Money Makin' (Completed)

36.

Zuria, Marley and Mitch in the MM.

Zuria
1 week later

"Are you getting ready to go now?" My mom asked through FaceTime as I stood in Mitch's bathroom mirror, doing my hair for our session today.

"Yeah. We're about to leave as soon as I get finished my hair." I expressed to her and she nodded with a smile.

Mitch, Marley and I were now all getting ready to go to our second session of therapy today. The first session had went pretty well for all of us so Mitch suggested we'd keep going.

"I'm so happy for the two of you." My mother went on to say, making me huff.

"Stop." I told her, putting my eyes to the sky.

Mitch and I had been doing a really good job with keeping us trying to work things out a secret but I'd ended up slipping up and telling my mom one day last week and now both her and Ms. Gladys knew.

I mean it didn't really change anything but it was better when they didn't know because I didn't have to explain things as much as I did now.

"What am I doing, honey?" My mom went on smiling as I looked down at the camera.

"We're just trying mom, okay? Doesn't mean things are fixed, doesn't mean we're in a relationship." I expressed and she nodded understandingly.

"No. I know, baby. I'm just happy for the two is all."

"We all are." She expressed, talking about the family and I nodded slowly.

I knew they just wanted to see us in love but things took time and I just wanted them to understand that.

"I get it.."

"Just please understand that we are only trying." I went onto say again and she nodded.

"No. I understand that, baby."

"But I'm going to let you go, Gladys and I are about to prepare dinner for later on tonight. You guys are still coming right?" She asked, referring to the family dinner that they had planned for tonight.

"Yeah, we'll be there." I nodded.

"Alright, well see y'all then. Call me if you need me."

"Okay." I flipped my hair over my shoulder.

"Love you."

"Love you too." I told her before the call ended and I laid my phone down onto the sink.

"Zuria!" I heard Marley's little voice calling me as she came running into the bathroom.

"Yes?" I smiled, looking down at her and she stood there with her little dress on and wild hair.

"Daddy told me to ask you if you were ready." She smiled up at me and I nodded slowly.

"Yup. Tell him that I'm ready and ask him why he didn't he do this head." I playfully ran my hands through her hair and she giggled softly before running out of the bathroom.

About five minutes passed and I was finally finished my hair, walking out of the bathroom, I saw Mitch and Marley coming into the room and her hair was now in a messy bun.

"I don't like it, daddy." Marley whined and I couldn't even hold my laugh in.

"That's the style though, babygirl." Mitch went on smiling while I laughed watching as the bun flopped all over her head every time she took a step.

"No. I want my hair neat." She spoke, poking her lips out and I smiled, understanding her pain.

"Come on, Mars. I'll do you one that's better." I said to her and she smiled wide as she came over to me and Mitch smacked his lips before waving us off.

*

1 hour later

"You ready, baby?" Mitch asked as we were about to step into our doctor's office.

"Yeah. I'm a little nervous again. Are you?" I asked, looking up into his eyes.

"Yeah. Now that I know he be questionin' us like that but as long as I got you then I'm coo." He went on, lifting my chin with his index finger.

"I love you. Aight?"

"I love you too." I told him, looking into his eyes before we pulled apart from each other and made our way in.

"Hello! Welcome back the two of you for our second session. How do you guys feel?" Dr. Soapy smiled his warm smile and I returned the gesture while we slowly took a seat on the couch.

"I'm fine." I told him and he nodded with certainty.

"And Mitch?"

"I'm chillin'." Mitch told him as he slouched into the couch, resting his arm around me at the the head of the couch.

"Thats great." Dr. Soapy smiled, looking between the two of us.

"So the last session, we left off where you guys finally get together and you spend over 10 years together at this point."

"So after judgement and thorough review, I feel the two of you are as normal as any couple. A few arguments, a few rough patches.." He trailed off.

"But nothing major. So my question to you guys now is where did it all go wrong?" He asked and I bit my lip nervously, looking over to Mitch as he looked down at me.

We both knew the time would come to talk about it so there would no holding back now.

"Do you want to explain it?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Nah. You gon' head, ma. I don't want to say the wrong thing."

"How are you going to say the wrong thing?" I asked, becoming defensive. There was no other way to say that he cheated.

"Wait a minute now." Dr. Soapy put his hand up.

"This is a safe space for the both of you to speak. So Mitch I want you to explain what happened since there isn't really much comfortability there." He went on.

"And as you do, I want you to understand that being uncomfortable is a good thing. You'll learn a lot of things in an uncomfortable state."

"Exactly." I nodded, completely agreeing. We were here for a reason, so there was no backing out now.

"Aight." Mitch sighed, sitting up in the chair as he removed his arm from the back of it.

"Ain't no other way to put it, I cheated." He shrugged and for some reason to me it came off as a nonchalant shrug and it instantly triggered me.

Dr. Soapy watched me closely as I turned my head away from Mitch and put my focus on him.

"And how do you feel about that, Zuria?" He asked and I bit my bottom lip, trying to gather my words.

"At the time it hurt but as years went on I forgave him." I looked up into Dr. Soapy eyes and he nodded slowly.

"When did you realize that you could forgive him?" He asked challenging me and I sat there, trying to think.

"Because forgiveness doesn't come right away. No matter how much you believe it does, it takes time."

"Forgiveness is a process, it's an entire system in our bodies as human beings to fully process things." He went on, schooling me.

"So I ask you again, when did you realize that you could forgive him?"

"Well, I forgave him-"

"When did you realize that you could forgive him? He said again, obviously not wanting the run around but I couldn't come up with anything.

I never realized anything. I just pushed it all away and buried it. I just want it to go away.

"So I'm guessing you never did." He looked at me and I looked at Mitch who was looking at me too.

Standing to my feet, I couldn't take neither of their gazes any longer as I grabbed my things and walked out.

"Baby." I heard Mitch calling for me but I'd already slammed the door closed and began bawling.

I couldn't do this today.

*