After The Cookies [COMPLETE]

44

| TAYLOR ESTATE |

It was about mid-day Monday.

The Taylor household was unusually quiet. Zac had finally managed to ship both Zachariah and Faith off to his parents' house for the day. It wasn't even noon yet, and they had already worn him out. Zachariah's teenage attitude and monosyllabic responses were enough to drive anyone crazy, while Faith's endless energy for movies, dress-up, and backyard adventures had drained whatever patience Zac had left.

He shipped them a few minutes away to his parents house, to him, what's the point of having grandparents if you can't use them? Parent's lives matter too.

He had a therapy session scheduled with Brandi, who had just returned from her vacation. Normally, his sessions were mid-week, but since this was a last-minute arrangement, Zac wasn't going to complain. He just wanted to get through it and then, hopefully, have some quiet time.

The Taylor's living room was a spacious, open-concept area that exuded both style and comfort. Large lower and upper windows lined one wall, flooding the space with natural light. The upper windows, in particular, were a favorite feature, offering an unobstructed view of the sky and allowing the room to bathe in sunlight. Zac and Fatima had opted for 70 percent tint instead of blinds or curtains, ensuring privacy without sacrificing the brightness that made the room feel so open and airy.

The Taylor's living room is spacious with an open concept, large lower and upper windows, an interior hallway balcony on the second floor that overlooks the entire living room plus partial kitchen, as they sat side by side. The upper windows let in plenty of natural light as they never bothered to get blinds or floor to ceiling curtains for them, instead decided to get 70 percent tint on them to secure privacy, but still allow light to fall through.

The living room had undergone several transformations over the years. Fatima's ever-changing taste meant the walls had seen more colors than a painter's palette. There had been phases of neutral, earthy tones—off-white, egg wash, sandstone—that gave the room a calm, serene vibe. Then there was the bold black-and-white phase, followed by the grey with black and white accents. Each phase had its charm, but they all spoke to Fatima's desire to keep their home dynamic, fresh, and reflective of their evolving life together.

The room is a mix of modern and cozy, with a soft, neutral-toned couch and a few well-placed plants, that Fatima insists on buying even though she does not keep up with any of them, instead passing it off on the kids as chores. A yoga mat is laid out in the center of the room, and some resistance bands and foam rollers are nearby. Brandi, Zac's physical therapist, is seated on the couch, jotting down notes on her tablet, while Zac is seated on the mat, stretching out his legs. "How was the vacation?" Zac asked making small talk as he switched to his other leg.

She smiled looking up from her tablet, "It's good to be back, Zac. Florida was just what I needed, some family time, jet skiing, and just soaking in the weather. Definitely needed it, hated the traffic though. How's everything been on your end? How are the kids? And how's Fatima?" She asked back, making small talk as well.

He nodded, "Not gonna lie, I'm jealous of you right now. Wife and I definitely need a vacation, I did a little something special for her over the weekend, but a little getaway definitely needs to happen. As for the kids, they are doing well. Zachariah actually won his science fair—his project on renewable energy sources was a hit, he got a full ride scholarship. Faith is also doing pretty well, just enjoying her time out of school and being her usual lively self. And Fatima...she's been great, doing superwoman stuff." He quickly ran down, being sure to keep it as brief as possible.

She did a small happy dance "Well tell Zachariah I said congratulations, where is the full ride scholarship too? Do you think he's gonna take it or is he still weighing his options?" She asked, turning her attention back to the tablet, jotting down some last second notes before their session official began.