Forever the Taylors?

37

**

The next Morning Fatima found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her wet locks from last night turned into dry tangles and a fro while her eyes looked puffy and tired tired. Although she knew ending things with Rich were for the best, it still hurt. They'd spent just over a year learning and loving and building with one another and now everything was suddenly changing. Fatima shook off all that other stuff and started getting ready for her meeting with Zac when Phoenix called.

Fatima answered the phone on speaker as she tried spritzing water into her hair so she could throw it into a semi decent high puff.

"What are you doing?" Phoenix asked hearing the struggle in Fatima's voice.

"Fighting with this hair. I fella sleep with it wet and I gotta meet Zac. How are you and the babies?"

"We're all good. They're both still asleep thank God. I was calling because I got the info you were looking for about the puzzle box."

"Oh great. Now maybe I can open the shit."

"Well. No. You can't. Because the puzzle maker makes each puzzle special to order and only the purchaser gets to keep the answer key."

Tima looked over at her nightstand where the puzzle sat. Since coming back from Paris, she has only been able to solve two more of the twelve step puzzle. Making her on step 4 of 12.

"Why don't you just ask him for a hint?" Phoenix asked

"I ain't no punk Bitch!" Fatima said busting out laughing. "Nah I might have to. I been looking at this thing look back at me for two weeks now."

"Zac said you gonna have to work for this. And since when the nigga like puzzles? I remember not to long ago the nigga couldn't even figure out how to change a diaper?" Phoenix said joining Fatima in laughter.

"Ok Not to much on my baby daddy now. He got it together "Fatima said still enjoying the joke.

"What time you gotta meet him?"

"Not til 1. Or did he say 12? I should probably call him. Imma get there a few minutes early though. I wanna have him look at my car. It's making a sound when I turn."

"Didn't you just get that car back from the shop? What do you be doing?"

"First of all. No. I just got the truck back and that wasn't my fault. The potholes messed up my suspension or something he said. But no, its my Genesis. I think it's just time for a new one. I actually saw one that I'd trade this one in for. It's time anyway. I think he said the lease is almost up on this one." Fatima said thinking partially out loud to herself."

"I still don't understand y'all. You get divorced, and he's still paying our car note, your property tax, life insurance and God knows what else. Idk how Rich does it. Jake would never." Phoenix said.

"Listen. Who am I to turn down less bills. Plus you know how Zac is. He gonna make sure I am good so he can make sure Zane is good. Speaking of Rich.... That's over." Fatima admitted for the first time out loud.

"WOW!! Since when? Are you ok?"

"Yea. Since last night. He ended things with me. He said he could tell that my heart belonged to Zac and that even before Paris there was some stuff happening. It's ok though. He wasn't completely wrong. I knew it was going to have to end eventually."

"So what does that mean? Are you going to try getting back with Zac?" Phoenix asked. She was one of the people who for the most part tried to stay out of their business. She saw how complex their relationship was although she felt they belonged together, she wanted them to come to that decision on their own. Especially since the last time she was involved there, so many things went wrong.