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SAN ANTONIO TEXAS OCTOBER 18th 2023
Zara sat comfortably in the movie theater, chewing on popcorn as she leaned back, eyes focused on the big screen. Beside her sat Lani and, on the other side, Naylor, who looked completely absorbed in Venom: The Last Dance. Lani had planned the night out, thinking it would be fun to take Naylor along with them.
As the movie neared its end, the dramatic scene unfolded. Venom appeared to have met his end, and Naylor's eyes started to glisten. He blinked, trying to hold back tears, but Zara noticed.
"I know you not crying," Zara whispered with a low chuckle, nudging him lightly.
Naylor quickly wiped his eyes, glancing around with mock offense. "Who crying?" he muttered
"You is," Lani teased, grinning as she threw him a sidelong look. "It's just a movie."
Before Naylor could respond, a random person in the row ahead shushed them, making Lani and Zara exchange surprised looks.
Zara leaned forward and muttered, "It's the end of the movie, you okay?"
The person turned to give them an annoyed glare, and Lani snickered, grabbing her things. "Time for us to go," she whispered as she stood up. Zara and Naylor followed her out, tossing their trash into the bin near the exit as they left the theater.
Once they reached the parking lot, they made their way to the car. Lani took her place in the driver's seat, Zara settled in the passenger seat, and Naylor climbed into the back.
As they pulled out of the parking lot, Lani glanced into the rearview mirror. "So, you wanna go somewhere else, Naylor, or you ready to head home?"
Naylor hesitated, then shrugged. "I wanna go home."
Lani raised an eyebrow, glancing at him through the mirror. "You sure? Normally, you'd wanna hit up the arcade or grab ice cream."
But Naylor shook his head, looking a little thoughtful. "Yeah... I wanna go home to see Daddy."
Lani and Zara exchanged a quick, amused glance, both smiling at Naylor's sudden change of heart. They could tell he missed his dad.
As Lani pulled the car into the driveway, the sky had settled into a soft dusk, with the first few stars flickering above. The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the cozy glow spilling from the windows of their house. Naylor was already bouncing in his seat, practically ready to jump out the car.
The moment the car came to a stop, Naylor flung the door open and sprinted toward the front door, Zara chuckling as she got out more slowly, stretching her legs. Lani just shook her head with a smile as she grabbed her purse. "He actin' like he ain't seen David in a week," she muttered to Zara, who just shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips.
