PARADOX

PDX33

"Not unless you wanna wash dishes." She joked, causing Rashad to laugh. "You got me when you become a dentist?" He asked as he sat his Amex in the bill holder and sat it at the end of the table.

"Definitely." Sahara replied, "I'm just playing Sa—you being a dentist is enough for me. Don't let nobody detour you from that dream either, you can do anything you put your mind to, you hear me?" Rashad spoke, Sahara nodded her head as she listened. It was imperative to him to speak positivity over her, he didn't have that growing up and it played a negative impact on him until he learned to do that for himself.

"I know..you tell me all the time." Sahara replied in her little sing song voice, this was something she picked up from Drea, because she did it a lot as well. "But do you believe it?" Rashad asked, Sahara nodded her head yes.

"I believe it." Sahara assured as she chuckled, "Good. Where you trynna go after this?" Rashad questioned. The waitress handed Rashad his card and his copy of the receipt, he grabbed his wallet and put his card back before pulling out a $10 bill and sitting it on the table.

Sahara shrugged, "I don't know—this your city." She jibbed before starting to laugh. "What? Stop playing with me Sa—I'm from Harlem." Rashad spoke, unleashing his thick accent.

"I don't know...you sounding pretty southern to me." Sahara jibbed as she chuckled, "You buggin now." Rashad waved her off before he began to slide out of the booth. Now that lunch was done, he planned on taking her to a little painting activity he caught wind of a few weeks ago. He knew it would be perfect for Sahara, since she took after her father and had a liking for drawing and painting.

January 16th 2023
Dallas, Texas
4:45 pm

Amina squeezed the packet of ranch dressing into her salad, before popping the top to the container on and giving the salad a shake, to evenly distribute the dressing. Once she deemed it as evenly coated, she removed the lid and dug in. Using her fork to pick up a little bit of everything for her first bite. Her eyes traveled from the TV, all the her front door after hearing a series of knocks. Amina sat her salad on the coffee table and walked over to the door. "It's me mama, open up." Rashad's voice sounded, causing her to smile. She wasted no time swinging the door open. Rashad pulled her into his arms, allowing his arms to migrate to her ass.

"Where your niece at?" Amina questioned, "She on the way back to New York as we speak." Rashad answered.

"I missed you." Amina truthfully spoke as she lead him into the house. "I missed you too." Rashad replied before sending a smack to Amina's ass. She faintly smiled and rolled her eyes, as if she was annoyed but in all honesty, she loved it. She sat back down and sipped her organic juice.

"Who bags is these?" Rashad asked as he neatly placed his shoes by the door and walked over to the couch. "Chalyn's—she been staying with me for the past few days."' Amina answered. She grabbed her salad and took a bite.

"I was at her house and her ex showed up and showed his ass, he was banging on the door, threatening to break it down—and now that I think about it, he must've been watching us all day or something because he knew that I was in there. Nigga started calling me all kinds of bitches." Amina explained. She looked up from her salad to see Rashad's melanated skin damn near red with anger.

"Yo—what the fuck? Why you ain't call me?" Rashad vexed. Amina sat her salad container down and exchanged it for her drink, she took a long sip before adjusting herself on the sofa so she was now closer to him. "I don't know...I was scared and my mind just went blank." She explained.