Brokeback Belleville

Liana, always the dutiful wife, came to visit me this week and brought me chocolates (the box had a picture of a train and said "Choo-choo-choose me!" I swear.) and a pez dispenser and a card. Liana always gets me the sweetest and funniest cards - usually cards that start out with "To My Wife" or something of that nature. And even though this year, Liana had a real live Valentine boy, she didn't forget about her wife.

When I was in law school, the ideal that friends ought to be your cheerleaders in life came to me in large part from Liana. I'm wracked with enough self-doubt on a daily basis that what I really needed during law school (which just exacerbates insecurities, self-doubt, and any bad habit that you may have) was someone spurring me on, reminding me after rejection letters, or endless studying, that I could do it.

During the summer of the bar exam, I became "crazy" (according to, well, everyone who talked to me for more than five minutes at a time). I didn't drink, I went to bed at 11 sharp every night, and I stopped watching TV (except for the World Series of Poker on ESPN and an occasional Yankee game). I was obsessed with the bar exam. And when I would walk through the living room of our fabulous Belleville apartment to get some water, I would occasionally pause to see what Law & Order episode Liana was watching. "Uh uh!" she would say to me if I stood for too long, and point me to my room. "Study!" Liana's backing made it even more appropriate that she is the person who got to call me and tell me I had passed when the mail arrived with the results.

I think roommates always have a larger impact on us than we suspect at the time, though I like to think that I'm usually aware of it as it happens. Regardless, I suppose I don't tend to consider the impact I have on a roommate. Liana called me at work the other day.

Liana: Pam was going through my cosmetics case and she was making fun of all my fancy pants makeup. Then she found the Nars eyeshadow.
Me: Mmmm. Nars.
Liana: And I explained, 'Oh, that's Megan. She got me into the good stuff when we....' and Pam said, "When you two were living in Brokeback Belleville?"

Yes, Pam. It was Brokeback Belleville. And I miss it.