The girls finished their meal and got up to pay. Back home, they hung out in Gab’s room with their laptops, researching possibilities. The first thing Gab did was to contact the company who leased their current building as student accommodation.

Hi, how can I help you? began the online conversation, as a sales rep. reached out to Gab.

Hi, Gab wrote. I’m a student currently living in your Parkville building in a four-bedroom apartment. Next year I need a one-bedroom studio instead because I’m having a baby, but I’d like to stay in the same building. Do you accept applications from people with an infant?

Long pause.

No, I’m sorry. Our policy doesn’t allow applications from students with infants. Is there anything else I can help you with?

No thanks, that’s all.

Enjoy your day.

Bye.

She’d ended the conversation too quickly, out of politeness, but moments later she wished she’d pushed harder. Then she tried another company nearby. And another. And the answer was the same. No infants. It seemed so unfair.

“I just don’t get it!” exclaimed Gab. “It’s like they’re punishing you for having a baby! For being a parent! How can they discriminate like that? Don’t they think parents can be students too?”

“Gab,” said Freya with resolve in her voice, and Gab looked up. “Why don’t you and I rent an apartment together? Not student blocks … just, you know, a private rental?”

There was a pleasant whooshing sensation somewhere in the region of Gab’s stomach. “Freya … really?” Her eyes welled up. “Are you sure? You don’t have to say that to be nice. Steph’s right. Being around me and my baby will be so disruptive. You’ll regret it and then I’ll feel awful.”

“I won’t regret it, Gab,” said Freya firmly. “I’d love it! Let’s check out two-bedroom apartments; forget student accommodation. I’ve lived with babies before … I remember when my little sisters were born. And loads of my cousins have kids. It’s not anything strange or different to what I’m used to.”

“But Freya, you can’t!” insisted Gab, desperately wanting to take up the offer but feeling she couldn’t possibly inconvenience Freya in this way. It wasn’t worth it for her friend. “Besides,” she added, “it’s probably way more expensive to rent properly than to get student accommodation.”

“Well, let’s take a look first. There’s no harm in doing that. Unless you really do prefer to be on your own. I totally respect that if you prefer it.”

Gab was silent for a moment, thinking. She couldn’t disrupt her friend’s life like this. But then again, Freya had offered … and Gab was on the verge of desperation. As Gab thought about it, it dawned on her that maybe she should—she could—take Freya’s kind gesture at face value; trust it.

“Freya … I’d love to share—only, as long as it’s not a burden for you.”

“Let’s go for it, Gab.”

It was settled. Gab couldn’t argue with Freya anymore, and didn’t want to. And, to her surprise, the two-bedroom rentals they looked up nearby were cheaper than their current accommodation.

“It’ll be harder to get a place,” said Freya realistically. “And we’ll have to pay utility bills, which we don’t have to do here. And we’ll need furniture. But,” she continued, “we’ve got a rental history here. Let’s just apply for everything we can and see what happens! Furniture we can worry about later.”

***

The two girls spent the first four weekends of semester two trekking around to open house inspections. They weren’t fussy in what they were looking for, as long as the apartment bedrooms didn’t share a wall, which would minimise the transfer of night-noise. Freya assured Gab that she was a deep sleeper who hardly woke to anything.

By week five, they had applied for more than twenty apartments. When they received the phone call telling them they’d finally been successful, they were delighted. In their elation, they immediately began planning the furnishing of their apartment—simple, inexpensive, baby-friendly. They would move in in November.

It was time to tell Steph and Morgan.

“Ohhhhh,” said Steph, when they broke the news. “I was looking forward to having a baby around here!” Gab and Freya looked at each other incredulously. But it didn’t matter. They had a way forward, and it was a good one. Gab could focus on making the most of her semester two studies, notwithstanding a gradually swelling abdomen.