A Lily Among Thorns

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚈

✞ C E L A I   L a C R O I X ✞

"Of course I was snooping around his apartment," Celai says, coming back into her phone's camera. Jayelle laughs at her, but she keeps going. "I'm an interior designer, I wanted to see how his stuff was set up," she explains.

"Uh huh. And what would you rate his apartment on a scale of ten?"

"Hmm," Celai hums as she grabs her phone. She starts heading downstairs. "About a five. It would be lower but I liked that his room smelled like him."

"Girl, don't let him hear you say that," Jayelle says, laughing.

"I'm being honest," Celai says as she makes eye contact with Kassima, who's hiding her scowl. Celai furrows her eyebrows. "What's wrong?" she asks.

"It's nothing," Kassima shrugs. "I just think if you're not out, you're on the phone talking to someone. You can talk to your mother too, you know. At least say good morning."

Instead of coming up with her own assumption and getting angry, Celai stops and thinks. And after a moment, she realizes Kassima's right. "You know what, I get what you're saying." She looks down at her phone and at Jayelle, whose mouth is on the floor. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright?"

"Wha-!" Jayelle starts, but Celai cuts her off by blowing a kiss and hanging up.

She quickly sends a text to Julian, Sabrina, and Wes— the other people she talked to regularly— to tell them she'll be unplugging for the day. Julian almost immediately responds asking if she's alright and she blushes at his thoughtfulness as she types back, 'Yes.'

After that, she tosses her phone on the couch and looks at Kassima. She's wearing a surprised look. "Wow," she says.

"Yeah. I think it's time I go off the radar for a bit," Celai replies, hearing her phone ding twice right after, which is torture. She smiles to hide her pain. "After you get home from work, do you want to go to that restaurant you were telling me about?"

Kassima's eyes brighten. "I would love to, but you need reservations a month in advance to even think of getting in there. But we can go somewhere else if you'd like."

Celai nods. "Yeah. Do you have a taste for anything specific?"

"It's up to you, I'll be happy with anything," Kassima says, trying to hide her excitement, though it's blatantly obvious with her grin expanding from ear to ear.

"Alright, I'll figure something out before you get home. Have a good day at work," Celai says and she goes back upstairs to continue getting ready for her day.

She feels confident in her decision to unplug and spend the day with Kassima. It's different but she likes it.

| ✞ |

Celai sighs contently and thanks God for the umpteenth time today. She kept herself busy by scheduling both of her consultations today, and she had finished the bulk of ordering the furniture. One of her clients wanted to use some of their old furniture to cut back the time to start, and Celai was more than happy. If God blessed her, she'll be designing twin teenage boys' room in three weeks.

She's on her way home now, singing along to Christian songs, praising God. She turns into her neighborhood, no fear of the curved road, Prospect Avenue, and she drives down to Kassima's home. It's Celai's dream to have a house as large as hers, but that would take a lot more time, money, clients, and strength from God.