I wake up early the next morning in anticipation to go back over to Jess'. I shoot her a text to see if I could go over, and she says to give her a half hour before I arrive. I take this as a liberty to get myself ready for the day, have a light breakfast, check that I don't have work, and prepare my car for the drive.

My memory is fairly excellent, so I am able to get out there easily and go to the door to give a hardy knock. I am greeted by a woman who I am guessing is her mother, but Jess is right behind her with a glistening smile. "The ice cream looks like frozen gold!" She explains as we walk to the kitchen.

And, she's right. The ice cream turned out perfectly. We find some waffle cones, and shove as much of it in as we can. I give her a few tips on how to stuff it perfectly, and she drizzles maple syrup over my cone. Together, we go out under an old oak overlooking a wheat field, and sit in the grass.

This moment is everything it needed to be. The smooth ice cream softened my nerves about living here, and the hard berries are reminders that life is never going to be an easy ride. Along with that, I really did make a new friend in this crazy city. And she will let me help with the chores.