Several weeks later, It was Christmas Eve and there was still a lot of shopping that needed to be done on Katrina's end. She had her list of grocery items that weren't at either Candice's or Nate's place. There weren't going to be many people over Nate's however Candice's home would be empty this year. Cory decided to surprise Candice with a getaway trip to Hawaii for Christmas. He even invited Katrina to go along but, she declined seeing as Nate struggled getting the help to gain custody of Tamia. Nate needed Katrina.
Katrina still hadn't known the details of Nate's life and was trying to help him. She wanted Tamia to be placed in a safe place where no harm could be done to her. That place was with her father.
Currently, she was pushing her cart down the breakfast aisle for baking items and of course, pancake batter. As she reached for a the box of pancake mix, she'd touched hands with someone else.
"I apologize-I-" She stopped and looked at the person quickly.
"Nah, it's my fault. My wife is rushing me knowing about a thousand muhfuckas in this bitch. She sent me on a mission for like three things and I can't find shit." Dave said in pure irritation.
"Dave, right? I'm Katrina, Nate's girlfriend." She introduced herself to possibly lighten his mood.
"Oh, yeah. You the cool shorty that's been keeping his lanky ass motivated besides Tamia." He laughed giving her a side hug.
"That's me. Do you mind if I help you with your wife's list? I know this must be stressful for you."
"Tuh, if that'll help me not get shot then please that would be great." They laughed.
"Okay, this isn't the box of mix she wants. It's this one, a healthier option and just a friendly reminder when you are shopping for your significant other aka your wife get everything she says on the list." Dave nodded. He watched as she continued picking up the items both for her and his list.
By the end of the short grocery shopping and hilarious conversation, Dave made sure Katrina had groceries in her car and seat belt buckled. She waved at him as he placed his phone to his hear.
"Nate is surrounded my good people. Thank you God." Katrina spoke aloud while pulling out of the parking space.
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"Daddy how many ponytails are you going to give me? I only need a gigantic one on the top of my head with pretty bows."
Nate had Tamia seated on the island table in the kitchen doing her hair. He hadn't even completed the look yet and his daughter was tired of being still. His phone chimed with a text from Dave. He was going to get back with him later.
"Do you want to look like a Princess or not?" He asked parting off some hair to do another braided pigtail.
"I do but Ms. Lee doesn't take this long. She gives me three ponytails and baby hairs with extra bows, Daddy."
"Be still. I'm almost done. And, just because Ms. Lee does hair fast doesn't mean it's gonna be better than mine. Remember that." Nate joked.
"I'm telling on you, daddy. Ms. Lee is gonna put you in time out and you will only get two snacks instead of three." He chuckled at the dramatic moment Tamia had put behind snacks.
"Baby, y'all get time out and only two snacks?! That's wild. Ms. Lee don't play. Whew." He shook his head.
The sound of the front door opening and closing made Nate look up quickly. His eyes lit up when they saw Katrina with a grocery bag in hand. She smiled at the two of them staring at her.
"Hey you guys I'm back. There was a whole bunch of people there and I saw your friend, Dave too. He's hilarious."
"Hi, Ms. Lee. Did you get our pancake mix?" Tamia asked excitedly.
"Let me get that from you, are there any more bags in the car?" Nate asked placing the bag on the counter.
"Yeah, just four more and do you want me to finish her hair while you're getting the bags, it won't take me long at all." Tamia smirked at her father like the grinch.
"Please because your best friend and I are about to fight if she keeps complaining about how long I'm taking." Katrina laughed and tickled Tamia's belly.
"Let's see what we have here." Katrina analyzed the individual braided ponytails before choosing to redo the style.
By the time Nate entered his home Katrina had Tamia slaying with three neat ponytails.
"Damn, you done already?" Nate widened his eyes looking at his daughters hair.
"I just stuck with something simple and painless . Plus, if it gets messed up I'll be able to fix it later on." Katrina shrugged.
"I told you she's good, Daddy. Thank you, Ms.Lee." Tamia said skipping down the short hallway towards her bedroom.
