“Mrs Hart!” She heard the voice she had gotten to know call to her as she took the turn that led to her office. She turned around to find Davine behind her, and she growled in frustration.
He held his hands up immediately in a show of surrender and didn’t take a step forward anymore. Not that it made things better.
There was a brief welcome party hosted by the members of staff to welcome him and three other new professors to the institution. Everyone was invited to attend, and it was set immediately after the closing of the day so the professors would come. It was kind of mandatory, and so she came. She stood at the back and didn’t really participate in the meet and greet that took place between the old staff of over thirty people and the four new ones. She had a thin ear, and so despite being far away, she knew their names and every little detail about them just by listening closely.
The host, Ms. Clair Raymond, put on a cheerful show, but Zera exhausted her last bit of energy after thirty minutes of being there and silently exited. She didn’t know Davine was going to notice her leaving, let alone follow her. They hadn’t had reason to talk since the first day, and she wanted to drag it out that way.
She didn’t like this man before her; something about him didn’t sit right with her. She felt there was more to him than met the eye, and she didn’t want to ignore her gut feeling because it has always been right about things.
She couldn’t ignore it.
After the great battle between the two packs over two years ago, Zera made a promise to not get into trouble or dangerous company. There was peace and safety like never before, and she had no reason to keep an eye out for anyone or anything. She hadn’t until now.
“What do you want?”
He kept his hands up. “I wanted to say hello; you never came close to me or the three new staff all the while you were in there. It would be nice to get to know us.”
“I’m not interested.”
“Zera, be nice.” The voice in her head hushed her.
His brow narrowed, and his hands dropped. “Did I do something to you?”
She wanted to say he couldn’t, but she bit her tongue and said, “I don’t trust you or like you, and I’m not going to pretend like I do,” she answered.
“Because I am working here and taking the same classes Daniel Spears used to take?”
She didn’t answer him; instead, she walked away to her office. She got in, closed the door, and reached for her bag. The day was well exhausted already, and Zion was waiting for her to pick him up from school.
She moved around the desk to pick up the few projects she needed to grade when a knock came on her door. Her head lifted from the files of projects and over to the door, but she didn’t get the chance to ask who was there because it opened and Davine stepped inside.
Her teeth gritted, and she sprang to her feet, angry and ready to explode. “I don’t recall inviting you in, so what the hell are you doing in my office?” She demanded.
“Are you this hostile to everyone or just to me?” He asked instead, his brow curiously furrowed.
“That’s not the answer to my question; please leave my office,” she said, and she commended herself for being so calm in handling it.
He didn’t look to care; he didn’t look as calm and friendly as he had the last three times she had seen him either. “You know, of all the people at this institution, you look like the one who’ll have been the most kind and understanding. Indeed, looks can be deceiving.” With that said, he turned and walked out of her office without looking back.
Picking Zion up from school was one thing that made her happy about Wednesday. She always recorded and stored up the look of excitement he had every time he saw her. His Hazel eyes would get bigger, and his dimples would appear as he smiled happily. He was seven now and becoming a big boy, but his excitement was the same as the first day she picked him up from day care. Maybe he also had such excitement whenever he saw his father, but she wanted to believe he had it only for her.
They had their routine the two days she picked him up, which was going to the ice cream shop on Wednesdays and going to the fruit shop on Fridays. She let him set the days and followed suit with him. Zion was always excited about it, and it gave her joy.
Now they were driving off to Domino’s to get his favourite ice cream. “You want chocolate ice cream, right?” she asked. He had spent the first twenty minutes of getting into the car telling her about his new classmate and new friend, Quincy, whose favourite flavour was the banana flavour.
“I would like to try the banana flavour, mom.” He answered, and she nodded. Even though chocolate has been his favourite for the last three years, change is still the most constant thing.
“A cup of vanilla and banana flavour ice cream, please,” she told the female attendant named Fiona behind the counter. She nodded and moved to the freezer to get two cups of ice cream. She returned with the two cups, which Zera took and handed to Zion before handing her card out for payment.
“None for Daddy?” He asked out of curiosity. It has become a tradition to get one ice cream for Aaron whenever they’ve visited to get ice cream for ourselves, and this was the first time she forgot to do that.
“Another cup of vanilla-flavoured ice cream, please.” She requested the third, and Fiona, who was still with her card, nodded and moved to bring it to the counter. After paying, they stepped out, and she held his hand in hers as they approached the car together.
She paused when she saw Nicole Kent across the road, staring at her with her arms crossed over her chest. She had her curly brunette hair in a neat ponytail and had little make-up on her face, which was very unlike the Nicole she knew then. There was a smug look and a smirk on the side of her mouth, which she used to have back then, that made Zera’s blood boil.
She stopped in her tracks, not because she was afraid of the one standing across the road, but because she knew the probability of her being there was zero. She witnessed her death at the hands of Daniel years ago, and there was no way she was here now, staring at her and her son. There was no logical explanation for why she was here now except that her hallucinations had gotten worse.
“Mommy, shall we go now?” Zion asked, and she broke gaze with the one standing across from her, her son, who had a tired look on his face.
“I am sorry, sweetie.” She said this and glanced back at the road, but this time she saw no one.
Yes, she had nightmares and panic attacks after the grisly battle between the Dominio and the rebellion packs ended. The role she played in the battle didn’t make things better, and she had to go to therapy. Ivan engaged in somatic resistance practise to help with the nightmares and panic. She got her mind back after a few months and has since not had any attacks or nightmares.
A lot happened during those dark times, but not once during those times did she see the face of Nicole in the daytime.
She wondered what else would happen as these hallucinations progressed. Would she lose her mind completely and no longer be able to cope with things? She had more power than she ever thought she would have, yet she felt even more vulnerable. She was lost with everything, and despite not wanting to burden him, she knew she had to come out to Aaron with the truth of everything.