by Kate Johns

Created on: June 19, 2009   Last Updated: May 23, 2011

My husband and I were seriously happy. We were newlyweds. We were seven months pregnant. And we just bought our first home.

We were moving from our apartment of three happy, fun-loving years to meet new found responsibility in the big, scary world of home ownership. We made one huge mistake while moving. Someone, not blaming my husband here, left the back door of our apartment wide open.

My husband and I were getting a jump-start on our actual moving day. As soon as we signed the mortgage to our new home, we dove straight ahead and started moving boxes, and lighter items I could carry, such as plants and pillows into out new home. When we came back from our new home, two super excited, very in love, soon to be parents found the back door wide open, The screen door was even wide open with that little bar moved to allow the door to stay open. Suddenly we knew we were in trouble. I asked. "Did you leave the screen door open?" He said, a shaky, "No." We crept upstairs to our apartment and found the back door open to the world. Our old apartment was a mess. We were robbed.

They were picky, these thieves. They left all of the old furniture we had inherited from well- intentioned relatives such as the ugly pink chairs covered with cat fur, and an ancient, dust-covered green couch. They left  behind an ugly dark purple table my Father had made by hand, and that I had painted.They took our brand new microwave,(it was a bridal shower gift) and our new small television. They got away with our nice new dishes, still in the box, that I bought for our new home. They even took the new baby items I had bought filled with love and excitement.

Our first call was to his parents, who felt horrible for us, but could not replace or recover the items we scraped money together to buy. When I asked my husband if we had renters insurance, my husband forlornly said, as he looked around our meager apartment, "No." I broke down crying, crumpling into the nearest ugly, pink chair. After calling my parents and sobbing to them, we called our landlord, who said we were up you know what's creek without renter's insurance. They told us to call the police which we did immediately.

We now only had an old bed, and two ugly pink chairs, and the dusty green couch for furniture. Everything else was gone. They even found the money I was saving to buy a baby crib and baby clothing with. We learned our lesson the hard way.

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