One night in Manhattan

Oh Daddies.

By only the goodness of God's grace did everyone make it to the top of the waterfall for their sunrise hike. They stood off to the side taking in the beauty as the sun crept over the horizon. Devin, Jamar and Trevor were all nursing hangovers, Zac was still giving Jordan the silent treatment while Lauren pouted about being sleepy and Jordan cussed about having to carry Jamar's backpack up the trail. Fatima was the opposite of the majority of the crew. She sat peacefully on a rock watching in amazement as the sky changed colors before her eyes. Zac, taking a break from his attitude sat down beside her. "It really is beautiful this view was worth it." He said taking his eyes of the sky and focusing on Fatima. Fatima didn't say anything. She was taking it in. Whenever she went camping, it always took her back to her favorite times with her parents growing up. She overhead her father and his friends sitting around in the table at a. Both day party and they were all discussing the things they were doing with their sons now that they were all about ten years old. Fatima's father was the only girl dad of the four-man crew. She listened as they talked about ball games, and sports cars, lightly teasing him about having manly fun while he was polishing nails and having tea parties. When they asked what he was going to do over the summer with Fatima her father was quick to answer. "We're going shooting in our matching tutus and nail polish." Her father was proud to be a girl dad. And truth be told, Fatima was just as rough as some boys coming up. Up until middle school, there wasn't a weekend that went by that Fatima wasn't scraping her knee or climbing a tree in her pretty dresses and band-aids. She thought about the last time she went camping with her parents. It stood out to her because it was one of the few times her mother went with them. She was not an outdoor girl but every once in a while, she would appease her husband and daughter and go along. Fatima smiled as the memories flooded in. Zac could see tears forming in her eyes but she was smiling.

Zac didn't ask her what was wrong. He figured he knew, they'd talked about how much she missed her parents and how the waterfall always brought up the memories of her parents before her mother got sick and they moved south. Instead of speaking he just sat beside her, offering her quiet comfort. Instead, he started thinking about his own father. Back and forth he'd been about the decision whether or not he should attempt visiting his father. One day, he was certain that he would not visit him, the next he decided to go again. Today, he felt like maybe he would go and before he could change his mind again the group began to descend back down the waterfall.

"Zac and Fatima walked behind everyone taking in as much as the scenery and the solitude as they could. They were both trying to shift their focus back to the present and out of their thoughts.

"Good?" she asked accepting his outstretched hand to help her down a big drop.

"I'm good. You?"

"Yea. Hungry." She answered.

He laughed a bit. "what's new?" he pictured her sitting at a table doing her famous happy dance as she ate.

They continued walking hand in hand when they could back to the campsite.

"So, about last night. You mean what you said? Am I really getting out of the friend Zone? he asked her playfully.

Fatima didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes. You so silly." She said watching him jump like Mario at the end of each level. "BUT, you do have to get Sev's stamp of approval before we go any further.

"Oh that's easy. Kids love me." Zac shrugged his shoulders. He'd never dated a woman with kids before, but he was confident that a seven-year-old would not be too much of a match for him. "So What does dating look like to Fatima?"

The hike back to the campsite took about fourth-five minute. It was much easier getting back down the mountain than up and Zac and Fatima utilized the time, further defining the boundaries of their new relationship.