SALUBRIOUS

SB26

Dakota Smith

2:20 pm - December 15th 2023

Nas and Dakota always spent lunch together, and today was no different. After lunch at a local bistro, they headed back to the flower shop, sipping on the smoothies that they picked up in route back to work. "Taste mine." Dakota instructed as she reached her smoothie over to him. Nas swiftly looked down at the smoothie before putting his eyes back on the road and using his free hand to grab it and take a generous sip.

"You like it?" Dakota wondered, while keeping her eyes on him. Nas faintly shook his head yes before going in for another sip, "I don't taste shit but the bananas, though." He replied, handing it back to her.

"I know right." Dakota lightly sulked, she added bananas to her usual smoothie recipe and was terribly regretting it. As the bananas overpowered every other fruit. Dakota looked up to see Nas was handing her his smoothie. Happily, she grabbed it from him and took a small sip. "That's good." Dakota announced, giving the frozen drink back to him.

"You wanna switch?" Nas questioned, Causing Dakota to raise her eyebrow. "You like mine?" She questioned, Nas shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean—they both good, but I feel like you ain't really feelin' yours." Nas replied, making Dakota lightly chuckle. Nas was definitely the kindest man she'd ever been with, she often wondered if it had something to do with him having a daughter. He was so gentle and patient, which made her love him even more. To be treated so delicately was an experience. "It's fine baby, thank you though." Dakota replied as she leaned over to kiss his cheek.

Subsequently, they arrived back at the flower shop. Dakota walked through the door that Nas held open for her, immediately noticing something that was there  that wasn't before she left. Kiara was holding a miniature brown Cavoodle in her arms. Dakota assumed that the dog was a girl, due to the small pink bow attached to her hair. "Is this your dog, Ki?" Dakota questioned as she reached over to pet the puppy.

"It's yours." Kiara answered, causing Dakota to step back as her eyebrows knit together in disarray. "Mine?" She echoed. Briefly, Dakota wondered if it was an early Christmas gift from her parents, but realized that her parents wouldn't have just dropped the dog off and not take the chance to present the gift to her, as well as catch her reaction.

"Yeah, somebody dropped it off." Kiara poorly explained as she used her free hand Dakota a small greeting card note.

I know how much you loved our old son, so I got us a daughter...hopefully we can start over and I can get my family back. Since our son name was Chico, I wanna name our daughter Chanel - love, Chris.

"My ex dropped this dog off for me." Dakota announced in disbelief. Wondering what possessed him to give her a dog after they hadn't spoken in a while. "Nigga talkin' bout he want his family back." Nas coolly chuckled as he sat the note back on the counter, making Dakota chuckle as well before kissing her teeth. The whole situation slightly pissed her off.

She grabbed her phone out of the pocket of her hoodie and went to the text thread with Chris, she clicked the phone icon and stuck the phone up to her ear. "You got my gift?" Chris answered the phone almost immediately.

"I did—and you need to come get it. Why would you drop this off and we ain't spoke in months." Dakota fussed as she sat on the closest wooden stool. "Cause I know how you felt about Chico—I told you I just wanted to at least get you a new dog..you know? To make it up to you and hopefully get shit between us back right." Chris replied.

"You need to come get this dog and all of the stuff you dropped off with her." Dakota sternly replied. This was a big reminder of how all of her past relationships differed from the relationship she was in now. As most of them made Dakota feel like she had to be stern in order to get her point across, Dakota couldn't recall a time that she ever had to even slightly raise her voice at Nas.