SALUBRIOUS

SB15

Dakota Smith

11:17 pm - October 25th 2023

Dakota zipped her suitcase shut, before rolling it over to the door. On the way back over to the bed, she noticed her phone was lighting up with a call. She picked up her pace, making it back to the bed in just enough time to catch the phone call. "Yeah." Dakota greeted as she sat down on the bed. "You wanna go sit on the beach?" Amethyst questioned, causing a small chuckle to fall from Dakota's lips. It was their last night in the Maldives, so Dakota gave in.

"Yeah, I'll be down there in a second." Dakota replied as she pushed her feet into a pair sandals. After her mother affirmed, Dakota ended the call and left her room, making her way down to the beach. In little to no time, she spotted her mother sitting on a large blanket that she laid over the sand for her and her daughter. "You ever wonder what's out there?" Dakota questioned as she sat down next to her mother.

Amethyst looked up and lightly chuckled, "Unless it comes out and attacks us, then I'm not worried." She answered. Oddly enough, the response was how her mother handled most things in life. "You know most of the sea is undiscovered...ain't no telling what's in there." Dakota spoke while leaning back on her hands. The silence between the two, amplified everything else going on around them. The same ocean that they discussed, had their attention as it gently rocked side to side.

"The trip was so nice...definitely one of my favorites." Amethyst announced as she looked over at Dakota, causing Dakota to look back. The big smile on her mother's face, made her smile as well. "I love when we're all together." Dakota replied, happy that the trip was ending on a good note. The holidays were near, and she hoped this meant this same unity followed through.

"You know...I always wondered what kind of mother I'd be." Amethyst announced, the wind blew moderately enough to make her hair slap against her face, making her ever so often push it behind her ear. "Foreal?" Dakota questioned, Amethyst nodded her head yes.

"The thought of being anything like my mama scared the shit out of me. Parenthood didn't come with a manual or nothing—so, I just did the opposite of what she did." Amethyst replied, laughing at the last part. "Well, you did amazing." Dakota truthfully assured.

Amethyst took her eyes off of the large body of water, and placed them on Dakota. "Really?" She questioned. "Really." Dakota confirmed. "I know everybody thinks that their mama is the best—but you really are the best, Ma. I know you always say God blessed you with me and Kacey, but I feel like he blessed us with such a great mama." She further explained. Amethyst awwed as she pulled her daughter in for a hug before kissing her cheek.

"Thank you, baby." Amethyst replied before pulling away. It saddened Dakota to know that this was her first time telling her mother this, although she showed her appreciation through her actions, it dawned upon her that her mother needed to hear it as well. "You know the little girl's party that you did before we left?" Amethyst questioned, Dakota nodded her head, slightly anxious to hear what was coming next since it related to Nas.

"Her mama emailed me and told me that she loved it." Amethyst announced while smiling at the pictures of the party on her phone. Dakota sighed as she used her finger to draw in the sand. She was trying her best not to think about Nas, but that task became hard after the mention of his daughter. "Ma." Dakota called out, grabbing her mother's attention out of her phone.

"Would you ever date a felon?" Dakota questioned. Amethyst furrowed her eyebrows together in concern, "How do you know a felon?" She questioned, Dakota kissed her teeth before laughing.

"Ma—would you?" Dakota questioned again as she continued to toy with the sand, grabbing large amounts of it and letting the grainy substance slip through her fingers. Truth be told, she didn't care about Nas being a felon. She felt as if that title didn't define him as a person. Dakota figured her apprehension was causing some second thoughts, she didn't know how Nas could be her soulmate, or why hearing her soulmate password came to her so easy.