Lovely Lunch Dates.
It’d been over a week since Zee received the letter stating that Sasha was trying to get joint custody of Sera, and she’d been lowkey on edge ever since.
She was trying her best to be strong about the situation, but I could tell it was taking a mental toll on her.
I could see it in the way her shoulders sagged whenever her phone rang or an email pinged.
I could see it in the way her eyes glossed over when she watched Sera feed herself.
And I could feel it in her body language when we were cuddled up in bed at night.
A few days ago, she met with her lawyer, and they went over everything about the case.
He assured her that, for the most part, she had nothing to worry about, since there was documented proof that Sasha had relinquished all parental rights to Sera.
However, he also didn’t want us to get too ahead of ourselves.
He told us that since her name was still on the birth certificate, she had every right to petition the court to open a hearing to readjust custody.
The whole ordeal was frustrating even for me, but I did my best to make sure she couldn’t see.
I needed to be strong for her and Sera because they needed it most.
“You seem stressed,” Mama Giselle said as she entered the room. I looked up from the soap I was boxing to see a worried expression on her face. I sigh, shaking my head as she sits in the chair beside me. “What’s wrong, love? You know you can always talk to me, right?”
“I know. It’s just…some stuff with Zee,” I admit. “I’m trying to be strong for her and Sera, but the whole situation is pissing me off. She’s stressed, and now I’m stressed, and I just…it’s a lot, but I know that whatever I’m feeling, it’s ten times worse for her.”
“You’re talking in circles a bit, love,” she chuckles. “What exactly is going on?”
“You remember Zee’s ex that I told you about?” I ask. She rolls her eyes but nods.
“Don’t tell me she’s back, causing a mess.”
“That’s an understatement, honestly. She’s back, causing chaos,” I shake my head.
“She did Zee so wrong, leading her on and then leaving her at the time she needed her the most. It took her years to heal, yet here comes Sasha back to mess shit up. Tell me why she’s taking Zee to court for joint custody of Serenity. ”
She gasped, genuine shock written across her face.
“Wait, now, hold on,” she says, holding her hands up.
“You meant to tell me that the woman who willingly signed away her parental rights is trying to get joint custody of a child she didn’t want anything to do with for the last two and a half years?
” I nod. “Oh, hell no! We ain’t even about to play that shit. I can’t believe-.”
She’s cut off by the ringing of her phone, and she pulls it out to see who it is.
She tells me that someone is calling her back about a distribution contract and that she needs to take it.
I nod, telling her that I’ll catch her up on everything later.
I already knew that if she had to, she and my Mama Liz would do everything in their power to help straighten this out for Zseyah.
It brought me a bit of comfort to know that.
After ten minutes of staring into space, I decided I was done working for the time being, so I cleaned up my stations before exiting the room as well.
As soon as I made it to my car, I pulled out my phone, ready to call and check on Zee, when a text from her came through.
I opened it and smiled as I read the words she’d typed, followed by two more messages.
My Sweetie:
Hey, Kay, can you please do me a favor? I accidentally left my lunch at home. I’m very overstimulated and tired, and I really need to eat…or a stiff drink, but I’ll wait til I get off for that part.
Also, it doesn’t help that it’s that time of the month. All I wanna do is sleep, but I have a couple more hours of work.
Anyway, that’s all besides the point. Would you mind bringing me something if you’re not busy?
I chuckle, shaking my head. Because I had to be out of the house early this morning for a delivery, I couldn’t see her and Sera off or remind her not to forget the lunch I’d packed for her.
I knew all too well how groggy she got when she was on her period, even though that didn’t stop her from doing her job to the best of her ability.
So, I always took time to fix her at least one meal a day to relieve some of the stress.
I knew all her favorite foods, snacks, and drinks, so whatever I made was always a hit. I’d even packed a kid-friendly version of her lunch for Sera, even though she was always more worried about playing than eating when lunchtime rolled around.
I finally replied to Zee's texts, letting her know that I was on my way back to New South now. It would be a while, but I knew that by the time I reached her, she’d be on her lunch break.
