SAFE :: ZAYN

[32]

—

Yemi walked in Valentina's house without knocking, a smile on her face when she spotted them both in the kitchen.

"Hola, mamá," Yemi put her purse down.

Jahdai turned around and grinned," Yemi!" he cheered, hopping down from the sink and running to her. She caught him in a tight hug, kissing his cute little cheeks and smiling.

"Hi, baby, how was your stay?"

"It was fun, abuela showed me how to make flan," he leaned in and whispered, "it's really nasty."

"I heard that," Valentina pointed at him with a wooden spoon.

"Abuela?" Yemi repeated the words with raised eyebrows.

"It means grandma," he said as if Yemi wasn't bilingual, "'cause she's grandma and you're mamá."

How did that escalate so quickly?

"Uh huh," she just smiled and let him sit, "great choice of words, Jah."

"Go get your things, nieto," Valentina cut the water off and leaned on the counter, "I'm sure you father is ready for you to come home."

"Okay!" he hopped down and ran upstairs, Yemi watching him until he was nowhere in sight. She whipped her head around to her mother.

"What--"

"All today he was mentioning his mother and I was thinking, '¿No está muerta?' like I wasn't crazy or nothing. But he was talking about you."

"Me." Yemi scoffed.

"You, honey," she pointed to Yemi, "that's how he sees you now."

"I'm so stressed, mamá," she hopped down and looked at the stairs where he left, "I'm not cut out for this."

"Obviously you are," she retorted with a smile, "if you're not comfortable talk to Zayn. But don't break Jahdai's heart. Bueno?"

"Of course," she huffed, hearing his footsteps again, "I feel sick."

"Suck it up, hija," she kissed Yemi's cheek, "I'll see you both later."

"Gracias, mamá."

"No problem. Dime cuando llegues a casa, okay?"

"I will," her mom was so cute it hurt, "come on, Jahdai."

"Bye abuela," he waved, "I'll see you next time."

"Bye honey, tell Zayn I said hello."

"Okay," Yemi opened the door and helped him get strapped in.

"Good?"

"Mhm," he smiled and kicked his feet, "is baba home yet?"

"I think so," Yemi got in and started the car, leaving her mom's house and driving down the road again, "he's cooking something, I'm guessing, because I didn't."

"Okey dokey," Jahdai hummed, looking out the window.

It was a quiet drive, most of the radio was static or some new dumb pop song that was on repeat. It was trash regardless. Yemi was biting her lip the whole time, thinking of how to bring this up in conversation to Zayn. She should let it happen on its own, right? Maybe he didn't mean it, or maybe Yemi was more of an influence than she thought.