Taylor Everlasting

10

"Hey baby girl." Charles kissed Fatima on the cheek as she entered the house. "Hey son." Charles hugged Zac and they headed inside to the kitchen where Miriam was.

"It smells good in here!" Zac's stomach growled loud enough for everyone to hear."

Miriam laughed at Zac's stomach growling. "Have a seat baby, Ill fix you a plate."

"Oh yes ma'am! Imma just wash my hands real quick." Zac rushed off to the bathroom.

"Daddy where's Zane?" Fatima asked realizing that her usually bouncing son hadn't popped up to greet them yet."

"He's asleep in his room. That sun took him out earlier." Charles answered.

Zac came eagerly back into the kitchen rubbing his hands together ready to eat.

"Babygirl are you not feeding this man? Charles laughed, teasing Zac.

"Pops. She didn't even ask me if I wanted a cup of coffee today." He said throwing Fatima under the bus.

Fatima would not let them just talk about her like she wasn't there. "Do it look like this man missing a meal? And for your information, I ordered lunch to your office before I arrived but with all that was going on I forgot all about it." she said defending herself.

Miriam placed in front of Zac, a plate with a cobb salad and a large piece of blackened salmon along with a large ice-cold glass of sweet tea.

"Damn Zac!" Fatima exclaimed watching him devour the plate as if it were his last meal in life.

"Oh don't be like that. Let him eat." Miriam told Fatima.

"You keep feeding him like this you gonna steal all my men! First my daddy, then my son. Now my man! I see your plan." She joked back. "All you had to do was say so. I'll have them all packed and outside in 30 minutes."

They all laughed and joked together for a few moments longer until Charles decided it was time to address the elephant in the room.

"So. Baby girl. About your mother."

"Dad. Let me stop you right there. I mean no disrespect to you, but that is Veronica. The amount of things this woman has said to me and how she's made me feel, on top of the literal physical attacks has voided that title. So, I am glad she got to meet my Son. And I hope she got a good look because she will never get that close to him again. She will never have the chance to break him like she almost did me."

Charles listened as his daughter spoke. He could tell by the passion behind her words that she meant every one of them. Through therapy and her sessions with Rock, Fatima learned how to manage the emotions that came along with the pain associated with the thoughts of their relationship.

"Fatima. I know .." her father began but was interrupted by his lady.

"Fatima. You have a right to protect your family from anything you deem harmful to them and we will honor your wishes." She shifted her focus to Charles. "Honey. She is grown and you have raised her to be the phenomenal strong, woman you brag about often. Look at her. She isn't unsure. She isn't wavering. She knows what she is saying.

Charles knew Miriam was right in, he just wished things were different. He grew up in a generation where children did not disown their parents. Respect meant something different when he was growing up. In his generation, respecting your elders meant although they may not do what you want or like. You still obey their authority as your parent. Charles knew that was not what he wanted for Fatima. She deserved to be respected but the constant "that's still your mother" narrative was running wild in his thoughts.