Meet Waffle 📱🥞

Part 38

 Katherine and I agreed last night that Zabrina should start school immediately. She needed some normalcy in her life—a schedule, consistency. So I set my alarm for six, and Katherine and I got up. Katherine had gotten Zabrina into Katie's private school, which was only ten minutes away. Adonis asked Zabrina what kind of schoolbag she wanted, and she told him with me standing close by. He dropped it off last night in the living room filled up with school supplies.

I walked out of the room and into the room next to us, where Zabrina was sleeping. She was cuddled up underneath covers in a fetal position—her head underneath a pillow. I used to sleep like that. I hated the sun in the morning.

"It's time for school, Zabrina. Wakey, wakey." I said with uncertainty. I knew I should have practiced this. I was nervous about what would happen if Zabrina didn't want to go to school today. What if she never did? What if she didn't want to listen to me or worse, Katherine? A shiver went down my spine. Was that a breeze in the room?

"Good morning Victoria," Zabrina said with tiredness in her voice. She rubbed her eyes and looked at me. I smiled at her and stroked her hair. She hugged me, and I hoped we would always have these sweet moments even when she was grown.

"Katherine and I want you to go to school today. We think it's for the best so that you have some normal in your life. A friend of our daughter goes there. Her name is Katie. She's nice even if she did try to take my dog."

Zabrina jumped out of bed, looking around. "You have a dog?" She asked excitedly looked under the bed. "Is it big? A girl, a boy? I don't care. Where is it?"

"He's around here somewhere. You can meet him later. The faster you get dressed. The faster you can eat the delicious breakfast downstairs, or I can eat it all without you." I taunted her.

"Don't even joke. Give me five minutes, and I'll be there." Zabrina said seriously.

"These are your clothes. Are they okay?" I asked. Katherine had picked out a gray beanie hat, a grayish looking purple long-sleeved shirt with the word WILD on it in bold, white letters, a pair of jean shorts, and purple Jordans. Katherine had good taste, and naturally, she would pick purple.

Zabrina inspected her outfit, her mouth growing bigger and bigger. "I love it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She repeated, hugging my waist.

"Katherine picked it out. We'll have more clothes and shoes for you when you get home from school. We'll get you a laptop for school too. Is there anything else you need? Books? Toys?" I asked. Zabrina already had a television in her room, a desk with a lamp, a bed with a purple bedspread, a little purple bean bag which she would not give up from the game room, and an empty closet.

Zabrina shook her head and started to undress. I closed the door giving her privacy. "I want to get her a violin. I used to play it in school before I stopped because reading music was too annoying." I said, walking back into the room. Katherine was fixing the bed, something she never did. I gave her a look. What did she do?

"What?" She asked. "We have a kid now, and I don't want her to grow up spoiled rotten. If I fix my bed, she has to fix hers, and I think the violin would be perfect. Just like a nice mommy." I kissed Katherine on the lips proudly and went to get dressed.

I was wearing a yellow half shirt that said QUEEN in bold, black letters and matching black pants with strips of yellow going down the side. Was this outfit mother material? I asked Katherine, immediately regretting it. She was wearing a short, dark purple dress that had a slit at the end.

"We are parents Katherine," I said, my eyes going up and down her dress a little bit in appreciation.

"What's that mean?" Katherine said, adding some silver hoop earrings.

"You need to dress like it," I said as if it should have been obvious.

"No. The child has to dress like it. We can wear what we want; I had Adonis get her an outfit last night. I picked it out. If she likes it, I can have her closet filled up today, along with some shoes and whatever else kids need these days."

"She did like it but purple, really?" I asked with a toothy grin.

"You want her to play the violin. I want her to love purple." Katherine said sitting on the bed. She was putting her socks on when Zabrina came in. "Okay, child, you going to walk in one day and see something you ain't prepared to see," Katherine said, making me hit her with a pillow.

"What is it, darling?"

"Can either of you help me with my hair?" Zabrina asked her hair, poking up in all directions.

"I got her up. You're on hair duty." I said, going into the bathroom and bringing out a brush, a comb, and some moisturizer.

Zabrina sat on the bed beside Katherine as Katherine glared at me evilly. There goes another shiver. Katherine rubbed the lotion in her hand before applying it to Zabrina's hair. She brushed her hair all around then started to comb.

"OW! OW!" Zabrina cried, holding her head down.

"Stop crying. If it hurts, it's working." Katherine said with no sympathy making flashbacks of my own childhood hair experiences come to mind. I rubbed my scalp, which was now aching a little bit.

"OW! OW!" Zabrina continued to cry.

"Add some detangler to today's shopping list. Alright. Alright. I'm done." Katherine said. She had pulled Zabrina's hair into a ponytail, or should I say bunny tail the way it looked. I liked it. It was cute.

"You got it." I laughed, rubbing Zabrina's back in sympathy. "Let's get some breakfast in your champ."

"I don't get it. Why do I have to go to school? Everything I need to learn to be rich and successful. I can learn here." Zabrina said, eating breakfast at the dining room table. Zabrina was eating a lot neatly thanks to Katherine, who told her if she didn't eat like she got any sense, she wouldn't be eating at all. Not the best teaching method, but it worked.

Katherine sipped her french vanilla coffee. The sweet, but strong aroma drifting through the air. She was on her phone doing something when I stuck out my chin and lifted my eyebrows three inches from where they usually were.

Katherine rolled her eyes and shook her head, yawning. Her mouth forming a cute o. When her phone buzzed, she pressed the side button silencing it. "Zabrina, all though you make a valid point. School is not just about becoming rich and successful. It's also about forming bonds with others and learning to deal with what life throws at you."

I nodded my head rapidly, looking at Zabrina. Yes, this is what parents do. They teach. They work together and if they do a good enough job. Their kid wouldn't be messed up too much. A little messed up is okay but a lot. . .