A Lily Among Thorns

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈-𝚂𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙽

✞ C E L A I L a C R O I X ✞

Jayelle sits back down across from Celai and exhales hard, pushing her fallen locs out of her face. "Why is Mary not here? She always works on Fridays," she says, huffing again.

Celai shrugs and tries not to show her sadness for Jayelle by fidgeting with her fingers. Whenever Jayelle began to miss her late mother, she'd come to Waffle House to see Mary, but she wasn't there today, and Celai could visibly see the anxiety filling Jayelle up little by little.

"She probably took today off," Celai tries to reassure.

Jayelle isn't convinced. She looks behind her again, probably hoping Mary would come out from the back and have her arms open for a hug.

That, of course, doesn't happen.

Jayelle looks at Celai and sighs. "You ready to go ahead and get to this lock-in?"

Though Celai definitely is excited to get to the church and get 'locked in' with Julian, she isn't going to show it with Jayelle poking her lip out in front of her. She simply nods and like usual, they each pull out a twenty dollar bill and place it on the table.

They both leave Waffle House and get in Celai's car. Jayelle sighs again and turns in her seat toward Celai. "Girl, tell me about you and Julian, I'm sad right now."

Celai smiles a little, partly because Jayelle sees her and Julian's relationship as something to help cheer her up, and partly because she always found herself cheesing when she thinks about Julian.

"Wellll, I have some bad news," Celai says as she begins to drive them to the church. "I don't have much to say because nothing's really happened this week."

"Why not?"

Celai shrugs. "I don't know. After Monday, he started getting a little distant... at least I think. I was pretty busy with work, so I wasn't really paying attention. But I did find it weird that he never called me back after I told him I had something to show him," she says, more or less thinking out loud.

"Red flag?" Jayelle asks.

"No, he texted me the next day and said he was spending time at his grandmother's. I just thought it was a bit strange because he'd usually tell me he couldn't call that night instead of waiting the next day."

"Aw, I hope his grandma's alright."

"She's fine, he just felt like being over there."

"Oh, good. He must be a mama's boy. So what were you gonna show him if he called you back?"

"Nothin crazy, just the devotionals and Bible plans I bought. He's been making sure I'm staying serious about the Lord and I wanted to show him that I am."

"Look at you! I'm getting there, but you already know how I am. I'll do good for a month and then the enemy likes to attack me with gorgeous men. It sounds nice until you realize their only goal is to break your celibacy."

Celai pats Jayelle's thigh. "You got this, girl! Don't let that ugly devil scare you! In the mighty name of Jesus I pray you defeat this temptation!"

"Alright, Lady Westbrook, calm it down," Jayelle chuckles. She looks out the car window. "Honestly, this temptation is the reason why I've been avoiding Wes," she adds lowly.