Finding Us (Christian Interracial Romance)

Breaking Silence, Finding Strength

Cecilia

I push open the door to my apartment with a tired sigh, the scent of espresso, steamed milk, and vanilla syrup clinging to me like second skin. Smooth Brew was packed today and I swear I made enough lavender cold foam to last a month. The Los Angeles heat still lingers in the hallway, but inside, my apartment is cool, dim, and quiet—just the way I like it after a long shift.

I kick off my sneakers, stretch my aching back, and drop my keys into the little ceramic dish by the door. The sunset filters through the blinds in soft stripes, painting the walls with that warm, dreamy glow that only shows up when you're too tired to fully enjoy it.

Just as I'm reaching for the fridge—cold hibiscus tea on my mind—my phone buzzes in my apron pocket.

Sylvia.

I smile. That girl stays in my corner like it's her calling.
"Hey Syl, what's up?"

Her voice practically explodes through the speaker.
"Cecilia! Have you checked YouTube yet?!"

I blink. "Um. No? I just got off. Why, did something happen?"

"Girl. You're trending. Everywhere. The podcast episode with you, Stella, and Reagan? It dropped this afternoon. It's gone viral."

My stomach flips. "Wait—already?"

"Already," she confirms. "It has like, four hundred thousand views in five hours. The comment section is blowing up. Everyone's talking about it—and Damien O'Brien is getting dragged. Hard."

My fingers tremble as I open YouTube and type in Stella & Reagan Vega. Sure enough, our episode is the latest upload, the thumbnail frozen on me mid-sentence, eyes wide with emotion. My breath catches.

I tap on the video and as it loads, the first thing I see is the number:
427K views. 23K comments.

"Cecilia, people are listening to your story," Sylvia says softly. "And they believe you. They're with you."

A lump forms in my throat. "I didn't think this many people would care."

"They do. And girl, they are not holding back."

I scroll through the comments, slowly at first.

"Thank you, God! Our Soulful Soprano is back!" 

"Cecilia, thank you for speaking truth. I see myself in your story."

"No one deserves what you went through. You're not alone."

"Damien O'Brien needs to be held accountable. This was heartbreaking." 

"We love you, Cecilia. Praying for your continued healing."

Tears spill over before I realize I'm crying. There's something holy about being believed.

The last few years have felt like carrying a weight I couldn't name, couldn't put down. But today—today, I feel lighter. Not healed, but heard.

My phone buzzes again. A group text from my siblings:

Zayna: I just watched the whole thing. I'm crying. Cecilia, I love you so much. I had no idea.

Eric: So proud of you, sis. I'm ready to fight Damien myself. Just say the word.

Carlissa: I'm calling abuela right now. She needs to see this.

Lucas: Ceci... thank you for being brave. I'm so sorry for not noticing back then. You didn't deserve any of it.

Jake: You're not alone anymore. We're with you.