Page 52 of Until Nalia
“You’re an amazing dad and mom is awesome.” I drop my eyes from his when my nose starts to sting. “You two are the best parents, and I’m lucky to have you both.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t failed, fucked up, or fallen short. But that’s life, kid, and I might be older than you, but there was a time I was your age, raising kids Zuri’s age and trying to figure shit out just like you are right now.” I hadn’t thought of that. It’s hard to remember that my parents were young once, and it’s also difficult to imagine them messing up because they have always seemed to have it together. “Your mom and I love you more than anything in this whole fucking world.”
“I know,” I whisper through the ache in my throat.
“I just want you to know that you can depend on your mom and me.”
“I know that too, and Zuri staying with Logan’s mom isn’t some slight against either of you. It’s only because Logan lives just a couple of blocks over from me and our kids are friends, so I know that Zuri will have fun while I’m out for a couple of hours.”
“Out on a date.”
“It’s not a date,” I mutter, lifting my eyes to his, catching the small smile that has lifted his lips. Seeing it, the tension in my shoulders dissipates.
“That’s what both your sisters said. The next thing I knew, I was walking them down the aisle.”
“Dad…”
“I love you, kid.” He cuts me off before I can grouch at him for giving me a hard time.
“I know.” I lean my weight into his side, and he wraps his arm around me. “I love you, too.”
“Are we good?” he asks, resting his lips against the top of my head.
“Yeah.”
“Good.” He lets me go and then helps me finish making the sandwiches before grabbing drinks for the kids while I grab a big bag of chips, a few plates, and napkins. When we get outside, the kids all descend on us like a pack of vultures, and Harmony and Kim come over to help get them set up at the picnic table that is under one of the larger trees in the yard.
“Thank you.” Zuri tips her head back to look at me with a huge grin, her hair wet and the bridge of her nose red from the sun. Happy, she’s happy, and seeing it makes me happy.
“You’re welcome, kid.” I wrap my arm around her upper body and kiss the top of her head, catching my dad’s gaze as he smiles at the two of us with a soft look on his face. With the kids eating, I join Mom back near the pool and take a seat on the lounger next to hers.
“You’re such a good mama,” she says quietly, and I look over, finding her holding out her hand to me. Wrapping my fingers around hers, the pressure against my chest is almost unbearable. I might not have been wanted by the woman who brought me into this world, but my whole life, I have never doubted that I was wanted by the family who chose me.
Fifteen
NALIA
Zuri
Watching a video of one of my favorite YouTubers on my iPad while on FaceTime with Heather, who is away from the screen, talking to her dad, I try to memorize the tricks she uses in the game so that I can try them out and share them with Cooper and Heather later. Looking at the doorway to my bedroom, I see Nalia walk by with curlers in her hair.
Since we got home from Grandma and Grandpa’s house after spending the day in the pool, she’s been getting ready to go out with Cooper’s dad. It’s weird, she usually never takes so much time to get ready. Looking back at my screen, I notice a notification for my e-mail at the top of the screen, and my stomach feels weird when I see it’s from my mom. Tapping it, the message opens, and that weird feeling in my stomach gets worse. My mom has e-mailed me a few times since we moved here, but I stopped replying to her a week ago because she keeps asking me to ask Nalia to give her money so that she can get a lawyer. And her new e-mail is exactly the same as all the other ones she’s sent.
With my stomach in knots, I close the message. I feel bad that I keep ignoring her because it feels like it’s my fault that she’s stuck where she is, but I don’t want to go back to her. I like it here; I like hanging out with Cooper, Logan, and even Billie. I also like my new school and friends. And I really really like living with Nalia. It feels like I have a real mom now because Nalia helps me with my homework, makes me food, and always tucks me into bed and tells me how much she loves me.
That thought makes me feel worse because I know that she’s not my mom, but I wish she was. I also still love my mom.
“Zuri,” Heather yells, and I jump.
“What?”
“I’ve been calling your name.” She laughs. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I mumble. “Sorry.”
Getting off my bed, I walk down the hall to Nalia’s room and climb onto her bed.
“Hey, kid, you okay?” she asks, walking out of the bathroom with her hair still in rollers. I should tell her about my mom, but I don’t.
