Terminal One

Dear Momma,

Three days later...

Amanda hears a key turn in her door. She looks back placing the call on mute.

Zac sticks his head in, "I'm at work.." "Ok. I'll just wait for your break." Zac whispered, coming in quietly, then going to her kitchen.

He grabs a couple of snacks, then heads to her bedroom to chill.

Fatima and Baby Naomi have been home for three days now and Zac has been off and on. Off because he and Fatima had another argument when she found out he decided to have a vasectomy the same day their daughter was born so he too was out of commission and on because he hasn't skipped a beat in his "daddy duties".

The doctor informed him that after a few days he was capable of doing "light" activities, so he kept to that, making sure the kids and Fatima were straight.

Although their village was in full force, you can still feel the tension between Zatima because there wasn't a lot of "joy" going around after Baby Naomi was born.

"Zac..." "Yeah Ma." "Are you ok? Did you need anything?" "Nope. I just came to chill because I'm tired of Fatima yelling at...GO! GO! GO!!!" he yelled to the television watching the game.

He's been keeping his voice down as much as possible while his mother was at work, but as soon as he saw her face he knew it was "go time".

"Zac, for the past three days, you've been coming over here and I'm not saying I don't love the company but what is really going on with you and Fatima." Amanda asked with concern.

"Momma, we're just not seeing eye-to-eye right now." Zac huffed. "It's always sum'em..." he voiced,

Amanda listens to her son vent and rant letting him express himself in a safe space because she could tell with everyone being at the house, he had no way to escape from it all.

"Breath Baby..." "I'm not breathing..." "No" , shaking her head. "You're not." she tells him. "Come on, have a seat baby...." Amanda utters with concern watching him hyperventilate from a trigger moment.

"Breath Lewis..." Amanda tells him, "Look at me..." taking his chin to see her face. "You're ok." she assured him. "Take slow deep breaths, bring yourself to a calm state and remember you're home now. You're safe." she whispered.

Zac starts to catch a healthy rhythmatic breathing pattern, "Good." Amanda tells him, "Now. Name three things you see," "I see the television, you, and your dresser.." "Good. That's good, Baby. Now three things you feel." Zac recites three things he feels, then three things hears, finally calming down.

Amanda sits next to him giving him a Momma Bear hug. "It's gonna be ok Baby.." "Ma!" he sniffed. "It's coming all at once." he confessed. "It's like I'm suffocating." "I can tell.." Amanda agreed.

"Baby. I know talking to Fatima right now can be difficult but have you spoken to anyone else about what you're truly going through." "I tried to talk to Pastor Daniels today but he wasn't in his office. His assistant said he was at the prison ministering to the inmates." he informed her.

"Yeah. He does that every Wednesday." Amanda mentioned.

Zac takes a breath, "Ma. Do you think we got married too fast.." "Yes." He gives her a puzzled look, "What? You did." she shrugged.

Zac slumps, "And listen. I'm not saying that to discourage you, ok." Zac nods, "Now yes. I do believe that you and Fatima got married too fast but I completely understand why you did. It was a lot going on then, just like it's a lot going on now." she enlightened him.

"It is..." Zac admitted. "You're both overwhelmed at the moment and haven't had time to breathe and think clearly. I think it'll be best if you guys took Naomi or not, and spent some time alone." Amanda suggested.