It's the following week and it's time for Fatima and Zac's therapy session with Dr. Reid. They've been a little rocky with each other, small bickering since the situation with Dinorah and Zel. They decided to take separate cars just in case they need space from each other after the session. When they arrived the wait was only about 10 minutes before their appointment and they were called to the back.
"Mr. Taylor, Ms. Wilson, nice to finally meet you. I am Dr. Reid." He greeted them. "Please, have a seat where you'd like."
Zac and Fatima both greet him and take seats on separate ends of the couch. He can feel the tension is high between the two.
"Okay, so first we will start with some ice breaker questions, just to get everyone comfortable" he grabbed the note cards from his desk. "I'm going to ask you both the same questions, but I don't want anyone to interrupt the other, is that fair?"
"Fair," they both said as they looked over at each other.
"Fatima, If I may call you that," he looked over at her for approval and she nodded. "What is your favorite thing about Zachary?" he looked at Zac to make sure it was okay to call him by first name basis as well and he nodded.
"That dick" Fatima thought to herself before responding. "He has the most beautiful soul," she smiled. "When he met me, he immediately showed so much love and care for me and our son, who is not biologically his but you would never know that unless we tell you. He stepped in and stepped up from the very beginning, I appreciate him for that and so does our son, he loves his dad."
"I can see the happiness on you when you speak about him, that's a good start." Dr. Reid nods. "Next question, and please be honest and open but respectful at the same time." He told her. "What is your least favorite thing about Zachary?"
"He doesn't respect me," she shook her head.
"That's a fucking lie!" Zac blurted out.
"Mr. Taylor, you'll have your turn. Please no interruptions." Dr. Reid instructed. "Please, go on Fatima."
"See that, if I do something or say something he doesn't like, respect goes out the window. This all started when he got drunk that night while I was pregnant and almost cheated on me, since then his attitude been terrible towards me and he thinks I'm some type of whore when he's the one that broke a piece of our trust because he can't handle his liquor."
"And how did that make you feel?" Dr. Reid asked her.
"Like I wasn't good enough, like no matter what I did for him or how much I love him, it'll never be enough!" Fatima confessed. "I'll always be just like his ex in his mind he can't get past that."
"Have you expressed that to him?" He asked her.
"I have but he lacks accountability," she admits.
"And so does she," Zac interrupted again.
"Yeah whatever," Fatima rolled her eyes.
"Okay, everybody remain calm and respectful. Fatima thank you for your honesty." He finished up the notes he was jotting down before turning his attention to Zac. "Zachary, I'm going to ask you the same questions as Fatima and you can also answer as honestly as you want, is that fair?"
Zac nods.
"Okay first, what is your favorite thing about Fatima?" He asked Zac.
Zac looked up and took a deep breath, his eyes started to water, "her heart, it's so pure. When she met me, she never judged me or looked down on me for what I did or didn't have. She's the first woman that loves me for me, my first real love." he looked over at her and smiled. "She's everything."
"You guys both light up when speaking of one another, that's a good thing, I love that." Dr. Reid says and they look at each other and smile. "Please, remember to answer this next question honestly but respectful," he continues. "What is your least favorite thing about Fatima?"
"She has a tendency to point out your flaws so easily but can never turn a mirror on hersel," Zac looked over at her. "She's the only one in the relationships that's allowed to have feelings or be angry."
"You don't even fucking make sense! A lot of times - know what, this man said no interruptions, carry on Zachary!" Fatima folded her arms and rolled her eyes.
"Please reframe from interrupting him, you've said your truth, let him speak his." Dr. Reid told her. "Zachary, continue."
"She doesn't trust me for doing the same thing that she did, only difference is, I saw her in the nigga face. But with me, she caught me doing nothing." Zac was pissing Fatima off and he knew it.
"And how did it make you feel when you saw what you saw?" Dr. Reid asked him.
"Like she was playing me, I never gave her a reason to cheat, I mean I know I don't have it all like she does but I'm there in every other way I can be." Zac admits.
"Have you expressed that to her?" He asked him.
"I have and she doesn't feel like she did nothing wrong, but can bring up my shit." Zac responds.
"I apologized to him, scratched the song and stopped singing for fucking months to satisfy him!" Fatima started to get emotional. "Nothing I ever do is worthy enough for Zachary fucking Taylor because he don't see me as Fatima, when he look at me he's looking at Ciara! And I have to constantly remind him that I am not fucking her! I was wrong for the way I got into that song with dude at the studio, I'll take that! But you not about to keep making me seem like some whore when I'm not! I wouldn't fucking do you like that and you know it so stop making me out to be that bitch before I show you something."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Zac asked, "show me what? Because you can't talk about how I see you when you look at me and see Ricky! Always tryna say I can't see Amir when you mad, saying I'm abandoning him and all this shit when you know I would never do that shit to him! The only reason I don't come to see him when you in your moods is because you make everything a fucking issue. You even told Zel to stop letting him call me."
Dr. Reid was letting them go on because they were talking, no yelling, but expressing themselves still and this was good for their first session.
"But you did abandon him! For half my pregnancy! You abandoned him and me while I was carrying your child!" Fatima says through tears. "How do you think that made me feel! Made him feel?"
"When I tried to reach out you had me blocked and you blocked me from his iPad too, so what was I supposed to do?" Zac asked her.
"The same you made your way to that fucking interview to try and ruin me and my career, you could've made your way to my fucking house, or even his school if you wanted to see him or check on the well being of your unborn child but you didn't cause you wanted me to look like I was keeping you from him!" Fatima replied.
"That's not true I just- never mind, doc I'm done talking." Zac says. "She's never going to understand me and I see that now I'll take care of my kids and get out of her way."
"And give up," Fatima wiped her tears, shaking her head. "He always gives up and I fight but I'm tired of fighting alone, if I'm not what he wants and he doesn't see it as something worth fighting for, I'm done."
"I'm not giving up Ti I just don't know what you want me to do," Zac's emotions finally started to get the best of him.
"Try!" Fatima says. "And respect me as I respect you, literally all I've ever asked of you and to stop categorizing me!"
Zac just looked at her, he could see the pain in her face and he didn't like it. He knew he had made countless mistakes and it would take a lot to fix it, but he knew it was all worth it, his family is worth it.
