milkbath | Suds 2

milkbath, Suds 2 | Episode 9

{Last time on Suds, Leilah and Darien gave us goosebumps with their heart fluttering 'see you soon.' Then, Leilah checked into heartbreak hotel with her bestie. First stop, resort style swimming pool complete with a handsome foreigner eager to show Mira new things. Heartbreak hotel looks like a lot more fun than the name implies.

Shall we check back in?  One tub of hot water. Shake in powdered goat milk, ground oatmeal, and epsom salt. Add a few drops of essential Chamomile oil and toss in a handful of rose petals. Hello milkbath. Ready, Set. . .Suds!!}

• Wednesday •

Sylus passed the last journal to Shantel. "What was her name?"
"Ophelia, but everyone called her—"
His brows furrowed. "MaPhelia?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"

Sylus pulled the box close to his face, examining the picture. "Aw man. This sure is MaPhelia," he grinned. "This lady right here kept us in church." He unrolled his fingers, counting. "Monday, devotion. Tuesday, prayer service. Wednesday, Bible study. Thursday, choir practice. Saturday, feed the poor. Sunday, church in the morning, Sunday School, and night service." He chuckled. "Man, she had us living in that church."

Juggling her thoughts, Shantel furrowed her brows. "You grew up in church?"
He nodded. "Thanks to MaPhelia, I know the Bible cover to cover."
"You read the Bible?"
"Everyday." He smirked, lifting his brows. "Y'all only see what I show you."

Shantel blinked back a series on questions and pulled out the most pressing one. "Were you related to her?"
He shook his head. "She was one of the founding members of our church. Came in with the first load of bricks. Pastor treated her like his own momma. We all did." He chuckled. "Good ol, MaPhelia."

Sylus touched the picture and a smile filled his eyes. "She could bake anything," he said. "We would come up with reasons to go over to her house. Cut the grass. Clean out the gutters. Shovel snow. Put up Christmas lights. Man, we even helped finish her basement into a small apartment when we were in high school." He laughed.

His sparkling smile caught Shantel off guard. Her lips bowed and she leaned toward him, tasting his memory. Feeling herself drift away in him, she shook away the urge, combed her fingers through her hair, and looked at the picture instead.

Sylus put the box down, turning the full power of his gleaming smile on her. "She would bake a whole cake or pie for each of us. Anything. Red Velvet Cakes, Carmel Cakes. Sweet Potato Pies, German Chocolate Cakes, Banana Pudding. Whatever we asked for, she would bake a one for me and one for D."

Shantel stilled. "Darien? He went to your church, too?"

Sylus winced. His raised cheekbones fell.
Shantel forced him to face her. "Did you do all those things with Darien?" She stared off into the distance, sorting through her thoughts. "Darien knew MaPhelia, too?

Sylus nodded, eyeing her reaction. "We go way back."
She scanned the empty air.
Darien knew MaPhelia. I could have been there with him all along. Her eyes fluttered and fell on the plush carpet. She sighed, picked up the striped, hat box and put it back on her dresser.

Sylus crossed her dorm and slid into his shorts.
Desperation seeped into her voice. "You're leaving?"
He tossed her shirt onto the armchair and stretched into his own. "Yeah. I forgot about something."
She grabbed her bag. "I'll come with you."
"Don't." The edge in his tone cut her.
She recoiled. "Are you okay?"
"I'm good." He pulled the door open and let it slam shut.
Her heart hallowed.

~~

A marathon of Netflix, fruit trays, and laughter lit up Mira's living room. Mira sat on a towel on the floor in front of a mirror propped against a coffee table.