Closing day was a success. Paul got the keys from my lawyer and dropped off some things at our new place. The final down payment was $500 under the original value because the Korean owners didn't replace the floor boards near the kitchen (even though the contract stipulated that it was a pre-condition of the sale).

Rather than haggle over the amount a day before our furniture was scheduled to arrive, I accepted the reimbursement to get them off my back. But now I'm a little annoyed that we're responsible for the problem. On top of that, I don't know where the water damage originated from and have to see if the stacked laundry unit is to blame. Argh!

So here I am, in no man's land. Although I've lived with my ex-boyfriend before, it was different. The apartment was a rental, we were from different provinces, and the gesture was mostly economical. As much as this is a big step for the two of us, I'm glad Paul has had no hesitations in making the leap with me. I wouldn't even call him brave; he's just self-assured and trusts women.

We received the furniture today and they look better than I remembered. Gorgeous, actually. Paul's mom and grandparents cleaned our place top to bottom. I was really thankful because I didn't have to do anything by the time I returned from work. His grandpa even took measurements of our closets so he can build us custom organizers. Cannot wait to get settled in!