Terminal One

Safe Space

That Evening...

"Hey..." "Hey..." Fatima murmurs, doing her nightly routine in the mirror.

"The kids are asking for a story." he says, "I mean I tried but they wasn't having it." He chuckled.

"Ok, I'll be there in a minute." She told Zac keeping it short.

Zac drops his head in defeat. "Mamas, you've been short with me all night..." "Zac, why am I here?" Fatima asked bluntly, resting her hand on the vanity.

"Huh?!" He uttered with a perplexed look on his face then asked, "What do you mean?"

"Zac I can distinctly remember you showing me text messages from Kay about isolating me..." "Fatima that's not fair...." "How is it not?" "Because I can also distinctly remember you telling me that you wanted to be a part of my world, how you were more than happy to help out and you wanted to go further with me because YOU wanted to see where this.." motioning between them, "goes."

"I told you my hopes, my dreams, and aspirations." listing one by one on his fingers. "Now did I think it would come to this. No, I did not. But have I not tried my best to show you how much I appreciate you for sticking it out." 

Fatima fidgets, "You have." "Ok, so please spare me the mess about what "KAY SAID". Because that's not true." He huffed trying to calm himself.

"Zac," "Naw" he waved off, "because you really just upset me with that comment Fatima." He told her. "I bust my ass to show you how much I appreciate you waking up EVERY SINGLE DAY and choose to stay here because I know you don't have to..." he voiced, as his voice shook a little. "But do you really think this is easy for me? " he asked rhetorically. Then answered, "Like I get. You're here with the kids, doing your mom thing, technically being a single parent while I'm gone which is why when I come back, I make sure you don't have to worry about shit..."

Tears escape her eyes, "I fucking hate this shit." He confessed with a broken heart. "Sometimes I swear I wanna just give up. But what kind of man would I be if I did that to my kids, to us...Hell to myself." he spoke with a soft pound to his chest. 

At this point they're both in tears and the bathroom is completely silent until..."Fatima, I love you." "And I love you too." She spoke trembling through each word.

"So why would you ask me some shit like that?" "Because it's hard." She told him. "Being here without you is hard." she shouted in a breath. "It hurts, I'm worried all the fucking time." She paused to wipe her tears,

"Fatima. I always come home..." "WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN YOU DON'T?" She shouted.

Zac slumps back on the vanity leaning into his hands, he sniffs then takes an exasperated breath.

"Mommy..." they both look to the bathroom door to see Iyonna sniffling with tears in her eyes, holding one of her favorite books, "Bedtime Bonnet."

Zac and Fatima clean their faces with their hands, moving about in avoidance. "Sorry Mommy's Munchkin." Fatima sniffled, brushing lightly past Zac, who gave her a small yet subtle slap on the ass when she picked Iyonna up and into her arms.

She kissed Iyonna on the cheek, then hugged her tight. "Let's go read your bedtime story, yeah." "Otay." Iyonna sniffed, laying her head on Fatima's shoulder, then walked away.

Zac takes a deep breath watching them leave. His mind, heart, and emotions are all over the place as the argument that just transpired replays in his head.

Although he did come to talk to Fatima about the news they got today. He wasn't expecting it to go as badly as it did.

A lot was said in that brief moment but not a lot of listening.