"Damn. Hasn't even been that long and you got a whole rock on your finger now, huh?"
"...What are you doing here?" She unthinkingly rubbed her swollen belly, the tight knots forming in her stomach at the same time.
"What you mean? I came for the art...
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Zorion sat by himself, restlessly rearranging the different condiments and salt and pepper packets that were in front of him.
He could hear the voices of Phoenyx and Demetrius a few tables away, but they were the least of his concern.
Ace had reached out to him earlier that day, informing him that Zolina was willing to sit down with him for a conversation.
So here he was; at a random diner of his sister's choice, waiting for her arrival. The only thing soothing him was the subtle scent of baked peach wafting in the air.
Every possible emotion was coursing through him. From happiness, to anxiety, to fear of rejection.
Just outside of Aunt May's, Zolina clung onto Ace's arm as though it were her life raft while they walked to the entrance.
Trinity and Miracle had offered to accompany her for moral support, but for this type of meeting, Zolina needed to feel safe with her boyfriend. He was her security blanket, her protector, her everything.
And she needed her brothers, too. The men that had welcomed her with open arms and filled a gap in her life.
"Twin." Demetrius gave her his classic diamond encrusted smile when he saw her, sliding out of the cushioned booth to give her a big hug. "Hey."
"Hey, Meech." She beamed over his shoulder when she saw that Prince Damani and Saint Dezmond were buckled into their car seats around the table. "Hi, my babies."
She grabbed their tiny hands, watching her now one-month-old godsons blow spit bubbles at her as Phoenyx stood up.
"Hi, Nyx." She leaned into him as he put an arm around her.
"Wussup, Sis?" He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her shoulder. "You good?"
Zolina gave him a weak shrug, watching as Ace and his friends held a silent conversation.
Demetrius cleared his throat after a while and gestured behind them, "He over there. At the far table on the right."
Ace turned his girlfriend's body to him and sighed, "You ready?"
He accepted a simple nod from her instead of his usual desired verbal response, taking her hand in his as they made the difficult and slow walk over.
Zorion's back was facing the door, so he didn't see the pair coming until they were standing beside his table.
Zolina locked eyes with who she now knew to be her brother. Having already met him, she felt like this moment would be a little bit easier, but the whole encounter made her feel sick to her stomach.
"Hi, Zolina." Zorion got up quickly to greet her. "Thank you for coming."
"Hi." She whispered.
Ace wanted to stay put for the entirety of the conversation that was about to take place, but he begrudgingly let go of Zolina's hand so that he could pull the chair out for her to sit.
