This one stupid tap wasn't even technically malfunctioning. Just temperamental. You had to twist it just so and then back into position to get non-freezing water. If you went too far, it'd let out a weird sound. Not deafening, but sharp — like a rusty hinge with opinions. I put up with it for years. Blamed the system. Blamed the apartment. Blamed

Sometimes you miss the point your space stops working for you. It's not like the roof caves in (hopefully). It's a slow burn. A drawer that sticks, the tap you have to fiddle with, the bathroom that fogs up even with the window open. Trivial details, really. But they pile up.Then one day, you're standing in your hallway — probably waiting for the