The white girl called while I was in the middle of making a mess. "Meet me," she said. I said I wouldn't but I knew I would. I was burning water, screwing up specially for the wifely woman. It took a lot out of me to be nice and I needed to dump my self-respect. "I got rid of everything," she said. "My apartment is empty." I wondered if she was leaving, if this was goodbye. "I want you to stand in the middle. I want you to be furniture." I had nothing to leave in that apartment but myself.