Intrigued•Paul Lahote

eight

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EMILY WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MIRANDA. Things had been different in the Thompson household since Zuri's "runaway".

"How is she doing?" Emily asked her friend.

"Hanging in there. She's sick of her brothers following her around though." Miranda informed the women as she was finishing dinner.

"Sean was just worried about her. That's all." Emily stated.

"I know but every day it's 'Did Zuri come home?' 'Is Zuri home?' 'Has Eve called?'" Miranda mocked Sean's worry.

Emily laughed. "Bless Sean's heart. I don't see what he ever saw in that women anyway." Miranda confessed. "Excuse my language but she's a bitch." Miranda informed Emily. "I mean how could you ever take care of a child as a drug addict?" Miranda failed to understand. "Now she's trying to take back custody of Zuri." Miranda stated to Emily.

"WHAT?" Emilys asked shocked.

"Yep." Miranda agreed.

"Does Sean know?" Emily asked her.

"No. I don't want to tell him yet. He has enough on his mind anyway. Plus he doesn't know what going on with Zuri. He probably thinks she would go back to live with her if she found out." Miranda informed her.

"True. Well the secrets safe with me. Call me tomorrow before work." Emily told her friend before hanging up the phone. Miranda finished dinner and stared cleaning up the kitchen before the boys got home. Zuri was upstairs on the phone with her mother.

"Your father had no right taking you from my mother like that." Eve stated.

"He has custody of me. Plus you can't do anything while you're on probation." Zuri informed her mother.

"I know it sucks." She agreed with her daughter.

"How are you feeling?" Zuri asked her mother referring to the pregnancy.

"I feel fine. Just sick on the morning sickness." She laughed.

Zuri smiled. "You doing good mom?" Zuri finally asked.

"Yes Z. I want to make sure this baby has a great life. No more drugs, drinking and other things." Eve confessed.

"I want you to come home. You belong with me. Not them." Eve stated. Zuri smiled imagining what it would be like to have a normal life with her mom. She heard that dinner was ready and decided to get cleaned up. She put the phone on speaker as her door was closed.

"When can you come back and visit?" Her mother asked.

"When I'm off punishment." Zuri laughed.

"Z. I need to tell you I already sent a court ordered letter to your father about me taking back custody of you." Eve told her daughter.

"You know he'll rip it up and throw it away." Zuri assured her mother.

"Not if it's court ordered." Eve smirked through the phone. "He'll go to jail if he doesn't make an appearance." Eve stated.

Zuri paused trying to think of what to say next. Xavier was on the other side of the door listening. "Would you take custody of Xavier and Zac too?" Zuri asked.

"Hell no. Not for them to turn into the beast of the night and try to kill me." Eve informed her daughter. Zuri laughed.

"Yea. They hate you." Zuri continued to laugh.