Say It

five

saturday afternoon

—

"I like it." Adrian says, showing me the picture we'd just taken seconds ago. I nodded in agreement. It looked like I was happy drinking my pina colada smoothie.

   I inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of the ocean. It was oddly warm fall afternoon. I knew we should be worried about global warming, but I was enjoying it.

The ocean breeze whispers like a lover, placing salty kisses on my cheek and tousling my long, chestnut red hair.

    But I never forget that this breeze is just a mere hint of its power, that when roused it can toss whole ships like toys to smash on the rocks. Sometimes I come here when the wind is driving the waves to crash as far as the road, sending white spray high in the air.

Then it coats my eyelashes in salt and roars so loud no other sound can penetrate. But today the breeze tells of only sweetness and joy. I stand here content, whole, happy.

    "How are your mom and dad?" I asked.

Adrian put his phone in his pocket. "Umm, they're good. We're supposed to be going on a family vacation soon."

    "That's good. My mom is planning one, too. I hope it's in one of the islands."

"Mom probably wants to go to the DR." He looked at me. "I love it there."

    I nodded in agreement. The Dominican Republic was nice. A few of my line sisters were born and raised there. They were some of my favorite people.

"Do you like San Fransisco?" Adrian asked.

    "It's cool," I shrugged. "It's more businesslike in comparison to LA. It's roughly a 30 min commute to school. An hour given traffic."

"I can't believe you didn't go pro. You had NIKE ready to sign you and everything."

    I looked over at him. "It was never about the money for me, Dri. NIKE will be there after this year and the year after that. Plus, money isn't something I'm lacking."

"Is that why you turned down a full scholarship?"

    I nodded. "Yes. Someone else likely needed it far more than I did. I had a trust fund that not only paid for school, but bought me a second car."

"I feel you. You really got a Lamborghini." He chuckled.

    I laughed lowly. "I only drive it on weekends. My mom almost had a heart attack when she found out."

Adrian sat back in his seat, and sipped on his banana nut smoothie while watching the waves crash.

   He'd committed to a healthier lifestyle, staying fit and eating right. He shedded unwanted fat and now he was all muscle. Adrian had transformed mentally and physically.

I was happy for him, given all that he'd been through.

    "You wanna go to Ro's game tonight?" He asked.

"What time does it start?" I glanced at my watch.

      "8. We're sitting in the box with Tia."