We latched onto one another as we continued to fuck each other until we were both shaking, intense orgasms coming over us. It was so good that all we could do was hold onto one another, catching our breath as we came down from the high.
When we’d collected ourselves, we took turns showering before heading back out to the room. She told me that she’d ordered some fresh clothes to be delivered to us before she went to sleep last night. They’d been delivered while I was in the bathroom talking to Keni. I thanked her, and we got dressed, packing away our clothes from yesterday before collecting the rest of our things and heading down to check out.
The car ride back to my place was quiet, but not awkward. She held my hand the whole way there, and we even talked about when our next date would be. We hadn’t exactly labeled our relationship yet, but I don’t think either of us was tripping. We knew how we felt about one another, and for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t scared about what the future would bring. I was actually excited for it.
When we pulled up to the house, I noticed a manila envelope sticking out of the mailbox. I was curious to see what itwas, so as Kay was bringing our things inside, I grabbed it and decided to open it before entering the house. My eyebrows furrowed when I read that it was from the Family Court. I ripped it open and began to read, but with every line, my heart sank.
There was no way this was happening…
This couldn’t be real, could it?
I drop the papers right as Kay comes back outside. I could feel the anger building, but I was numb to everything else around me. I could hear her calling me, but my heart was beating so fast that I thought I would pass out. I tried to calm down my breathing, but soon, I was hyperventilating, grabbing at my chest as my knees went weak. Kay caught me, bringing me over to the porch swing to sit down. I could feel myself spiraling, and I hated this feeling.
“Zee, baby, please talk to me,” she pleaded. “What’s wrong?”
I finally looked up at her, and her worried expression mirrored mine. All I could do was shake my head before burying my face in her chest. I finally began to sob until I had no more tears left to cry. I don’t know how long we sat in that same spot, but when I finally calmed myself enough to talk, I thought I was going to throw up as I uttered the words I thought I’d never have to say.
“Sasha filed for custody of Sera,” I finally say, and I watch as her face drops. “How the fuck can she even do that?Whywould she do that? I know she doesn’t want her, so why would she do this? Doesn’t she know how serious this is?”
I pull out my phone right as it buzzes to see a text from an unknown number. I open it up, and my heart sinks further as I read the message.
Hey, Zseyah. It’s Sasha. I know you probably received the documents by now, and I’m sorry I had to do this to you, but this is what happens when your bestie thinks she can run her mouth to me. I told her that she was going to regret it, and I mean what I say. You over there playing house with my daughter and some new bitch, and I’m not about to stand by and let it happen. Call me bitter all you want, but Serenity is my daughter, and I deserve to have a say in what goes on in her life. Even if I have to take her out of yours.
Oh, and tell that bitch, Jakayla, to watch her mouth next time.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Jakayla asks as tears roll down my cheeks. I glare up at her, and her eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Zee, what happened? What is it?”
“Jakayla, what did you say to her?” I exclaim, and she jumps back. “What does this mean? Why is she saying this?”
I shove my phone in her hands, and she reads the text. I can see her anger dancing across her face with every line. When he looks up at me, I can see that her eyes are glossy, and my heart sinks. She places the phone on the counter and pulls me in for a hug, apologizing over and over. I was confused, but hearing her cry made me break down as well.
“All I was doing was defending you and Sera,” she says. “I didn’t think she’d go this far. I’m so damn sorry. I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure she never gets custody of her. I will make this right, I will.”
“Baby, I know,” I nod, sniffling. “I shouldn’t haveblamed you. Sasha is dramatic as fuck, so I should’ve known that she was going to pull some shit like this sooner or later. It’s not your fault. I just can’t lose Sera.”
“And I can’t lose either of you,” she whispers. “I’d put my life on the line first.”
My heart hurt so much, but I knew that I had to get it together because I had to fight. There was no way that I could let this happen. Sasha didn’t deserve to be in her life, especially not after pulling some petty shit like this. She’d gone over three years without so much as a phone call, andnowshe wanted to be back in Sera’s life? No, I wasn’t falling for it, and I wasn’t going to let it slide.
CHAPTER 10
Lovely Lunch Dates.
Jakayla - October 30th, 2023
It’d been over a week since Zee received the letter stating that Sasha was trying to get joint custody of Sera, and she’d been lowkey on edge ever since. She was trying her best to be strong about the situation, but I could tell it was taking a mental toll on her. I could see it in the way her shoulders sagged whenever her phone rang or an email pinged. I could see it in the way her eyes glossed over when she watched Sera feed herself. And I could feel it in her body language when we were cuddled up in bed at night.
A few days ago, she met with her lawyer, and they went over everything about the case. He assured her that, for the most part, she had nothing to worry about, since there was documented proof that Sasha had relinquished all parental rights to Sera. However, he also didn’t want us to get too ahead of ourselves. He told us that since her name was still on the birth certificate, she had every right to petition the court to open a hearing to readjust custody. The whole ordeal was frustrating even for me, but I did my best to make sure shecouldn’t see. I needed to be strong for her and Sera because they needed it most.
“You seem stressed,” Mama Giselle said as she entered the room. I looked up from the soap I was boxing to see a worried expression on her face. I sigh, shaking my head as she sits in the chair beside me. “What’s wrong, love? You know you can always talk to me, right?”
“I know. It’s just…some stuff with Zee,” I admit. “I’m trying to be strong for her and Sera, but the whole situation is pissing me off. She’s stressed, and now I’m stressed, and I just…it’s a lot, but I know that whatever I’m feeling, it’s ten times worse for her.”
“You’re talking in circles a bit, love,” she chuckles. “What exactly is going on?”
“You remember Zee’s ex that I told you about?” I ask. She rolls her eyes but nods.
“Don’t tell me she’s back, causing a mess.”
