Zaaron: Grown-ish, but for real (BOOK 3)

Part 4: Letting Go

Zoey narrates.

I pace up and down the living room, chewing at my nails anxiously. Aaron makes a call in the corner of the room, and AJ sits silently on the couch, confused.

My mom and dad try to calm me down, in vain.

'Alright, I'm calling the cops.' Aarons says, coming over to me, as I knock his phone away.

'Seriously, Zoey?' He says, shaking his head.

'No. She needs to learn a lesson. If Zara isn't going to tell anyone where she is, isn't going to answer her phone, and isn't going to come home even 4 hours past her curfew, why should we go after her?' I say, furiously, although tears begin to brim in my eyes with worry.

We all stay silent for a while, before Aaron comes over and hugs me, holding my head to his chest.

'I'm worried about her. She's been gone for hours now. I just want her to come back.' I whisper, as he strokes my head.

'She'll come back.' He says, although this time, he doesn't respond with clarity.

_____

'Okay Zoey, honey, what actually happened this morning?' My mom asks, as I sit beside Aaron, whose arm is wrapped around my shoulder.

'I got into this huge argument with Zara over the fact that she's been out 4 nights in a row. She wanted to go out again this evening, but she never said where she was going, before storming off...I thought she'd just come back home, but...' I say, before stopping.

I look at Aaron, who rubs my back, and avoids my gaze, his eyes helpless.

'I'll go and try calling her again.' My mom says, leaving.

'Please don't be mad at me.' I say to Aaron, who looks at me surprised.

'Zoey, I'm not mad at you! I just want Zara to come home. It's not your fault.' He replies, kissing the side of my head.

'Kind of feels like it is.' I say, frowning.

We wait a little while longer, before I finally give up.

'I think we should just call the cops now.' I say, as Aaron nods, getting his phone out.

'She's here.' I hear my mom say, as I turn around to see a confused Zara, and see my mom breathing a sigh of relief, and secretly, I do to.

_____

'Where the hell were you?!' I say, angrily, going over and standing in front of Zara.

'Woah, mom, calm down.' She replies, and I gasp.

'Don't tell me to calm down. You've been gone for hours now. Your curfew was 5 hours ago! We've been frantically trying to call you! What the hell, Zara?!' I shout, as Aaron stays stands beside me, though silent.

'Dad, can you calm your woman down, please! I don't see what the big deal is!' Zara says, looking at Aaron, who looks on, feeling torn between both sides.

I narrow my eyes at him, indicating that he can't seriously be playing good cop, bad cop right now.

'No, Zara. Listen to your mom. Where were you?' He asks.

'I went to a party.' She replies.

'So why were you out so late? And why didn't you answer any of our calls?' He asks.

'My phone died.' She says, shrugging.

'I can't believe this girl right now.' I say, turning around and placing my head in my hands.

'I literally don't even see why this is a big deal! I'm going off to college soon, why can't you treat me like an adult? Why do you always overreact over minor things like this?!' She says.

'Minor?! You listen here, young lady.' I say, grabbing her arm angrily, as she rolls her eyes.

'Zoey...' Aaron says, about to interrupt.

'Shut up, Aaron. You might think you're some grown adult now, but you're not. Get that in your head. Whilst your under my roof, you listen to my rules, and I don't let my kids out without them telling me where they are, okay? And if you think you're ready for college after pulling an immature stunt like this, you can think again.' I say, as she looks on, shocked.

'Now go to your room. I can't even look at you right now!' I say, as she wipes a tear, and goes upstairs, my mom and dad following behind her.

I turn around, and see AJ looking at me.

'What?' I say, as he quickly goes upstairs too.

'Oh my god.' I say, annoyed.

'You really handled that well.' Aaron says, sarcastically.

'And what is that supposed to mean?' I ask.

'Zoey, I know you're angry. Trust me, I am too. But you can't just shut the kids out like that whenever they do something wrong. You're jeopardising the trust that we've worked so hard to build with our kids.' He says.

'I'm trying she just...I don't want to push her away. But I also don't want her to go off the rails.' I say.

'You remember all the stupid things I did, right?' I ask.

'And I'm very worried that college is just going to hit her in the face. She's not going to be able to handle it.' I add, sitting down on the couch, as Aaron leans down on the floor beside me.

He takes my hands in his, stroking them gently with his thumb.

'It's hard, right? Letting your kids go. But we have to at some point.' He says.

'I'm scared.' I say, my eyes watering.

'Don't be. She'll learn just like we did. And if she does struggle to find her way....she'll find her Aaron, just like you did. And her Aaron will help her and take care of her.' He says, softly, and I can't help but smile.

'It's going to be fine.' He adds, smiling.

'You really are perfect.' I say, kissing his lips.

'You made me perfect.' He replies.

_____