It had already been a long day for Zuri, after the long hours she put in at the consulting company she worked for and ran around with her son to get last minute items for his trip. She was exhausted and now she tried to say goodbye to her son without breaking down.
“You call me before bed and when you wake… and just whenever you feel like it,” Zuri said as she tried to keep the sadness out of her voice.
Her son, Romi was spending the summer in Virginia with his father, even though she didn’t like it she know that she had to let him connect with his father and grow that bond. She wasn’t bitter over the end of their relationship; she felt it was over long before it was by the time he walked away. And after two years, they had developed a decent enough friendship that there was no tension or animosity when they were around each other.
She hugged her son tight and struggled to let go as she fought back the tears, it would be their first time apart from the time he was born and at eight years old, he was still her baby.
“It’s ok mummy, I’ll call you every day ok?” he looked at her, his hazel eyes that he inherited from his father shining back at her.
She smiled if only for his sake, he was a sensitive empath like her, and she didn’t want him drawing the sadness she felt into himself. He deserved to spend time with his dad, and she couldn’t be selfish with him any longer.
Zuri walked back into her apartment and collapsed on the couch. She looked around wondering what she would do for the next two months without her son. Sure, there was work but beyond that, it was always just her and Romi. She didn’t have much of a life outside of that and didn’t realized it until that moment maybe she could call Ari. Ari was her best and only friend, one of the only relationships that she managed to hold on to despite her introverted and hermit nature.
She picked up her phone, scrolling until she found the number although there wasn’t much to scroll through anyway.
“Wow look who decided to crawl out from under their rock. Wait; is it a blue moon today?” Ari joked.
“Ha Ha, Romi left with his dad today for the entire summer and I... I don’t know just don’t want to be home alone feeling sorry for myself.”
“Well lucky for you I am about to go out and enjoy this beautiful town we call New York City, get dress I’m coming for you,” Ari said before she hung up not bothering to wait for a response from Zuri.
“I…,” Zuri looked at the phone in her hand, “Well fuck,” she put the phone down and got up with a sigh. “Guess I’m going out.”
She went to her closet and rummaged through until she found a suitable top. A black off the shoulder cashmere sweater that stopped just above her naval. She was happy for all the oils and shea butter she used during her pregnancy to prevent stretch marks and even happier for the free gym membership her job provided her. She never really had to worry about fitting into the clothes she had especially since she hated shopping.
Weird, she knew. A woman who hated shopping but there she was. She had a subscription that provided all her son’s clothing all she had to do was pick the ones she liked, or he liked and send back the rest, she loved the ease of it and kept her out of stores.
She paired it with dark blue jeans and her favourite pair of dragon embroidered Dr. Martens while letting her kinky curly hair out of their two-strand twists and down her shoulders.
She pulled her over the shoulder bag and switched over the necessary items including her pepper spray, taser and small dagger knife. She got them all after Romi’s martial arts instructor talked her into taking the self-defense course at the school, now she never went anywhere without them even though she has never had to use them.
Her phone rang while she was checking herself yet again in the mirror, a smile tucked at her face when she saw the number. “Hi mama, he left earlier this afternoon.”
“Zu how are you baby?” her mom asked knowing she would be a bit down about it.
“I’m ok…I guess.”
“Well this is for him remember that as much as I don’t like the man, it will benefit him to continue to have a strong relationship with his father.”
“I know mama,” she sighed, she knew her mom was right, it was the same thing she kept telling herself, but it didn’t make it any easier to let him go.
“So, how’s daddy?”
“He’s fine; he’s watching his game in the living room instead of helping me cook. Lord that man is gonna be the death of me.”
Zuri laughed as her mother said the same thing every time they spoke about her father. She knew that they still loved each other very much even after 40 years of marriage. It was love at first sight for the both; she knew that they would be lost without one another.
“Mama knew you full well you don’t want daddy nowhere near your kitchen.”
“Damn right I don’t, he would mess up all my good food.”
Zuri laughed again and shook her head.
“So, what are you going to do while Romi is gone, and you could always come down for a visit?”
“I’m going out tonight with Ari.”
Her mother huffed at her words, “And where is that crazy one taking you?”
“Mama,” she stressed, “You know you love Ari and she’s taking me to some new restaurant club she discovered.”
“Ok, you be safe and watch out for her, lord knows I love that girl like one of my own but she’s crazy.”
“I’ll be fine mama,” she chuckled ignoring the last part of her mother’s statement.
“So, are you dating one yet?”
Zuri groaned.
“What?”
“Nothing and I’m not dating anyone.”
“Well why not, Romi is practically grown. I need more grandbabies to spoil.”
“Then why didn’t you have more kids?”
“Did you just sass me little girl?”
Zuri threw herself on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Her mother drove her crazy with the baby talk especially when she wasn’t seeing anyone.
“No, mama. Just an observation and no I’m not seeing anyone,” she murmured into the phone.
“You need to get on that Zuri; you’re not getting any younger.”
“I know, I know.”
The doorbell rung and she silently thanked the gods, “hey mama, Ari’s here I gotta go.”
“Ok baby, have fun remember what I said and tell the crazy hello for me.”
She shook her head, “Pot calling the kettle black huh,” she stifled a laugh as her mother told her about her sassy mouth.
“Uh huh, bye mama. Love you.”
“Love you too, Zu”
She hung up and she checked herself over in the mirror once more before answering the door, Ari stood on the other side dressed in a skin-tight dark blue mini dress that left little to the imagination and combat boots. Her hair sat in waves of wild pink and blue curls on top of her head but somehow brought out the richness of her honey skin tone.
“Let’s roll bitch, I don’t want you changing your mind and talking me into saying with you,” Ari didn’t even bother coming in, just pulled Zuri out the door. Zuri laughed because if Ari had come in, she might have done just that, she pulled her hand from Ari so she can lock her door then ran to catch up with her.
“Are you drunk already?” Zuri asked as she watched Ari sway back and forth, her arms moving all around her.
Ari giggled, “Nope, just high.”
Zuri shook her head, “Guess we’re going to be getting a lot of food then,” She pushed Ari into the elevator. Tonight, is going to be fun, she thought, and she needed this, tonight she was Zuri not mommy.
The Lyft that Ari came in was still outside waiting on them, he pulled off after they got into presumably to the next location that Ari had given to him prior.
“Where are we going?”
“Midtown, there’s this great bar and restaurant there and there’s a posh dance club beneath it. You’ll love it.”
“Hmm,” was all Zuri said she knew that if Ari said the place was good then it was but had been a long time since she had been out and didn’t like being around people much. Like most introverts her energy drained pretty quickly when she’s in large crowds, but this is what she asked for, so she was going to make the most of it and then spend the rest of the summer indoor with Netflix, Hulu, Disney plus, tons of take out and ice cream.
She would have to visit the gym and self-defense class almost every day, but it would be worth it. She would also finally be able to watch shows she normally couldn’t watch around her son and try out the two different vibrations she brought without fear of getting caught. She loved her son, but he had no understanding of privacy, even after all the times she spoke and yelled at him about it.
A smile graced her face as she thought of her son; he was heart although she wouldn’t mind sharing a part of it with a grown man. She wondered if there was even someone out there in the world for her anymore. Oh well, she thought; maybe tonight well bring my mysterious prince charming out of the darkness and into my life but for now it’s just a fun night ahead.
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