When we first met (A Zatima Story)

How do you feel?

(PSA: I aint proof read shit)

Fatima sat on her bed, staring at her phone. Her mind was racing with thoughts about her relationship with Zac. Ever since the situation with Maya, she couldn't shake the feeling that their relationship had been tainted by too much drama. Just as she was about to put her phone down, it rang.

"Andi calling," her screen read. Fatima sighed and answered.

"Hey girl," Andi said, her voice upbeat.

"Hey," Fatima responded, her tone flat.

"Uh-uh, why you sound all types of dry? What's wrong?" Andi pressed, immediately sensing something off.

Fatima hesitated before answering. "Andi, I just feel like me and Zac's relationship has too much drama. I don't know if I can keep doing this."

Andi paused for a moment. "I mean, yeah, y'all have been through a lot. But if you love him like you say you do, y'all will figure it out. It's just a rough patch."

"I really don't know if this can work," Fatima admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. "There's only so much a person can take, and I feel like I'm at my limit."

"Ti, calm down. You need to talk to him, tell him how you feel."

"I don't want to see him, talk to him, or even look at him right now," Fatima said, her voice rising.

Andi wasn't having it. "Girl, if you don't get off my phone with that bullshit."

Fatima scoffed. "How is it bullshit, Andi?"

"Because you're overthinking this. Just talk to him. Y'all will work it out. And let's be real—he probably doesn't even know why you've got this funky attitude."

Fatima sighed. "I mean, no, he doesn't know. But still, Andi... I'm seriously thinking about breaking up with him."

Andi sighed deeply, clearly frustrated. "Fatima, you're just talking right now. Do you really want to break up with him?"

Fatima paused, her mind swirling with doubts. "I don't know... I didn't even have this much drama with my last boyfriend."

Andi was quick to remind her of something important. "Girl, Zac literally enrolled in the same college as you just so he could be with you. Do you think he's doing that for fun?"

"I didn't make him do that," Fatima shot back. "He did that on his own."

"You are really pissing me off, Ti," Andi said, her voice growing stern. "You've got a good man right in front of your face, and you're too stubborn to see it."

"I know he's a good man," Fatima admitted. "But what if Maya didn't lie about the baby? What if she kept it and it turned out to be his?"

"You're focusing too much on the 'what ifs,'" Andi said. "You need to focus on what's happening right now. Be happy that y'all have a clean slate. Move forward with him."

Fatima sighed again, feeling conflicted. "I just need time to think about everything—about what I'm going to say to him and whether I even want to continue this relationship."

Andi softened her tone. "I get that, Ti. I'll leave you to your thoughts, but please, be rational about your decision. Don't do something you'll regret."

Fatima nodded, though Andi couldn't see it. "I understand, Andi. I love you."

"I love you too, girl. Call me if you need anything."

After hanging up, Fatima felt even more conflicted. She needed someone who could help her figure this out, someone who could be brutally honest. So she did what she always did when she was this unsure—she called her grandmother.