Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

Epilogue: Thoughtfully

Thoughtfully - thought·ful·ly - /ˈTHôtf(ə)lē/

1. in a way that suggests being absorbed in thought

2. with consideration for the needs of other people

She walked through the mall with a fond smile on her face. The atmosphere was filled with scratchy music blaring from overhead speakers, bustling people talking with each other and laughing, and a sense of ease. She'd never been to the new mall built a little over a year ago, but the hustle and bustle of the building reminded her of so many other places she'd been. She walked beside her friend Vera, an average looking, spunky woman with a blonde bob adorning her face. Her lips were painted a deep red color and an ever present smirk made her eyes twinkle with mischief. She was wearing baggy, ripped jeans held up by a black belt and a cropped white T-shirt. On her feet were black sandals that barely lifted her feet off the ground.

"Let's go in here, Odes!" Vera said excitedly. They were supposed to be window shopping, but they had entered more shops than she could count. She only had a few bags, albeit big, hanging from her hands, but Vera had gone overboard already and was practically drowning in plastic bags. They entered the shoe store and separated into different sections. She went towards the heeled shoes while Vera veered towards the flatter, tennis shoes. She appreciated a good heel every now and then, and her shoe rack was filled mainly with more casual shoes. She was supposed to go on a date the following night, anyway.

"Odessa, what do you think about these?" Vera asked as she held up a pair of plain white shoes.

Odessa put down the shoes she was holding and planted her hands on her hips. She gave Vera a flat look and said, "Vera, I know you have a certain aesthetic you're going for, but you have at least two pairs of shoes at our apartment that look exactly the same."

"But these are brand new! See! There aren't any stains on them!"

"You can easily clean the ones you already have."

"But Odes," Vera whined out as she gestured towards the shoes. Odessa sighed and walked over to her best friend. She grabbed the box out of Vera's hands and put it back on the shelf. She quickly scanned the shelf for another color and pulled out the same shoe but in gray.

"What about going with another color? I know you prefer going with black or white shoes, but gray is close enough and still a neutral color," Odessa told her. Vera eyed the shoes before she took them from Odessa and scanned them over. She hummed and turned her head this way and that before she nodded and agreed to get them.

"Did you find anything yet?" Vera asked as she closed the shoe box.

"Yeah, I just have to go grab them," Odessa said. They walked over and retrieved the heels Odessa picked out. They were a dark purple with small sparkles covering the entire surface. They would match her accessories well.

"Those are cute," Vera said as they walked up to the counter and waited in line. "Are you excited for tomorrow? He seemed like a good enough guy."

"I am excited, but I'm worried, too."

"Why?"

"I don't know him, V. For all I know, Serena could be lying to me and he could be some old pervert looking to kidnap some young, unassuming woman," Odessa said as they placed their item on the counter. They greeted the worker amicably and continued with their conversation after they were all checked out.

"Don't psych yourself out; you always do that and end up ruining your date. Besides, Serena wouldn't do that to you," Vera said.

"You underestimate Serena's hatred for me," Odessa scoffed.