The Storm between Us

Chapter 4

Amber woke up the next morning with a feeling she hadn't experienced in a very long time.

Excitement.

For months, every time her phone buzzed, her stomach had dropped with anxiety, afraid it would be another message from her past. But this time, she was smiling before she even opened her eyes.

The email from the CNA program was still sitting in her inbox.

She had read it at least ten times before going to bed.

It was real.

She was finally taking a step toward the future she always wanted.

Amber quickly grabbed her phone and opened the family group chat with her cousins.

Amber: Good morning, family. I have some news!

Almost immediately, the messages started flooding in.

Xasso: What happened? Don't keep us waiting!

Shanice: Girl, tell us now!

Amber smiled and typed back.

Amber: I got accepted into a six-week CNA program! I start soon!

For a few seconds, the chat was quiet.

Then her phone practically exploded.

Congratulations!

We're so proud of you!

Look at God working!

Your mom would be smiling right now.

That last message made Amber pause.

She looked up at the ceiling and whispered, "I hope so."

Her cousins immediately made plans.

"No staying inside today," Xasso said when he called. "We're celebrating. Be ready in an hour. We're taking you shopping."

Amber laughed.

"You don't have to do all that."

"Yes, we do," Xasso replied. "And that's the Jamaican way. When one person wins, the whole family celebrates."

An hour later, Amber stood in front of the mirror deciding what to wear. She chose a simple pair of jeans, a cute top and her favorite sneakers. She did her edges, added a little mascara and lip gloss and headed outside when her cousins pulled into the driveway.

The moment she got into the car, loud dancehall music filled the speakers.

"Of course," Amber laughed.

"What else were we supposed to play?" Shanice asked, turning up the volume.

Soon, they were all singing along to old Jamaican songs, laughing at memories from family gatherings, cookouts and the times their mothers would tell them to turn down the music while secretly enjoying it too.

For the first time since moving to Georgia, Amber didn't feel like she had left home.

She brought a piece of home with her.

Their first stop was the mall.

They spent hours walking from store to store.

First came the important things.

Professional clothes for her CNA interviews and orientation.

Comfortable shoes for standing long hours during clinical training.

Warm sweaters, jackets and cozy clothes because Georgia's winter was approaching and Amber quickly learned that Southern winters could still get chilly.

Her cousins also convinced her to buy a few outfits just because.

"You can't spend all your money looking like a nurse," Shanice joked. "You're still young. You need some cute clothes too."

Amber rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Mom."

They all burst into laughter.

While sitting in the food court with their shopping bags surrounding them, Amber remembered another thing she had been meaning to do.

"My permit!" she said suddenly.

"What permit?" Shanice asked.

"My learner's permit. I need to get my license."

She pulled out her phone and registered online for her learner's permit test.

The earliest available appointment was one month away.

She smiled.

Another step toward independence.

"Look at you," Xasso said. "School, driving, job applications. Soon we won't recognize you."

"You better recognize me," Amber laughed.

After leaving the mall, they decided they were too tired to cook.

"Let's get some Jamaican food," Shanice suggested.

Nobody argued.

The smell of jerk seasoning, spices and fresh cooking greeted them as they entered the restaurant.

Amber ordered her favorite meal, jerk chicken with rice and peas, plantains and a cold Jamaican soda.

As she took the first bite, she closed her eyes.

"Now this tastes like home."

"See?" Xasso smiled. "Georgia can't get rid of the Jamaican in us."

After dinner, they stopped at a nearby Jamaican supermarket to pick up a few groceries.

They grabbed essentials, seasonings, coconut milk, hard dough bread, spices and a few snacks they missed from home.

While walking through the produce section, Amber noticed a sign.

Overripe Bananas — 50¢ a bunch.

"Look!" she said, holding them up.

Shanice laughed. "Only you get excited over overripe bananas."

"Excuse you," Amber replied dramatically. "These are perfect for banana bread."

So, of course, they bought several bunches.

Before leaving the store, they noticed a small display of Halloween decorations near the register.

Orange pumpkins.

Fake spider webs.

Little ghost lights.

Decorative signs with silly sayings.

"We should decorate the house," Keisha said.

Amber smiled.

She had never really decorated for Halloween before, but this year felt different.

This year was about creating new traditions.

So they picked out a few decorations and headed home.

That evening, the apartment was filled with warmth, laughter, and the sweet smell of banana bread baking in the oven.

The cousins danced around the kitchen while music played from a speaker, arguing over who made the best banana bread recipe and stealing little pieces once it cooled.

Amber looked around the room.

The Halloween decorations were hanging.

The groceries were put away.

Her shopping bags were stacked near the door.

Her CNA acceptance email was still saved on her phone.

For so long, she thought moving to Georgia meant she was leaving everything behind.

But sitting in that kitchen with her family, she realized something important.

She wasn't starting over alone.

She had family.

She had a purpose.

She had a future.

And for the first time in years, Amber truly felt at home.