14 Days With You

Chapter Seventeen

Sera had shifted to her two bedroomed apartment five days ago. River's family warmly accepted her decision. Sera promised to visit them over the weekends. In fact Rhett looked relieved with her decision to move out. Later she learnt from River that Adelaide had returned to Fordsville forever. 

River was very depressed with her decision to move out. Sera comforted her and invited her to come over and stay with them whenever she wanted. 

In the morning she dropped Zion at the daycare at her office with other children and went to her cubicle to work. She was allowed to check up on him in between work since he was below 2 years of age. She fed him the home cooked food that she packed for him and fed him and put him to sleep at the daycare. 

After work, she returned home with Zion and unlocked her apartment. Switching on the lights, she placed her stuff in the living room. She quickly cleaned and changed Zion. Placing him in his crib with his toys, Sera quickly freshened up and changed into a pair of soft pajama shorts and a camisole. 

She picked up Zion and came to the living room. There was a modular kitchen with a small dining area at one corner. She placed Zion in his stroller and went about making his dinner. She cooed at him and talked to him continuously. 
After she finished making his dinner, she cooled the food and fed him. She chatted with Zion constantly and he made faces and talked to her in his baby language. 

Afterwards they played for ten minutes when Zion started getting drowsy from sleep. She picked him up and placed him in his crib and patted him to sleep. When he fell into a deep slumber, Sera went to the kitchen to make something for herself and then goto sleep. She cleaned Zion's dishes and washed his clothes. 

She was too tired so she simply made some chicken stew and vegetable quinoa.  Just as she was about to serve herself, the doorbell rang. Thinking that River might have arrived to spend the weekend with her, she hurriedly opened the door,"River, you're just on time. Dinner's ready, come tuck in, " she said, turning away from the door. 
"Sera," said a husky voice of the one and only person in the whole world whom she didn't expect at all at her doorstep. She whirled around and stood frozen and shocked at a haggard looking Zachary. 

He had an overgrown beard and his tired eyes had lost their twinkle. Her heart constricted at the sight of him. She just wanted to run into his arms and hug him tightly to herself. She missed him so much. Her eyes filled with tears. Her Zach was here? She couldn't believe it.

"Zach," she whispered, then closed her eyes to see if it were a dream. 

"Won't you let me taste your dinner?" He asked softly. 
Her eyes shot open. Yes, he was indeed here. But how did he know she was here? And why did he come now? Just because his fiancée escaped?

She shook her head. She and Zion didn't want him in their lives. He could search for a new bimbo to satisfy his needs. "No, it's not upto your standard. Please leave me alone," she said, trying to close the door.

"I didn't come here straight from the airport to leave you alone," he said, and Sera stared at him. He came here straight from the airport. 

"Look, I can live without you. I have been managing so far. You can return back to your lifestyle. I'm sure it will keep you busy," she said, feeling irritated that he didn't take her seriously. The sight of him reminded her of the scene when she saw him making out with his fiancée. 

"I've come to take you back with me, " he said coming into her apartment and depositing his luggage.  

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she said stubbornly. 
She went to her kitchen to serve herself dinner.

"You have no choice Sera. You've kept my son away from me. You didn't think of informing me once. I kept asking River, yet she didn't once respond, " he said, angrily.

"You know about Zion? How?" Sera asked in confusion. 

"Zion, is that what you've named him?" He asked with a smile. "I saw yours and Zion's pictures on River's Facebook account. Your friends Carol and Julianna had tagged her and posted on her timeline." 

Sera's eyes went round with realisation. She didn't know what to say to him. She wanted to say so much yet now that she had the opportunity to say it, she felt tongue tied. 

"Where's he?" Asked Zachary, looking around for his baby son. 

"In the nursery, " she said, pointing towards the spare room. 

Zachary washed his hands and went towards the nursery. He went inside and saw his baby, sleeping peacefully in the crib. A tear fell from his eyes as he quietly stared at his baby. 

Sera watched him stand transfixed and watch Zion as tears fell from his eyes. She didn't have the heart to throw him out of her apartment, away from his son.  

She quietly served him a plate of food too and carried them to the table. Zach came out of the nursery dejectedly and sat down at the dining table.

"He looks like me, that's how I knew," he whispered.

Sera just watched him control his emotions in front of her. She didn't know what to say to him.

He saw the food and realised how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten anything nearly the whole day. 

He ate hungrily and Sera watched with her mouth hanging open. "Didn't you eat any lunch?" She asked in concern.
 
"No, this is my first meal of the day," he informed. 

"Can I serve you a little more?" She asked, feeling bad for him.

"Yes please," he grinned. 

Sera served him more and he ate up happily. She washed the dishes as Zach came up hesitantly behind her.

"Can I freshen up? Where's the washroom?" He asked hesitantly. 

"There's only one in my bedroom," she said, pointing towards her bedroom. 

"I need a shower," he said and she nodded. He picked up his luggage and went to her bedroom. She killed time working in the kitchen, storing the leftovers in the refrigerator while he was inside her bedroom. 

Where will he sleep? She only had two bedrooms. The loveseat in the living room was too small for him. The spare bedroom had been turned into Zion's nursery and she had no spare bedding to sleep on the floor. The only option left was the queen sized bed in her bedroom. 

When he didn't come out of her bedroom after twenty minutes, she went inside. She was shocked to see Zach already asleep on her bed, wearing only a pair of black sweatpants. He had lost some of his muscles and weight in the last two years. He looked so peaceful while in his sleep that she decided not to disturb him anymore. She checked upon Zion and seeing that he was peacefully asleep, she went to the ensuite and got ready for bed.

She lay down quietly  beside a sleeping Zach, so that she didn't wake him up. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair. She wanted to kiss him and see whether he tasted the same. While staring at his sleeping form, her eyes closed from exhaustion and she immediately fell asleep.