A/N: Sooo…this is the first part of maybe three or four chapters for @hoopshoney‘s challenge (that i’m heeeeellla late on). I’m still not completely satisfied with it but if I keep re-reading it, Im going to scream. This one has been a bit difficult to crank out because life be rough sometimes, but I hope y’all like it!
Renée’s head bobbed to the smooth downtempo music that poured through her headphones, curls bouncing in time with her steps as she made her way to Mama Dee’s Bakery & Coffeehouse, a black-owned bakery her brother had mentioned to a couple weeks prior. Her small hands were buried deep inside the pockets of the long, black coat she wore, shoulders hunched and face halfway buried into the fabric of her olive green scarf as she attempted to ward off the strong gust of wind that had blown through her.
Massachusetts only had two seasons – summer and winter. So, even though it would technically be considered ‘autumn’, it was teetering on being cold as shit.
The constant fluctuations in the weather left her constantly lathering her skin in every black grandma’s ol’ true and faithful lotion – Jergen’s – and making sure she carried her tiny container of Vaseline to prevent her lips from splitting. She may have left the house with her skin feeling slightly greasy, but at least her skin wasn’t peeling.
Every day she looked at the cat calendar that hung in her kitchen, sending up prayers to whatever goddess decided to listen because – as much as she loved winter – she was craving crystal blue waters and white sandy beaches. She deserved the fucking sun.
“I need a damn vacation…”