Come To Me (Zalfie Fanfic)

11. Meeting

If you haven't read Overjoyed and 3 AM , I suggest you do! Other wise the characters and most of the plot will be a mystery to you!

ZOE

"Do we get to go and see daddy today?"
"Yes, Tallulah, todays the day" I sighed.
Truth was I had been dreading this day for weeks. It had been a month since Alfie had checked himself into rehab and it was a month until Tallulah and I was set to move to London.
"Can I take him a present?" asked Tallulah as she sat playing in her bowl of cereal.
"I suppose, something small."
"Good" she grinned as she escaped from her chair and skipped into her room.
Gathering the breakfast dishes, I hurriedly rinsed them as I cleaned out the dishwasher. Hearing my phone start to chime, I slowly let out a sigh as I grabbed it.
"Hello" I answered a bit annoyed.
"Bad day already?" laughed Jack.
"Kind of" I groaned as I leaned against the kitchen counter, "you do know what today is, right?"
"Yes, I do" sighed Jack, "but trust me, it will just easier from today on out. Once you get his signature on the papers, the sooner you two will be divorced."
"I know, I just don't want Tallulah there when I hand them over to him. I know she will be asking a thousand questions, she always does."
"How about I send a friend to meet you before you go to visit Alfie, maybe a play date?"
"Jack..." I sighed.
"Zoe, come on, you need to start trying to bond with the girls again, plus Louise and Niomi are already in London for the tapping of their premiere videos."
"Jack, I don't know.." I groaned as Tallulah came running back into the kitchen.
"Zoe.." he sighed, "you have to face them sometime."
"Mummy, look at this picture!" giggled Tallulah as she forced the crayon scribbles of Alfie, her and I stood outside of a boxed house.
"Fine, have them meet me at the park around 12" I whispered as I hit the red end button.

----

ALFIE

Looking out the window I couldn't help but think of Tallulah and Zoe. What they were doing was the most popular question asked by my mind. Did Tallulah ever ask about me? And if Zoe still thought of me was another. Gazing over the white walls the large calendar with red x'es stood out like a sore thumb. Today, April 5th, marked exactly one month since I entered rehab. Thoughts of the outside world, drinking, my job, and Youtube ran across my mind everyday, yet with all of the help I had been getting here made it a lot easier to get through it. Today marked the first day of my peer counseling and the first day I could accept visitors. The thought of seeing Zoe and Tallulah made this day special.
"Alfie?" I heard a soft voice call.
"Yes?" I sighed as I turned to see one of the nurses smiling at the door.
"Its time for peer counseling" she sighed.
"Okay" I nodded, "this should be fun.
Sitting down in the large meeting room I couldn't help but think of my plans of leaving. Even though I had already been here for a month, the doctors and shrinks were still unable to give me a set leaving date. I knew that Zoe was moving to London at the end of May, and even though it was a long shot, I hoped that I would be able to leave before then.
"Alfie" called Rachel as I stood from the table, "this is your peer counselor."
Feeling my knees go weak I could slowly feel all of the color drain from my face as she stood with a shy smile on her face. Her hands hid a small baby bump as my eyes looked over her small body.
"Hello, Alfie, I am Niomi."
Clearing my throat I slowly nodded as I extended my hand, "hi.." I choked as she grabbed my hand.
"Hello" she grinned, "thank you Rachel, I can take it from here."
Sitting down in the hard plastic chair I could help but stare into her face as our past played out in my head.
"Surprised?" giggled Niomi.
Nodding I bit I couldn't find the words to explain exactly how I felt.
"Alfie" she sighed as she scooted her chair up to the table, "I know the last time we spoke was a bit...odd, but that was nearly six weeks ago."
"So you've kept track?" I muttered.
"Well, its been easy you know with the pregnancy."
"How far along are you now?"
"Just over four months" she smiled softly, "Marcus is excited for this baby."
"I thought he was swearing off kids?"
"Truth is Alfie, we have been trying since before Tallulah was born, and it never really happened for us."
"You've tried for five years?" I asked a bit confused.
"Nearly six, until new years when I thought I had been food poisoned."
"But you weren't?" I sighed as I sat back with my eyes pointed towards the roof.
"Obvious not" she giggled.
"So, why are you here, Niomi?"
"To be your peer counselor" she snapped, "I know how much you want to be sober and I could really help you."
"You told me six weeks ago that I could be the father of you baby!" I laughed sarcastically, "why are you really here?"
"I want you to not be involved with this pregnancy." she sighed, "as far as we know, this baby is Marcus's. I just thought that you should know that it could be yours."
"And how do you think its going to feel knowing that I have another child in this world?" I sighed, "if this baby is mine...I want to be a part of its life."
"You can't be Alfie, you have to think of Zoe and Marcus and even Tallulah. How would they feel?"
Burying my head in my hands I didn't know what to say. Niomi had a point, Zoe would divorce me without a second thought. My and Marcus's friendship would be over and Tallulah would be devastated. What Niomi was saying was wrong but in a way it was true. I couldn't afford another child with another woman, mine and Zoe's marriage couldn't afford it.