How I became a grown-up

I was born an adult
That's what my parents always said
responsible and caring
yet vaguely detached,
like a good adult should be
My father moved out
when I was 18
and that’s when I realized
that I could leave, too
I moved into a first floor apartment
in Oregon Hill
with a walk-in closet
and 8 windows
I brought my old, beat up cat
with a cloudy eye
and made my own home
A boy lived there with me
for awhile
everything seemed dark
and uncertain
I moved
to a third floor walk up
in the Museum District
and met someone new
light was everywhere
My old, withered cat died
and we adopted kittens
I pay my own bills
I feed the cats
and water my plants
and wash the sheets
I say I was born this way
and in some ways I was
but everything takes work
I guess the important part
is finding things you don’t mind working through