"You're welcome." Katrina smiled as Nate wrapped his arms around her waist. "I guess she wanted me to do her hair, huh?" Katrina asked feeling his lips brush against hers.
"Yeah, She's getting really attached to you. I can't blame her to be honest because I am too." Nate looked into her eyes and said sweetly.
"We can't kiss right now. I still don't know if Tamia is okay with the idea of us being together." Katrina stepped back creating a space between the two of them.
"She's been plotting for the both of us to be together from the beginning. Trust me, my daughter is lowkey a baby genius. She got it all from me." He bragged.
"Ha! See, you do have a point there. She got me with those eyes and her pancakes." Nate pulled her into his space closing the gap and kissed her lips tenderly.
Little did they know Tamia was watching every minute of the encounter from her doorframe. She smiled big but frowned at her father's lips on her favorite teacher.
"Eeeeewwwwww! Ms.Lee has the cooties now!" Katrina broke the kiss hiding her face into Nate's chest as he laughed.
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It was finally Christmas Day and for the last couple of hours made Katrina feel whole again. The three of them exchanged gift big and small then enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Although, She knew there was going to be a legal battle for Tamia after today, she was happy to see Tamia smiling.
Nate played with Katrina's hair as they waited for Tamia to finish her hot chocolate. He caught a whiff of the sweet perfume that lingered into the air.
"I'm so happy you stayed with us. This was probably the best Christmas Tamia has ever had." Nate kissed her lips disregarding that she was putting on lipstick.
"I wouldn't change it for the world and I can tell it is because she has you." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him once more.
This was a feeling that couldn't change if either of them wanted to. She could finally allow Nate in fully without any pain consuming her from the past relationship.
"I gotta change my pants really quick these jeans aren't thick enough for that wind out there. I don't need you and baby girl playing nurse." He gave her a final kiss on the forehead and headed to the closet.
"I'll get Tamia to the car then."
Strong winds blew Katrina's twist-out every which way as she carried Tamia on her hip towards Nate's car.
"Tamia, how are you still light as a feather after eating breakfast?" Katrina asked opening the car door.
"I don't know, Ms. Lee. Daddy says I'm gonna stay this small." Tamia replies.
"Did you enjoy your presents today? Your dad and I put in a special request with Santa." The little girl nodded.
"Yes, I love my bike. And, the easy bake oven. I knew daddy was going to tell Santa."
Just as Katrina opened her mouth she'd quickly closed it. The smell of smoke filled Katrina's nostrils as she placed Tamia onto her feet. She squinted her eyes at the black Mercedes truck that pulled alongside Nate's vehicle.
"I can't wait to go to the park, I hope I get to see my friends from school there." Tamia happily expressed.
"Tamia, can you do me a favor and get my friendship bracelet, I left it on your dresser." Katrina asked hoping she wouldn't question why.
"Okay, I will tell Daddy to hurry up too." Tamia hurried inside.
Ashes fell onto the concrete as Monica got out of her truck. She eyed Katrina as she walked over to her.
"What the fuck are you doing at Nate's house around my fucking daughter bitch? I hope you not fucking him cause he want be able to give you nothing but a baby. Raggedy ass mutha-" Monica was cut off by Katrina.
"Ms. Benjamin, my relationship with Nate has nothing to do with you. And, your daughter is perfectly fine when she and are around one another. What can I help you with to speed this conversation along? Clearly, you have better things to do." Katrina said looking at Monica's wardrobe.
"As a matter of fact, I do." Monica handed over a single bag of toys unwrapped for Tamia. "Be a good stepmother and wrap those for me. I have a plane to catch." She sashayed her way back to the truck and climbed in.
How could you not want to be around your child to see her reaction to her gifts? But Nate is raggedy? Okay. Katrina thought putting the bag in the trunk of the car.
The voices of Nate and Tamia snapped Katrina out of her thoughts. She sighed shaking the Monica's vibes off of her. She refused to let anyone come between her spending the holidays with the ones she cared about.
To be continued...
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There is more but I'm coming back just a little later. Merry Christmas loves!