The salty air brushed across Katrina's face as her bare feet got covered with another scoop of warm sand. It was Saturday morning  and she was in Santa Monica. This was where she spent the first day of the weekend since the conclusion of a tumultuous custody battle. The morning was no longer a near memory and she knew the little person squatting by her ankles was going to beckon some nourishment soon. However, that shouldn't have been the case. But Katrina was used to it. He was late.

Terrence knew pickup time was eleven-thirty. She knew he knew. He was in mediation with her when they and their lawyers decided on the time; since every decision that had to be made with their daughter needed the involvement of lawyers. But he was still never on time. He'd at least be ten or twenty minutes late which was why she set the beach as the pick-up and drop-off spot. At least she had the crash of gentle waves to calm the annoyance and frustration that swelled beneath the surface of her golden mahogany skin.

But this Saturday wasn't like all the other Saturdays. This one was the one that began her Girl's trip that would span a week which meant it wasn't just her and Nori on the beach. Imani was there too, sitting next to a damp Clive on a big red blanket.

"This don't make no damn sense." Imani hissed after reading the time on her phone.  She peered up at Katrina, her round sunglasses preventing the sun's glare from obstructing her vision. "This is intentional."

Katrina sighed with her eyes still trained on the vast ocean. She gave her friend a slight nod agreeing with the statement. It was something she already knew. It stemmed from the reason that Terrence did most of what he did; his need for control. He always wanted things done on his terms. She didn't fully realize it before. Maybe she was just so in love or maybe it was her need to be loved after being deprived of it during her upbringing. Either way, she no longer had that void. She was well-versed in her worth and had complete knowledge of the kind of love she knew she deserved.

Sure, she went through hell to learn it but she was proud of the woman she had become.

"It is what it is." Katrina shrugged, nonchalantly. Terrence's actions no longer surprised her nor did she let them consume her thoughts. She was never going to understand him and it was no longer her job to. "We love beach days, anyway. Don't we?" She beamed down at Nori tossing another heap of sand on her feet.

"Beach days are fun!" Nori shouted with glee not looking up, still too occupied with  the sand.

Katrina's smile grew twice its size. She had done a number of great things in her life. She was a published poet. She had been a professor of African-American Literature. She'd even perfected the art of molding clay into dinnerware cultivating a thriving company that not only funded her life but she was able to replace the money she borrowed from the trust. But being Nori's mom felt like her biggest accomplishment and most important job. It was the smile and easy laughter on her daughter's face that became the salve for all the hard choices and trials she had to endure.

"There's my Riri!"

The approaching voice made Imani groan and Katrina activated her mental forcefield as she rolled her shoulders. But Nori quickly dropped her yellow plastic shovel and ran as fast as her little legs would take her to her dad.

"Come on, boy," Imani said, getting back up on her feet with Clive's leash in hand. "I'll take him to empty his bladder before hitting the road."

"Thanks," Katrina said, digging her feet out of the sand.

Imani rolled up the blanket and waved bye to Nori before walking off not saying one word to the man holding the little one. Katrina didn't try to get her best friend and her ex-husband to be on the good terms that they once were. She didn't think they had to. Imani had good reason to feel the way she felt and she didn't have to entertain whoever she didn't want to. Terrence wasn't her baby's father, she didn't have to be cordial.

But Katrina had too. So, she put on a small smile as he joined her.

"Good morning, Beautiful." Those were always his first words to her. She didn't understand it but after the first four times, she stopped caring about the reason.

"Hello, Terrence." She responded, keeping her sunglasses on as he lifted his to the top of his freshly lined-up head. "How's Layla?"

"Busy." His eyes took her from her newly done braids to her manicured feet covered with the dusting of sand and back up again. "She wanted me to let you know that you are still more than welcome to come to the wedding. If you change your mind. I know Nori would love to have you there."

"I'm not." Katrina plainly said with a shake of her head. She picked up Nori's duffle bag that only held her favorite toy, iPad, and her favorite sweater since the rooms at both of her parents' houses had all the essentials she needed. "That is Evan's business and I'm no longer an Evans so your wedding is not the place for me."

"Come on, Katrina." He shifted on his sneaker-covered feet holding Nori. "Don't be like that. I thought we had moved past all the nonsense that happened."

"Nonsense." She had to repeat the word to fully grasp it which threatened to crack through her resolve. "It's best we keep conversation to a minimum." She glanced at Nori in his arms and back to him.

He did the same. "She's why I want you there. We're still a family. Just an unconventional family."

Katrina shook her head, taking a step back. "We're not one big happy family. We could've been but you didn't want that, remember."

"This again." He let out a long breath. "I've already apologized for that. I was in a bad state of mind. I didn't think you'd actually...." He shook his head, letting his voice go silent. " I was wrong for how I acted, for what I said. I should've never called you out your name or those other things. You're a good person and I was just trying to hurt you like you were hurting me but that was years ago. Can we please move past it and just be friends again."

She blinked at him. A part of her wanted to believe the words he was speaking. It would be awesome to be on good terms with the man she shared a child with and not have tension riddle her psyche whenever she had to be in the same room as him. But there was another part of her, the loudest part of her mind that alerted her. It reminded her of how he treated her when she didn't do what he wanted her to do; the way he lashed out and called her one too many names that weren't Katrina Bailey. And she could just let down her guard around him. Not again. Not anymore.

"I tried that, remember." She said, watching the solemness surface on his features. "But you threw a temper tantrum. So, no we can't be friends. And when Layla asks you why I'm not at the wedding and why I don't want to be involved with your side of the same, be truthful with her. Tell her what you did."

"She was my therapist, remember." He said. "She knows everything about me."

"Good." Katrina retorted. "Then she should understand...the boundary I put in place."  

He smirked at the use of the term as Nori settled her head on his shoulder. "I'm just trying to construct the best environment for her."

"So am I and spending unnecessary time with you is bad for my nervous system. I wish that wasn't the case but it is." She picked up her sandals. "Every time I see you I remember those five-letter words you called me, the threats you spewed, and the way you tried to strip me of everything that caused me happiness. So...no Terrence we can never be friends but we can be co-parents that can be in the same place for twenty minutes." She glanced down at her wrist which was free of a watch. "And times up."

Katrina leaned towards him, kissed Nori on the cheek, and headed to the parking lot. As she neared the rental her smile had returned. She was no longer the woman she was when she first arrived in California. That woman craved her husband's approval but now the only person's approval she yearned for was her own. And she felt free because of it.

Why do you think Terrence wants them to be friends and a blended family now but not that way when she was with Keir?

Do you think Katrina was right for not giving him hope that they could one day be a blended family?

Do you think Imani will ever be conversational with Terrence ever again?

What do you think about Terrence marrying his therapist? How do you think his therapy and healing process went?