Terminal 1

And I got you...

Same Night...

Zac:
Your rideshare is outside

Fatima:
Ok

Zac:
The license plate #GDGOTME

Fatima:
🤣🤣👍🏾

Fatima gathers her things, taking one last look around before she heads out. She closes and locks the door, then heads downstairs to the parking lot of her apartment complex,

She gets downstairs to see a Midnight Grey Chevy Camaro with tinted windows. "What the hell?!" She murmurs to herself because she's never been in a rideshare with this type of car.

The driver's side opens and a man gets out...

"Zac!!" She shouts with a smile of unexpectancy, picking up her step.

"Hey Beautiful..." he says going to the passenger side door, he opens it for her.

She hugs him, "What are you doing here?" "It didn't sit right with me letting you take a rideshare so I gave Big Ma a heads up that you were coming over and a gist of what happened. And she said, "what the hell you waiting on. Go get the damn girl..." he mocked, as Fatima laughed. While he took her bags. "Oh and she told me if you need that heat she got extra.."

Fatima bursts in laughter because hearing Big Ma in the background during their phone calls and hearing the stories about her, she knows Big Ma may play about a lot of things but her Peanut and Munchkin ain't one of them.

"Not Big Ma liking me..." "Yeah, you're growing on her." He smiled as his hand met the back of his neck awkwardly, as she got in the car.

Zac closes her door and makes it to the driver's side.

"Thank you for coming to get me, Zac. You have no idea how much this means to me..." "It's really no problem, Fatima," he told her. "I was up anyway checking on the house because I was finally able to get Iyonna to stop crying. And like I said it didn't sit right with me with everything you had going on...I was legit worried about you" He explained.

"Well thank you...I don't know too many people here since all I do is work but you're the first person I've opened up to like this..." she paused for a second fidgeting with her fingers...

Zac could tell that she's nervous so he switches his hand around to hold hers, while steering with the other one, "You make me feel safe..." "I'm glad you feel that way because with you I feel like I can be vulnerable again..." he voiced. "Can I be honest?" "Please!" "I really appreciate you being so understanding and patient, Fatima. I tried to date once after Iyonna was born but...my child comes first..." "Can I be honest?" "Of course." I actually did feel some type of way when you canceled our date tonight and before everything happened I was thinking about reaching out to compromise...I love how you love on your Big Ma and daughter and honestly I want to be apart of that..." "You do?" "Yes...." she smiled, "I guess I've always felt that way about you..." she mumbled softly feeling a little embarrassed.

"Was it me giving you back your wallet?" "Partially," she says, "I don't know but it was the sincerity in your eyes, your earnestness, your trustworthy...." "I try to be...." he interrupted, "I love that you see all those things in me because I swear after the mistakes I've made..."

"Did you learn from them?" "Hell yeah..." kiss. "Well that's all that matters..." she smiled at him observing the look of shock on his face because she kissed him on the cheek.

On their way back to his house, Big Ma called and told Zac to stop and get more diapers and lemons for her hot tottie. He cursed himself for not doing it earlier or even when he saw Iyonna was running low. But his new position at the airport has left him tired, along with his work schedule fluctuating between days and nights...and well....needless to say he doesn't know how he does it all...

They get to the nearest Target before it closes tag teaming to pick up everything Big Ma asked for and needed. Fatima checked out first and met him at the front, "You were supposed to get diapers Zac..." "I got 'em but look," he said, holding up a little outfit he saw in the infant girls section. Fatima shakes her head, "Come on, you can't tell me this isn't cute..."

She smiles, "It's very cute." "Yeah," he said proudly, "this gon' look nice with the new sandals I bought her the other day...and look I can put her hair in two little ponytails for these bows..."

Fatima starts to giggle, while they're leaving the store, Zac gives her an inquisitive look, as they start to put the bags in his trunk, "What's funny?!" "You're too cute..." she says, "with all things considered, I've only seen two men act the way you do with your daughter...it's so refreshing to..."

"Zac?!?" Zac turns around, "Fuck..." he mumbles, "So you out here buying diapers, did you think to buy our son some diapers..." "Exactly, because I swear he act like little Kayden doesn't exist.."

Fatima was waiting for him to open the door for her because he's adamant about her NOT touching it. But noticing the small group of women surrounding him after his name was called, she rushes to his side, as another girl says, "Hey Zac..." "Hey Sabrina..."

"Who the fuck is this bitch?" "Yo, chill with that BWord Kay because she ain't none of yo business and the only reason why I haven't done anything for him is because you refuse to give me a DNA test..." "Oh like that bitch you cheated on me with." Zac steps to Kay, as Fatima pulls him back...

"Get away from my car Kay..." "Oh this you?!" she uttered in surprise, "Yeahh. I can't wait to take yo ass to court because you out here riding clean while me and my baby struggling..." "Whatever..." Zac waved off going to let Fatima in, "Zac...." "We good Mamas," he told her, as he went to the driver's side and got in.

Kay and her friends didn't want to move at first but eventually had to, considering the parking lot security saw the interaction and forced them to move plus Kayden started to cry from the commotion.

The drive back to Zac's place is silent besides the music playing in the background, Fatima turns it down.

"Is the baby yours?" she asked, "Honestly I'm not sure. I know the timeline doesn't match up because he would've been the same age as Iyonna but he's not..." he confessed.

"Is she the one you cheated on?" "Yes." he mumbled sadly. "I mean I got a savings for him and I'll happily release it to her and take care of my son, all I want is a DNA test..." "That's actually not asking for a lot..." "Really?!" "Yeah," she admitted. "I mean if you have your doubts, you have a right to know," "And that's literally all I'm saying..." he agreed.

"She talking 'bout taking me to court and I really don't care about that because the judge ain't gon' do nothing but MAKE her give me a test..." "When you're just trying to cut the middle man and keep the peace..." "Exactly." he agreed again, "Like I get it. You're upset I cheated and got a baby from my infidelity but the way she coming at me pisses me off and I apologize..." "For what?" "Fatima, your whole day has been nothing but people disrespecting you, me included..." as he parked the car in front of the house.

He shuts the car off, taking the keys from the ignition, while she asks with a puzzled look, "How did you disrespect me Zac?"

"I disrespected your time." he told her seriously, "You've been trying to get a date outta me for a whole month and I've been so busy with work and I just started back going to school," "Oh..." "Yeah sorry I failed to mention that but I was a little embarrassed..." "Zac, that's nothing to be embarrassed about.." she said excitedly with pride, "What are you going for?" "aeronautical science." he told her, "I've always wanted to be a pilot and before I got into trouble I was going to enlist in the Air Force, then Iyonna came along...."

"Life happens Zac..." she told him. "And when it does, you just gotta roll with it. One day, one step, one small victory at a time." She encouraged him.

He smiles at her, "Thank you." "You're welcome..." she uttered, leaning in for a kiss.

A peck sends them into a shiver, another sends them into a daze, once more and they're fighting each other for dominance.

Their lips part, giving just the right amount of tongue, "Mmm." they moan, as Fatima went deeper while Zac's hands roamed her body. She cupped the back of his neck going deeper while thinking...

"It's a good thing I bought them box of condoms..."