I'm writing to let you know I'm here, and I'm okay. I'm okay in the sense that I am employable and some people seem to enjoy my company. I'm okay in the sense that I pay most of my bills on time and I have made Oakland my home.
This is my life now. I finally moved into my own place - a charming little studio by Lake Merritt. There's a lot of natural light in the living room where I've laid out a cushion so I can stretch out in the afternoon sun like a cat. The coffee table is low enough that I often sit cross-legged on the cushion while leaning over my dinner. There's a built-in nook in the kitchen, which is what sold me on the place, but I use it mostly as extended counter space. The benches are cozy, and if you came over you could sit on the longer side. It's perfect for hosting one or two other people.
I'm okay when I'm home alone with a bowl of leftovers and maybe a glass of opened wine I find in the fridge. I'm probably watching a show I've watched a thousand times before, but it's comfortable and familiar and it's all my little brain can manage after work. I wonder if I would call you with this time, so we could talk about nothing like so many of my friends and their moms.
If you were here, I'd share my freshly baked milk bread with you. I'd toast it up and spread some black sesame milk jam on half and cherry jam on the other. I'd cut up the other half a canary melon I have leftover from a BBQ, finally beginning to repay a childhood debt of cut fruit. And we'd munch on these little snacks while I finished making dinner.
Tonight it's tomato and egg with a mix of big plump tomatoes and farmer's market heirlooms. I think you'd like wandering the market with me on Saturdays. I stew the tomatoes in lobster broth thickened with cornstarch for an extra little something, and then I toss in a handful of basil from my already-dying basil plant. You'd probably think it was silly, but this is a product of the American upbringing you gave me. I make tomato and egg a lot whenever I have a few tomatoes on hand. Often with variations. This stew-y sweet and umami dish is one of my greatest comforts since moving away from home.
I also steam up a plate of tofu dressed with vinegar and soy sauce because it's quick and easy and I have tofu in the fridge. You'd probably insist on going shopping right away when I tell you I'm out of rice, so we will just have to have a mix of the last grains with wild purple rice and quinoa.
I miss you a big amount tonight.
-Amelia
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