Terminal 1

Hard Pills

"You and me. Tonight!" "I count on it." "You better stop." "Tome on Daddy." Iyonna says, pulling Zac by the hands.

"HA!" he chuckled. "That's what your mom said last night...." "ZAC!!!!"

45 minutes later...

🎶🎶🎶"Now what you hear is not a test, I'm rappin' to the beat. And me, the groove, and my roadies are gonna try to move your feet..." 🎶🎶🎶Zac raps as he made breakfast while the kids bopped their heads to the beat, lying on their stomachs with a yoga mat underneath them as they colored, waiting for breakfast.

"NO Angel. Don't eat that." "STOP YAMI!" "Daddy, tell Angel no eat da cayon." "Angel, don't eat the crayon. Save your appetite for the pancakes my guy." Zac told him, plating their food.

"Roadies, go wash your hands for breakfast." "Otay. Daddy." "Tome on Angel." Iyonna told him, helping him up from his yoga mat, as they went to the washroom to wash their hands for breakfast.

Just as Zac was about to go wake up Big Ma and Fatima, there was a knock at the door.

"Right on time." he says, with a smile, opening the door.

"Angel, stop trowin' bubbles." Angel laughs, "It's not funny. DADDY!" "Angel, stop throwing soap at your sister. And wash your hands," Zac said, signing for the flowers, hearing. "Sawry Daddy."

Zac shakes his head taking the flowers from the delivery man. "Thanks George." "You're welcome Mr. Taylor." he said, with a smile getting a chime on his phone for his tip.

At this point, George, the delivery guy, is a regular at the Taylor household. He's been delivering flowers to the house sporadically over the past 4 years but became permanent within the last year.

"Good Morning Peanut." "Well Good Morning Lovely." Zac said to Big Ma, watching her come down the stairs.

"You're just in time for breakfast." he said, handing over her flowers. "Thank you Peanut." "You're welcome." "Bi Mama/Bi Ma." the kids said, finally coming out of the bathroom downstairs.

Big Ma sits her bouquet of roses on the foyer table. "Well Good Morning my sweet grandbabies." she chimed, bending slightly to hug them.

"Sweet my ass." Zac mumbled, "Daddy, wea my fowers?" "Right here Munchkin." he tells Iyonna showing her the little bouquet of roses in a pink princess vase.

"Thank you Daddy." You're welcome Munckin." he told her, watching her walk upstairs carefully to take her flowers to her room.

"Good Morning Mommy's Munchkin." "Morming Mommy." Iyonna said cheerfully, passing Fatima. "Did you need help?" "No. I dot it." she spoke confidently, going into her and Angel's room.

Fatima smiled, watching Iyonna while waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

She sees Iyonna coming out of her room, "You ready." "Ready!" Iyonna said, taking her hand.

They make their way downstairs and Zac is at the bottom waiting for her with the roses in his hand.

"Good Morning Beautiful." "Good Morning Lover." Fatima replied with a smile.

"Huh?" "Mind ya business kid/Grown folks business Baby." They uttered to Iyonna, going into each other's embrace.

A few moments later everyone is in the kitchen...

"So what's on you ladies agenda today?" "Cupcake gon' take me to get my feet done and they gon' do my hands." Big Ma shook her head. 

"Oh snap. Big Ma at the spa." Fatima chuckles, "Yeah but you know I don't like nobody rubbing on me." Big Ma confessed.

"Big Ma. I promise it won't be that bad." Fatima said, "honestly I think you can give them a secret or two considering the heels of your feet  and your hands are so smooth."

"Crisco..." "What?" Fatima uttered between Zac and Big Ma.

"Lissen hea Cupcake." Big Ma says, "You can have all them fancy products if ya wan 'em, but back in my day we didn't have all dat. Crisco isn't just made fa cooking, it helps a lot for the body too." She reiterated, "That, cold crème, and Vaseline." Zac retorted with a chuckle.

"That's why Peanut's so soft.." "Ha!" Zac chuckled loudly, "That's what.." "ZAC!!!"

2 weeks later...

"Taylor. You will be stationed to Fort Wainwright for 3 months then Fort Greely for another 3 months." Collins informs him. "You will leave on the 28th of this month at o eight hundred hours."

"Fuck!" Zac thought to himself, trying his best to keep a straight face.

"Did you get that Taylor?" "Yes Sir." He spoke, then repeated back what Collins said.

"Good, you'll receive an encrypted email with further information," Collins said, "so please be sure to have your key card in the reader in order for it to come through correctly. You will need to print out these instructions for your records and to board the plane along with getting into base."

"Copy." "Great." Collins replies, then gives orders to the next soldier.

2 hours later..

The meeting is over and Zac is exhausted yet grateful.

He learned that out of the 10 Airmen that were online. He and another person were stationed in Alaska for 6 months, while others were stationed all around the globe for a year or more.

Even though he knew six months was bad. Especially with the kids still being young. He always felt like the second he got settled or in a groove, he would have to leave again. And that was not good...

Zac made it down to the living room to see the kids playing on the floor, while Fatima, Big Ma, and Amanda watched them in adoration and joy.

Feeling the energy in the atmosphere shift, Fatima turns around, while Amanda and Big Ma look in the same direction.

"Peanut/Zac. What's wrong?" They asked,

Zac makes it over to the couch and sits.

"Zac..." Fatima trembled, as he took her by the hand.

He takes a deep sigh, "I have to leave again."

"Daddy, Can I go?" "I dou too." "Not this time, Roadies." He told them, feeling hopeless towards the situation. 

"When do you leave Baby?" Amanda asks.

Zac takes an exasperated breath. Then looks into Fatima's eyes.

"Just say it." She whispered to him, letting out a breath.

"This month on the 28th." He confessed.

"Excuse me!" "Mamas." Fatima gets up, trying her best not to get angry or lash out in front of the kids.

"What's going on?" Big Ma and Amanda asked in confusion, as one kid went to each of them.

Zac held his head low and into his hands, exhaled another breath, then says, "More than likely she's upset because I'm leaving the day of our wedding anniversary."