Finding Us (Christian Interracial Romance)

A Letter In the Mail

Cecilia 

"How about coconut water? That would help," Cousin Misty suggests as she's holding the carton of Vita Coco in her hand. 

"Does it taste good?" 

"Hell yeah! Aunt Glenda and Aunt Mariam recommended it to me when I had the kidney stones and it tastes so damn good." 

"I'll take the offer," I concur. Cousin Misty squeals in glee an puts the Vita Coco carton in the cart along with two sixteen packs of bottled water before heading to the register to check out. Both my cousin and I put the items on the checkout counter while the cashier scan the items. 

"That'll be $15.96. Would you like to pay with cash or--" The cashier's high voice trails when she stares at me with realization hits her in her broaden green eyes. "Yo-You-You're-You're-You're..." I'm not sure, but I think I hear a scream being muffled in her tight-lipped mouth. The cashier blinks her eyes and tries to keep her composure. "Did I say $15.96?" 

I nod, smiling at her through my face mask. 

"I meant $7.49," the cashier who goes by the name of Phoebe after I glance at her name tag on the left corner of her shirt. "Can I have your autograph?" Phoebe asks in a sotto voice. 

"Yeah, sure." I grin as Phoebe hands me a pen and I'm looking for a piece of paper. "You can sign on my wrist," Phoebe offers. "I'm getting it tattooed, by the way." 

I use the pen to sign my signature as well as adding a heart after my last name before I pay for the packs of bottled water. Cousin Misty and I put them in the cart before I give the pen back to Phoebe as she grins eagerly from ear to ear. She hands me the receipt and I thank her for her service. "Have a great day, Phoebe." I tell her. 

"Thank you and have a wonderful day, ma'am."  Phoebe beams the same time my cousin and I walk out of the supermarket with the cart. We walk to her car and carry the water bottle packs into the trunk after Cousin Misty opens her trunk prior to closing the trunk shut in addition to getting in the front passenger seat. 

"I like her." 

"Who, Phoebe the cashier?" I drag the seat belt over my torso for the seat belt to click in the buckle. 

"Yeah, she doesn't lose her shit to the max like everybody does when they see a celebrity walk into a store." 

"Yeah, she seems really cool." I concur. Cousin Misty starts the car and "Unholy" by Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras comes on as we're pulling out of the parking lot of the supermarket. She increases the volume and we begin belting out the lyrics on the top of our lungs.  I also adore Sam Smith's music, too. The first time I heard his powerful controlling voice along with the falsetto high notes that could give you the chills, I was blown away and I began listening to his music on the radio and on YouTube as well during my third year at the University of Southern California. Interesting fact, I actually danced to Disclosure's "Latch" in one of my performances. Not by the pole, but as a performing artist as I majored in dance. 

Eventually nine minutes later, we pull up to my apartment building and Cousin Misty parks her car in front of the building. She and I exit the car along with carrying the packs of water to my apartment with a quick journey on the elevator, leading the both of us to my floor. I place the pack down on the floor as I take the key from the pocket of my jeans since I've stopped placing it under the mat years ago, thinking a stranger would barge in and rob my apartment. I've had my door double locked since then. I unlock the door twice before twisting the doorknob counterclockwise as the door becomes ajar. I pick up the pack from the floor as Cousin Misty and I place them on the kitchen counter. I close the door and walk towards to the living room, grabbing the remote to turn on the TV. The 42' flat screen fades in to display the Investigation Discovery channel when a knock catches our attention. "Who is it?" I query.