existent social life, but she cut me off.

"Violet is your only friend, and she's a hundred miles away. You need to make new friends, meet new people, and who knows, you might just meet your mate."

"So, you're moving in with Jeffrey?" I tried to shift the topic. It was too early for heavy emotions.

"Yes, I am," she confirmed.

I stood up, facing her in disbelief. "You only met him last week, Mee-maw! What if he's a serial killer? Who's going to stay with me? First, my parents left, then Violet left, and now you're leaving too?"

Mee-maw shook her head and laughed. "Stop being dramatic. I'm not dying; I'm just moving in with my boyfriend who lives five blocks from here."

I knew I was acting selfish, but Mee-maw was all I had left. I wasn't certain if I would ever find my own mate, so I didn't know how to navigate life without her.

However, the adult part of me was happy for her. After losing grandpa, she deserved a chance at happiness. If Jeffrey made her happy, who was I to stand in her way?

"Will you visit me at least?" I asked hopefully.

"You won't even notice I'm gone. How can I stay away from my favorite grandchild