Terminal 1

Dreams Do Come True...

A month later...

"Honestly, I don't want to leave just yet, Sir." Zac voiced to the Air Force recruiter.

"My daughter is still under one. And I would really like to finish out this semester of school before withdrawing, at least that way my credits can count." He says, "I've invested a lot of money toward my education and it'll just feel like a waste if I were to just up and leave."

"That's understandable and how old is your daughter?" "10 months." Zac replied with a gleaming smile.

"Shortly after she turns one, I'll be done with my first semester..." Zac says. "I just don't want to miss her first steps or her birthday." He explained, "Even if I'm trying to accomplish my goals. My ULTIMATE goal is being the best father I can be for her. She's always gonna come first for me."

The recruiter smiles. "That's really noble and selfless of you Zac."

"Thank you. Honestly that's all I try to be." "And I can tell." The recruiter replied. "You're gonna make a great asset to the Armed Forces Zachary. And with these score we definitely can't wait to have you." As he stood from his desk holding out his hand for a hand shake.

"Thank you Sir." Zac uttered proudly standing to return the gesture, as he tried to control the smile creeping upon his lips.

"We'll be in touch." "Oh most definitely." Zac says, as they made their way out.

Once Zac got to the parking lot, he looked around him to check and see if anyone was looking then broke out into a dance.

"Who's the man? Zac's the man." He sang, "Who's the man?! I said Zac's the man!!"

As his phone started to vibrate..

"Go for Zac," he answered without even looking at the screen.

"Hey Babe." "Just the person I wanted to talk to." "Oh really?" "Yes!" He replied, filled with joy.

"Well that's what's up!" Fatima replied, "You go first."

"But it's ladies first, Mamas, you know that." He told her, getting into his car.

"Ok fine." She playfully rolled her eyes. "I just got promoted and a bump in my pay."

"Wait, so you'll be able to travel...travel..." "YES!!" "Babe, that's amazing." "I know." Fatima retorted, reciprocating his energy. "I got that contract at the women's health clinic I wanted in Chicago and I'm starting in two weeks...."

Zac smiled, yet held back "I'm so proud of you Mamas. Making that paper and them coins.." he laughed, as she retorted, "All the coins..." then laughed, "We gon' get this money."

"Oh that's for damn sure. But get this." Zac says, "I took the ASVAB right." "Babe, my dad may have been a military guy but I do not know the lingo.."

"My bad." he says, "And that reminds me to call Pops again to thank him. He really did me a solid.." "Babe, I think you sending him season tickets to his favorite sports team was more than enough thanks," Fatima said.

Zac chuckles, "I'm just saying. I never thought I would be able to make my dreams come true with a record, you know." "I hear you Babe, but like Pastor Daniels said in his sermon this past Sunday..."God has the final say"." she repeated. "You had faith, you manifested, stay obedient...well seemingly obedient." she mumbled shyly trailing off.

Zac laughed thinking about how he broke his celibacy oath with Fatima. "You right." He smiled, "But to answer your statement...the ASVAB is the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. It's like a placement test." "Ok got it. Continue." She told him.

"So I took the test and the physical exam and not only did I pass but it also qualified me to do three specific, highly competitive careers." He reiterated. 

"Damn..." "Yeah. They told me I could either go into Cyber or Space Operations, and my other choice that I'm highly considering is Special Warfare."

"That sounds intense..." Fatima replied, "I mean, not to downplay the other ones but Special Warfare sounds deep.."

"And it is. That's not only fast tracking into special ranks but that's where you get to go on secret missions and shit.."

Fatima is in awe listening to Zac rant on and on about his morning. She's so proud of him yet feels so...

"So when is all of this going down?" "After Iyonna's first birthday." he replies. "Although, I'm grateful and overjoyed about the opportunity. Munchkin comes first..."

"Ok I got some time..." Fatima thinks to herself. 

Although she loved every bit of being a witness to Zac's manifestations coming to pass. She couldn't help the pull of her heartstring.

She was practically at Big Ma's house 4 days out of the week, or at least as much as she could be considering her new schedule. Although the company allows her to make her own schedule, she still had to work and when she did, she did it well hence the reason she became suddenly busy when they came back from Texas a little over two months ago.

She's been missing "her family" terribly and often wondered if taking a higher pay was worth the risk of being away from them for sometimes days on end.

Fatima loved every bit of the independence she had with being a traveling nurse, it was her dream job when she was in high school because it incorporated two of her favorite things, the medical field and traveling. For a short time in her senior year of college, she got to study abroad in South Africa but that time was cut short when Brandon died.

"Babe?!" Zac says, taking Fatima out of her thoughts, "Huh?" She utters, "I'm sorry Babe. I was looking at something..."

"Are you in Target again?." "Uhhhh." "Fatima." "Ok, just one thing though..." as she started to FaceTime him.

He accepted taking the phone off the charger, grabbing his backpack, then headed into the house.

"See..." "Fatima, I just bought Iyonna that shirt a month ago." "I know and my Chunky Munchkin is already busting out of it." She told him.

"She's growing up so fast." "Indeed she is." Zac said, walking around the house. He noticed Big Ma's car wasn't at home so he shrugged it off, as he went to the kitchen.

"So what else are you getting?" "Just a few essentials really." She murmured, "Did you need anything?" "No, but WE need more condoms." "Already got 'em." Fatima chuckled, "I have a subscription on Amazon." She says, "I had to change the delivery from every two months to every three weeks, "Mr. I can't keep my hands to myself"."

"Listen," Zac utters, smiling, shaking his head, as his hand meets the back of his neck. "That thang be thanging..." letting out an exasperated sigh. "I don't care what planet, universe, multiverse I'm on...it's always gon' be you for me."

Fatima smiles, "I couldn't agree more Babe." She said, because truth be told, she felt the exact same way about him.

They talk a little more as Fatima continued to shop,

Knock, knock, knock...

He hears going to the door from the kitchen, "Hang on Babe. Let me get the door." He says, as Fatima nodded.

"WHO IS IT?!" "Baby, it's me!" The woman called back.

Letting out a deep sigh, "Babe, are you coming over tonight?" "Of course I am, what's wrong?" Fatima asked, hearing his tone of voice change.

"Because I'm going to need reinforcements..." he murmured frustratingly,

At this point Fatima stops shopping from her list then hurriedly goes to checkout, "If you can't hold off. Then don't, but I'll be there in 20 minutes."