Shuffled: When the Cards Talk You Must Listen

Chapter 7 Losgunna

"Coffee is life," we said in unison and burst out laughing, also in unison.

"Well, I see where I got this particular trait from then. Mom only drinks tea. I like both. If I can have it both at the same time I'm ecstatic."

An evil smile spread across her face. "Then I'm guessing you're an advocate of dirty Chi-Latte"

"I am, and I'm guessing you're the person that made it so I didn't have to explain what a Dirty Chi is, just how many shots I wanted."She did a little bow,

"Guilty as charged."

"Oh man, I so love you already. Now I know for sure we are family." My smile was easy and I felt happy and comfortable for the first time in so many days.

"Well, I guess I better get going. I have to go feed my addiction."

We chuckled as I walked out the door. I didn't feel like telling her about my dreams. I had a feeling it would just worry her and I'm not sure why I told my mom about them. She was far more fragile than Aunt Teenie right now. I guess it was just nice to have a normal 'heading off to school' conversation for once in my life.

"Be safe!" was the last thing I heard before the door closed and a thunderous crack of, well, thunder boomed right above my head. I jumped a mile but could feel the rumble of the thunder right down into my chest. I tilted my face up, looking at the churning, angry clouds as the first of many fat frigid raindrops fell directly between my eyes. I blinked rapidly and smiled.

I love the rain. I love all forms of weather, actually. It makes me feel connected to the world, I can feel the vibrations of the lightning as it dances across my skin. The wind both sooths and excites my body. My senses revel in all forms of precipitation. The soft caress of the snowflakes, the cooling sensation of a gentle rain in the middle of the summer, and like now the freezing rain of the fall that both wakes you up and makes you want to cuddle up and drift off into a sleepy haze in front of a fire. I loved weather. I love to watch it, experience it, be one with it. When the second and third drops fell in an increasingly rapid succession I decided it was time to bolt to my car.

The rain was ridiculous! I watched people hydroplaning over the road as they raced on their way to work. Some could be seen hiding under overpasses. It was like all that build up from yesterday released in one eruption of torrential rain. It felt like anger and fear was laced into every drop and whip of the brutal wind. It was so crazy that I almost skipped my coffee altogether, but I thought that angering the coffee gods could, or rather would, have far worse consequences than facing the wrath of the rain gods.

I ducked quickly threw the rain, thankful for my thick waterproof jacket, and practically burst through the doors into the steamy little shop. The smell of coffee, and pastries and wet bodies washed over me and I loved it.

Raindrops dribbled down my bangs and into my eyes, blurring my vision. Without thinking I shook my head like a dog and accidentally splattered the businessman standing next to me. I raised my eyes to apologize but stopped short. Maybe it was just my luck or maybe it was a hint at what my day was going to be like but it was the creep from yesterday and he was looking at me the same way. I was not sure if he realized it was me. That is until he sidled up to me, cleared his throat, and said one of the cheesiest, most common, and definitely most pathetic pick up lines ever uttered.

"Hey Sugar, You come here often?" Rainwater was still running into my eyes and I just blinked at him. I didn't know how to respond. I was tongue-tied. The leer in his voice disarmed me; I'd never been hit on before. Like I'm serious, like never! Let alone by a grown man that was probably my dad's age. Whoever my dad is that is.