Finding Us (Interracial Romance)

The Spotlight Shines Bright

Cecilia 

After church ended, I return to my apartment and changed in a black tank top, a pair of black high waist jeans, a pair of white Keds sneakers, and a denim jacket as a finishing item to complete my look while I leave my straight hair down. The lights in the iHeartRadio studio are dim, but it's still so bright to me. Bright because it's all happening. I'm sitting in a plush chair, facing the microphone, my fingers absentmindedly playing with the cord. It feels surreal. The sound technician adjusts my headphones, and I can hear the faint buzz of energy in the room. Cameras are set, producers in their corners are nodding at each other, and I take a deep breath, my heart steady but excited.

This isn't about me. It never has been.

A soft click signals the start of the interview. Across from me sits Carly, the host. She's warm, with a smile that seems permanently etched on her face, like she's genuinely excited for this conversation.

"Welcome to iHeartRadio, everyone. Today, we're joined by an incredible artist whose EP, Flowers, has taken the world by storm. Please welcome Cecilia Evans."

The sound of my name feels foreign, yet familiar. I smile into the mic, but keep it genuine—always. "Hi, Carly. Thank you so much for having me."

Carly leans in, her eyes glinting with the kind of curiosity that tells me she's done her homework. "First off, congratulations on your Grammy nomination! Flowers has been on repeat everywhere. How does it feel?"

I take a second before answering, feeling the weight of my gratitude. "Honestly, I'm just... blown away. It's so humbling. When I started this journey, I never imagined I'd be here. I mean, a Grammy nomination? That's something I used to dream about but never thought would happen, you know?"

"Right?" Carly laughs, like she can't believe it either. "So let's talk about Flowers. It's been described as a mix of genres—there's a little bit of soul, some R&B, some bachata, even gospel influences. What inspired the sound?"

My fingers trace the edge of the chair as I think back. "I think growing up with so many different sounds around me shaped that. My mom's Afro Dominican American and my dad's Mexican American, so in my house, we'd go from listening to Celia Cruz and Antony Santos one moment to Vicente Fernández the next, and then mix that with Motown, some old school R&B, funk, pop, and gospel music from church." I chuckle softly, remembering those days.

"But I think what really pushed me with Flowers was this feeling that music should be healing. That's what I wanted it to do—heal, uplift, and just bring people into a space where they could breathe, even if just for a moment."

Carly nods, leaning in closer. "I love that. The EP feels like it's speaking to something deeper. It's not just about catchy hooks or melodies, although, you've got plenty of those," she adds with a grin. "But there's a sense of spirituality in your music. Where does that come from?"

I glance down for a second, collecting my thoughts. "It comes from my faith," I say quietly but with conviction. "I'm a devout Christian, and for me, music has always been a way to connect with God and with people. It's a form of worship. I don't just mean worship in the traditional church sense, but in life. We all have something we're going through and music can be a way to express that pain, that joy, that hope. I know God gave me this gift, and I want to use it to reflect Him, to show His love in a world that can sometimes feel really dark."

I notice Carly's eyes soften. "That's beautiful. You can really feel that intention in songs like 'Angel En Mi Hombro' and 'Renewed.' They're deeply personal. Was there a specific experience that led you to write those songs?"