Ice Cream In Malibu

20

My mind woke up first, and I felt more comfortable and settled than I had in days. I finally opened my eyes after inures of dozing. 

I know exactly where I am, the smell hits me soon after. The cleaning product, flowers, and something spicy entwined with all of those.

I inhaled deeply and wiggled my toes underneath the blankets. I had a moment of not wanting to start the day, and then I forced myself to throw the covers off. My feet hit the carpet, and then I noticed how hot it was.

Not a dry heat. But humid and sticky.

I shuffled sleepily to the door and opened it. Walking into the sunny hallway and to the kitchen where Ezra stood leaning against the counter and looking out the window thoughtfully.

He turned at the sound of me walking in the door.

"Hi!" He said cheerily, "Zuri made us tea, she didn't know what kind you liked, so I told her just a a chai." He said handing me a cup after he'd poured the water from the kettle in it.

There was a tea bag floating on the top. The scent made me inhale deeper through my nose and I set it on the counter to wait for it to cool. I looked over to see Ezra looking at me curiously.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked, I nodded and rubbed at my eyes.

"You?" I asked, and cringed at the sound of my voice. Heavy from being unused. He shrugged and looked like he was going to say something but thought better of it. "Where is Zuri and Cedric?" I asked and Ezra pointed to the door they left out of last night.

"Uncle Cedric's working on something or other. And Zuri went to a painting class at the Adult Center downtown. I was gonna go outside and read but I decided to wait till you were up so you wouldn't think I left you." He looked as if he said something wrong and his face turned sour until he looked at me and smiled. "I was thinking we'd go to the beach this morning." Apparently I'd visibly peaked at this and he laughed.

"Really?" I asked excited.

"Yeah, we'll probably spend all day there. Unless you wanted to do something else?" He asked shrugging and walking into the hall.

I gave a look to his back, he knew how much I wanted to go to the ocean. Was he really that out of sorts? I shook my head and took a sip of my tea.

It was warm and it spread through my arms, calming me. I contemplated going to see what Ezra was doing, but I would probably seem desperate. And he was probably changing. So I stayed, leaning against the counter and sipping my tea, waiting for Ezra to come back so I wasn't so alone.

I heard someone talking from the door adjoining the kitchen and I had a moment where I wanted to run away to stay away from people.

But the door opened before I could make up my mind and Zuri walked in, her sun-bleached brown hair had flecks of color in it and her white shirt had dried paint all over it.

She smiled at me, looking refreshed.

"Good morning." She said cheerfully and her tone of voice was the kind you couldn't not smile at. I nodded and told her 'Good morning.' and she went around the kitchen knowingly.

I finished my tea and set Zuri told me to just put it in the sink. After doing so I went down the hall into the bedroom to get dressed.

I knocked on the door and waited for Ezra to answer before I did. When I opened the door he was leaning over the now made bed with his bag on top of it. He was wearing jeans and a grey t-shirt. 

"I suggest putting your swimming suit under your clothes." He told me and I remembered something. I coughed and looked down, "What's the matter?" He asked his face bright as he lifted his head from his bag to see me.