So, I set out on my conquest, stopping only at one of her favorite restaurants when I made it to the city, and picked up an order of garlic pesto chicken alfredo, garlic bread with extra garlic spread, and a side salad.
She always craved anything savory and full of garlic during her cycle.
And that’s also why she carried a travel toothbrush kit wherever she went.
Fifteen minutes after I’d picked up the food, I was parking in the designated spot for visitors at the school where she worked.
I grabbed the bag and her drink before locking the doors and heading inside to greet the receptionist at the front desk.
We exchanged pleasantries as I signed in and received the visitors’ badge.
The walk down the hall to Zee’s classroom was a familiar one, but one I hadn’t taken in a while.
Since business has been so hectic lately, it’s been months since I visited her at work.
I loved the school’s environment, though.
It was always so warm and welcoming. There were colorful decorations everywhere, including a plethora of pride flags.
It was no secret that the New South Independent School was one of the most progressive schools in the state.
Home to hundreds of kids from families in the community, most of its staff were as well.
Even the curriculum was something I was a big fan of.
It was a mix of traditional and Montessori learning, and one of the biggest beliefs here was that children should be able to be themselves without fear of being judged, and that they should be able to learn in an environment where imagination, problem-solving, and community were fostered.
Everyone just seemed so much happier here.
The vibes were always immaculate, and you could tell that the faculty and staff here actually cared about what they were doing.
I’d told Zee in the past that I thought Serenity would thrive in a school like this, and she agreed.
But we still had a few years before it was time to send her to school, since she couldn’t start until she was 4.
After a bit of walking, I finally made it to Zee’s classroom.
The door was slightly cracked, and when I peeked inside, I saw her sitting at her desk, munching on a bag of carrot sticks as she focused all of her attention on the book in her hand.
I knocked softly, and her head popped up.
When her eyes landed on me, she smiled widely and motioned for me to come over.
“Hey, love,” I greet her as I lean down to kiss her lips. God, I’ll never get tired of getting to do that. When I pull back a bit, she smiles up at me before taking the bag I hand her. “I got some of your favorites.”
“Oh my god, you’re literally the best,” she squeals before placing the bag down and pulling out the contents. “I was craving Gartelli’s so bad, too. I was going to get some after work, but this is so much better. Thank you, Kay.”
“Anything for you, you know that,” I nod, grabbing a chair and pulling it over to sit across from her.
I watch as she does a little dance in her seat before diving into the pasta.
She moans with pleasure after the first bite, and I chuckle at the way her eyes close.
I loved how much she enjoyed whatever food she was eating.
It was like she was appreciating all the love and effort that went into every dish. It was beautiful.
“Mm, this is too good,” she sighed. Her eyes opened, and she looked over at me. I licked my lips, smiling as she stared at me.
“Oh, for real? Let me try,” I say, leaning closer. She twirls the pasta on the fork before raising it to my lips.
“Open.”
I open my mouth to accept the savory pasta, closing my lips around the fork slowly.
My eyes stayed locked on hers as I cleaned the fork.
She didn’t say anything, but her mouth hung open slightly as she watched me take my time.
By the time I’d swallowed and pulled back, she looked as if she were hanging on by a thread.
“Mm, yeah, it is really good,” I nod, licking my lips to clean the extra sauce. She took a deep breath, and I chuckled again as she shook her head.
“You’re a tease, for real. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t know before, but now that things are…different, it’s hard to ignore.”
“Ain’t no reason for you to be ignoring anything,” I state, leaning back and causing her to freeze in place.
“If I make you feel something, let me know.” I close the small space between us to kiss her lips before moving back ever so slightly, smirking.
“And if you want something, let me know that too.”
“Oooh, not y’all stealing kissing while she’s on the clock.”
We both jump, separating as we turn to see three people standing at the door.
Two of them I recognized as Zee’s work friends, Sai and Adonis, but the other one I wasn’t too familiar with.
She was gorgeous and wore a bright and welcoming smile.
I couldn’t help but admire her style as she walked over with the others. It was very 90s-coded. I was a fan.