After The Cookies [COMPLETE]

25

| TAYLOR ESTATE 5 AM |

Zac had just finished an early morning workout in the main house, bumping Kendrick Lamar's diss track aimed at Drake through his Beats headphones. As he tapped the treadmill speed lower, he tried to regain feeling in his other leg. Despite his efforts, he fell off the treadmill three times, even on the lowest setting. Determined not to feel discouraged, he focused on the positive: the blessing of regaining feeling in one leg.

"Damn," he grunted, sitting on a nearby bench and rubbing his leg muscles. He knew he had probably been overworking them since regaining feeling in it. Sooner or later, he would have to stop, let his body heal, and adjust to the new movement. After seven months of little to no physical activity, trying to perform like his old self was a sure way to injure himself again.

It didn't help that he desperately wanted another pill; he could practically taste it on the tip of his tongue. The promise of the high kicking in and numbing the pain he was currently feeling was tempting. However, he was determined to stay strong and sober to win his family back. Instead, he decided to use ice or a heating pad while he slept to alleviate the pain.

After a few minutes of letting the throbbing subside, he gathered his things from the gym, turned off the light, and slowly made his way upstairs to return to the guest house, shower, and go back to sleep. The process took longer because he had left his knee walker outside, trying to force himself to manage without it. Bringing it everywhere was a hassle and slowed him down. He preferred hopping and jumping to crawling up the stairs over holding a 10-pound walker.

"I know mom..." Zac heard as he opened the basement door, he didn't wanna be nosey, but he also didn't want Fatima knowing he was in the main house without her knowing. It wasn't a bad thing per se, but it was that boundaries and respect that she mentioned to him, he was to only come in the house for the kids and when Brandi was here for the gym. She most likely wouldn't have been mad that he was working on himself down in the basement rather than resorting to the things have strained their marriage, but he'd rather not risk it.

Crunching down on the steps as quiet as a mouse so that he wouldn't be caught, "I know mom...I don't know if this is temporary or not. All I know is, I'm tired of everything. I don't have much help right now." She began to vent.

"Well isn't Zac there with you? He can't take on some things so you don't stress yourself out?" Olivia asked on the other end of the phone. "Yes Zac is here but he is also limited to what he can do right now and I don't wanna start placing expectations on him and we go backwards. We are in such a great space right now that I don't wanna be the one to ruin it, heck, we just had family dinner for the first time in a very long time, and we didn't even argue. It felt like we were back to us." She admitted moving around the kitchen.

"That sounds lovely sweetheart...but you know what doesn't?" She didn't even give her daughter the chance to respond. "Ending up in the hospital because you are neglecting your body. You aren't 24 years old where you can stay up all night and last an entire shift with an ice coffee and a bagel. You need your rest...speaking of rest...why are you up?"

"I forgot to pack the kids' lunches, so I'm doing it now. I'll probably just stay up to cook them breakfast too. Do you know school is charging $5 for breakfast and $6.75 for lunch? What kind of highway robbery is that? Six bucks for an off-brand lunch when I can get them a Wendy's 4 for 4 that keeps them full for six hours." She began to vent, still a penny pincher at this stage in her life. She couldn't understand paying $11.75 per day for meals, especially when that didn't include extras like water, juice, chips, or a cookie. Paying almost $64 a week for only kid to eat seemed outrageous, nearly $260 a month. Factor in June, that is half a thousand dollars a month going towards school meals.