CHAPTER 11
Volunteer-y Kisses (pt. 2)
Zseyah - November 18th, 2023
This past month has been suspiciously quiet regarding Sasha and her quest for joint custody.
Every court date we had over the last few weeks has been pushed back, further proving that she didn’t really care about Serenity and was only doing this out of spite. Yesterday, at the most recent court date, we waited an hour for her to show, and she never did. I was so frustrated that I had to excuse myself because I was ten seconds away from breaking down in the middle of the courtroom.
“This is so ridiculous,” I huffed as I leaned over the sink. Jakayla rubbed my back as the tears fell. “I’m so sick of constantly worrying day in and day out. My anxiety is on ten, and I am so fatigued, so stressed. If she wanted to get under my skin, then she has definitely succeeded. Fuck, how is she still making me cry after all these years?”
“Zee, my love, it’s okay,” she says, pulling me in for a hug. “This is all so overwhelming, and your feelings are valid. I’d rather you let them out instead of keepingthem bottled up. Sasha knows what she’s doing is wrong as hell, but you are stronger than what she has done to you. You are Zseyah fucking Morris, and she is just your miserable ex. She’s mad that you’re doing fine without her, which is why the only way she can feel good about herself is by attempting to bring you down. But what she doesn’t understand is that you have a whole stadium full of people who have your back. You’re never alone, and you never will be. Remember that.”
“I know,” I nodded, sighing with relief as she wiped the tears from my eyes. “Thank you for being my peace, Kayla.”
“Anytime, love,” she smiled.
She helped me freshen up, and then we exited the restroom to find my lawyer talking with Sasha’s lawyer. Her lawyer looks so distraught, shaking his head every few seconds. As we go closer, I could hear him saying how he hadn’t heard from her in the past two weeks.
“I’m starting to think that she’s just wasting my time,” he admitted with a sigh. “I know I probably shouldn’t say that, so please don’t repeat it, but I genuinely don’t see myself being on this case much longer if she doesn’t communicate with me what she actually wants.”
My lawyer turned to me and said, “The hearing has been canceled until further notice. We both agreed that there was no reason to keep dragging you out here when she hasn’t bothered to show up once. I’ll be in contact with you with updates. Sorry about this, Ms. Morris.”
“It’s fine,” I sighed, a small wave of relief washing over me. “Thank you anyway.”
We’d left after that and spent the rest of the day doting on Sera as we binged-watched all of her favorite movies. I remember crying myself to sleep last night out of frustrationas Jakayla held me tightly. She truly was my anchor, and I was grateful to have her by my side throughout this whole ordeal.
I roll my shoulders as I exhale, shaking away thoughts of yesterday. Today was the day of my job’s annual food drive, and I was in the middle of getting ready. Even though I’d been stressed as hell, I always made sure not to let it show while I was at work or when Sera was around. I was determined not to let Sasha steal my shine, especially not today. I knew there was so much to do today, and I looked forward to the distraction. I was also grateful that Kayla would be tagging along. Sera was spending the weekend with my dad, sister, and her kids, so we were free to stay a little longer.
She was originally supposed to go with Kayla’s parents, but they were in the middle of handling a small crisis at the orchard over a mix-up with some orders because of a system malfunction. They needed to straighten it out by Monday or else they would be behind on end-of-year shipments, so we thought it would be better not to add another layer of worry to that, and Zaiyre quickly stepped in to take Sera for the weekend.
I was so thankful for our village.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Kay says as she enters the room. She wrapped her arms around me, resting her chin on my shoulder and looking at me through our reflection in the mirror. “You almost ready to head out?”
“Yeah, almost,” I reply, fiddling with the last few buttons. My hands were a bit shaky, but they stilled when she placed hers on top of mine.
“Here, let me,” she whispered, taking over the task of buttoning the rest.
The moment felt intimate, but not in a sexual way. No, itfelt intimate in a way that said, “Don’t worry, I got you.” I’ve always felt safe and protected whenever she was around me, and even with the smallest gestures, she showed me that I didn’t have to do everything all on my own. Even if it was as simple as helping me button up buttons when my stomach was doing backflips, or adjusting my glasses so that they didn’t fall off my face, I knew that she was here for me whenever I needed her.
And I made sure I always returned the gesture.
“Whoa, love, are you okay?” she asks as I quickly turn to wrap my arms around her. I bury my face in her chest and inhale her comforting scent of apples and honey. When I didn’t reply, she wrapped her arms around me as well and kissed me softly on the forehead. “Just breathe, baby. I know it’s been hard, but I promise that everything is going to work out in our favor. You have my word.”
“I know,” I say. I glance up at her. “I just really love you, and I appreciate everything you are…everything you do. God, how did I get so lucky?”
“I love you too, Zee,” she affirms. She pecks my lips a few times until I giggle. She always knew what to do to lift my mood. “You’re so silly.”
“What can I say? You make me feel like floating,” I reply as we break apart. I slip on a pair of shoes before grabbing my crossbody bag. “I’m ready now.”
“Lead the way, love.”
A few hours later.
“Oh, wait! I got it,” I smile as I quickly hold open the door for a few people carrying boxes. They thank me as they maneuver through the narrow passage. A few cans fell from the top, and I picked them up after they’d passed through the door. “Got a few runaways.”
“Oh, thank you!” one of the men smiled as I placed the cans back into the box. “I love how well the boxes are packed to the brim. This is gonna be very helpful to a family this holiday season.”
