Work Hard, Love Harder

He slowly stroked Zoe’s arm and waited for her breathing to even out. He was almost dropping off to sleep when he felt Zoe shift.

Zoe coughed quietly. “Uh,” she said, awkward and muffled into the pillow, “thanks.”

“No problem,” said Femi sleepily, and tightened his arm around her.

*****

Zoe woke up slowly, and for a moment she didn’t know where she was. It was a fairly common occurrence in her life. They moved around a lot when they were kids; sometimes their mother would drop them off with one relative or another and they’d have to make do. Making themselves small and inconspicuous and trying not to make trouble so they wouldn’t be in trouble. That was before Zack got sick and no one wanted to be responsible for him. After that, their momma might do a disappearing act, but she usually left Zoe to take charge of her brother and make sure he was okay. The scamming had started that way, almost by accident. She’d woken up one day and found that there was no one about, all the furniture was gone, and she and Zack were left on a pallet on the floor. She’d thought their mother had finally given up and left them, and she’d gone running hysterically down the street, calling her mother’s name. A woman had seen her looking distraught and thought she was maybe lost. She’d taken her to a diner and bought her breakfast, asking where she’d lost her momma.

“Such a pretty face,” the woman had said, caressing her cheek. “Such good skin. Where did your momma leave you?”

Zoe had stuttered something she couldn’t remember. For some reason, she was scared out of her mind at the intent way that the woman was looking at her, but she smiled tremulously and ordered a stack of pancakes and a carton of milk.

“Oh, and you have such an appetite!” the woman noted, but eleven-year-old Zoe wasn’t sure she was talking about the food.

Zoe had played along, siphoning most of her meal into her pockets and then excusing herself to go to the bathroom. She’d escaped that way, back to her brother, with food. It was then that she realized that her face was a valuable resource she was under-utilizing.

*****

“Good morning,” a scratchy sleepy deep voice said from just behind her right ear, and Zoe startled in shock. She’d been aware that she was cozily tucked into Femi’s side, but somehow she’d forgotten he was there.

“Morning,” she replied, clearing her throat.

“Did you sleep well?”

Zoe shrugged. “It was aight. You?”

“Great. Want to go have breakfast? I’m starving.”

Zoe snorted with laughter and made to sit up. Femi detained her though, pulling her closer as he craned his neck forward to kiss her. She leaned into it, allowing herself to enjoy it even as she thought this cannot last.

*****

There was a knock on the door, which Femi ignored because he was naked and Zoe was naked and it was 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning. So, whoever was at the door could just toddle off until a more sociable hour. The knocking persisted though, and at last, Femi let out an irritated “What!”

“Open the door, Femi,” a voice he could absolutely not mistake said. Said voice was supposed to be in Nigeria right now…or maybe London. He wasn’t sure. He did know that that voice was not supposed to be here in Boston, at his dorm room, on the other side of the door while he had an Akata in bed with him, curled against him, stark naked. His father would not take it well.

Femi’s mind froze. He didn’t know what to do.

“Femi? Open the door. What are you doing?” His father’s deep loud voice reverberated in the corridor. If he didn’t answer soon, his father would wake the whole dorm. He sat up and sighed, trying to think.

“Zoe,” he whispered, “I need you to get up and get dressed.”