5. making friends

The week had flown by, and I was starting to feel more at home in Toronto. My routine was set: classes, sketching, the occasional trip to the café down the street to fuel my coffee addiction, and, of course, spending evenings with Hamzah and his chaotic little crew.

Today was different, though. Hamzah had invited me to join him at Martin's apartment while they filmed their podcast. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but as I stepped into Martin's place, I was hit with the smell of vanilla candles and the faint buzz of his electronics. The apartment was less cluttered, compared to Hamzah's, I could definitely tell he had a girlfriend.

"Welcome," Hamzah said, tossing me a beanie as soon as I entered. "You'll need this."I arched an eyebrow. "Why do I need a beanie to listen to you guys film a podcast?""Because it's a vibe," he said with a grin, adjusting the one on his head.As I slipped the beanie on-mostly for the sake of playing along-Martin appeared from the hallway, looking particularly frazzled."Hey, Cora," he said, giving me a wave. "Good to see you again. Come meet Mandy."

Mandy. The name immediately piqued my interest, but before I could process it, a girl with bright brown hair and a laugh that filled the entire room came into view. She was holding a large coffee cup and wearing a T-shirt that said Weirdly Cool in bold, blocky letters.

"Hey, I'm Mandy!" she said, extending a hand enthusiastically. "You must be Cora! Hamzah's told me all about you."I shook her hand, surprised by the warmth and friendliness she exuded. "Nice to meet you," I said, my curiosity growing."Martin and I have been together forever," Mandy said, taking a seat next to Martin at their podcast station, which was set up with a microphone, laptop, and what looked like a very professional recording setup."We're about to get started," Martin said, setting up the microphone and adjusting the chair. "If you want to stick around, we're talking about our travel stories today. You could totally join in."I hesitated for a second, but something about their easygoing dynamic made me feel comfortable. "I think I'll just watch."Mandy flashed me a smile. "Perfect we can hang out in our room while they film"

As Martin and Hamzah began setting up for their podcast, Mandy led me down a short hallway to their bedroom. The room was cozy, decorated in soft pastel tones, and there were several plants lining the windowsill. A gentle, calming ambiance filled the space, the smell of lavender mixed with the faint scent of coffee. Mandy seemed to be at ease here, a stark contrast to the whirlwind energy I had grown accustomed to in Hamzah's apartment.

"So, what brings you to Toronto?" Mandy asked, settling down on the bed. "Hamzah said you're an artist?"I nodded, taking a seat on the chair near the desk. "Yeah. I'm studying at art school here. Mostly painting and sketching." "That's so cool," she said, her eyes lighting up. "I bet your work is beautiful. Art has always intrigued me, but I'm not exactly the creative type. I work in healthcare." I tilted my head. "You're a nurse?" "Yeah!" Mandy said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I work at a local clinic just down the street. It's exhausting, but it's also so rewarding. I love the patients I get to work with."

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke about her job, but it was clear that her podcast was a passion she poured herself into as well. I could tell she was someone who thrived in both the structured world of nursing and the chaos of creative expression.

"So, do you do both full-time?" I asked, genuinely curious. Mandy nodded. "I work part time as a nurse while I'm doing vet school, and Martin recently quite his job to focus on YouTube." I smiled at that. "Oh so it's like a real job, YouTube, I mean." Mandy laughed. "I guess so."

As we chatted, I found myself growing more comfortable in Mandy's presence. There was something soothing about her, like a grounding force in the middle of the chaos that was Hamzah and Martin. Her balance of nurturing care in her nursing work and playful energy in her creative projects was something I admired. It felt like she had a way of making everything seem manageable, even when life got overwhelming.

After a while, we could hear Hamzah and Martin laughing from the other room, the sounds of their podcast filling the apartment. I felt myself getting lost in the easy rhythm of conversation with Mandy, and before I knew it, the recording session had wrapped up, and the guys came in, looking victorious.

"Well, that was... something," Martin said, running a hand through his hair. "I think we broke a new podcast record for weirdness." Mandy rolled her eyes, but there was a fondness in her gaze. "It was all right, but I swear, if you guys start talking about the hawk tua girl one more time, I'm pulling the plug on this thing."

We all burst into laughter, and I felt a strange warmth settle in my chest. It was easy to see why Martin and Mandy made such a great team-not just on the podcast, but in life. There was an ease to their dynamic, a sense of playfulness that made the world feel a little less heavy. And maybe, just maybe, I was starting to feel that same way about Hamzah.

We spent the rest of the evening talking about everything and nothing, the four of us tucked into the cozy corners of Martin and Mandy's apartment. As I sat there, watching Hamzah and Martin banter back and forth, I realized that, for the first time in a while, I wasn't just going through the motions of my new life-I was starting to live it.

And I couldn't help but notice the way Hamzah's laughter made my heart flutter, or how his eyes lingered on mine just a little longer than usual. I was starting to feel something, but I wasn't sure what it was yet.

But as the night wore on, I found myself hoping I'd get the chance to figure it out.