A Lily Among Thorns

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈-𝚂𝙸𝚇

"Uh, yeah. Bye," Julian says before hanging up and smiling at Ms. Valentine. "How are you?" he asks.

She scowls. "And you're supposed to be a pastor." She walks into her apartment before Julian can defend himself, but he doesn't have time to plead his case.

He has a date with the gym; that's where he's supposed to be.

| ✞ |

"This is not where I'm supposed to be!" Julian says loudly, allowing Mama Ruth's screen door to slam behind him.

He hears sudden shuffling and Mama Ruth comes from the den. "Julian Christopher, what's wrong with you?! Slamming my door. My door ain't do jack to you. I'ont care about you being mad! Slam my door again, I'll slam this oxygen tank over your head!"

Her caretaker, Stephanie, laughs beside her. "Mrs. Richards!"

"You're still new here, Steph, you don't know that this boy used to have the worst mood swings growing up. Just made me have a flashback. What's wrong with you?" she asks Julian again.

"I'm sorry, Mama," he says sheepishly.

She glares at him again before turning and going back into the den. "You and your sister are more alike than y'all want to believe."

Julian follows her and sees Nyomi on the couch with her arms crossed and her face pouted. "You don't wanna be here either?" he asks.

She shakes her head but doesn't say anything, making Julian chuckle.

"Sit down, I need to talk to y'all," Mama Ruth says.

Julian complies and sits beside Nyomi. "About what?"

"I don't know. But God told me last night that one of y'all had something to say. I don't know who needs to say it, but you better get it off your chest."

After a long period of silence, Julian throws up his hands. "The only thing I gotta say is I'm asking Celai to be my girlfriend Friday."

"That's good," Mama Ruth nods. "But I don't think that's what God called y'all here for. Anything else?"

He racks his brain for another moment before shaking his head and shrugging. "Nah, that's it," he says truthfully, leaning back on the couch.

Mama Ruth looks at Nyomi. "What about you, Ny?"

She shrugs, turning her head, and anyone with eyes can see she has something to say.

Julian nudges her. "You alright?"

"Are you?" she defensively asks.

"I'm doing great, I got God and my girl. Can you answer me now?" he asks calmly.

"I'm fine. I just don't want to be here."

"I didn't want to be here either. But we're both here now and obviously one of us has something to say."

Nyomi averts her eyes and looks at Mama Ruth. "How do you even know God said to sit us down? How do you know you didn't just make it up in your head?"