The remaining weekdays of June were a blur of lavish, elaborate events, and juggling guardian duties that Tulip almost forgot her date with Austin was on the last Saturday of the month, the only free one she and Niesha had after a twenty-eight-day sprint of busy schedules. She wasn't complaining. It was great for business to be busy but she needed a lazy day which was what she had from morning to noon. She and Sidney stretched out in the living room enjoying a marathon of riches; a Marvel marathon. From Captain America to Black Panther, they devoured as many superhero adventures as humanly possible by two in the afternoon until a reminder alert popped on her phone.

Her hand froze in the bag of gummy bears, and trains of thought crashed in her mind as she realized she had a date in a matter of hours. A date she hadn't even planned for. What type of shit was that? After she exclaimed her favorite four-letter words she grabbed her phone and hustled to her closet. That was two hours ago and eight outfits later and she was still in flowing with an anxious energy that enabled her usually concise decision-making. Thankfully, she had her best friend by her side.

"So, you don't know where you're going?" Niesha started as she toyed with one of the charms on her special bracelet and took in the state of Tulip's bed. She wondered what was left in the closet; maybe just scarves and hoodies. "But that it's going to be romantic and cultured."

"Yes," Tulip said twirling one of her freshly done goddess braids around her finger. Her eyes switched from side to side as she remembered the conversation she and Austin had while she was setting up place cards for a welcome home dinner party for one of Houston's elite families that had a dining room table that was big enough to fit a professional football team. "He said he wanted to surprise me with an experience to remember, his words, not mine. So...what do you think about this? Is this it?"

Tulip gripped her waist as Niesha scanned her frame.

"Uh...." Lines formed between Niesha's eyebrows once her sight linked back with hers. "Your boobs look great in the Fenty but I think you'd get arrested or at the very least a citation."

"I'm not finished." Tulip slapped her hip in frustration. "But the skirt? How does the skirt look? Is leather too hot?"

"I like it." Niesha tilted her head as her friend twisted from side to side to show off the black leather hugging the thighs and stopping inches above her knees. "And with this shirt..." She dug a pastel top from underneath a dress. "You'll be ready for any occasion."

"Niesha!!!" She screamed, dashing around the bed and grabbing her friend in a tight hug. "You beautiful, brilliant human being. I love you."

"I know." Niesha chuckled as she lounged across the bed, her eyes drifting to the closed door and pondering on the sight she saw on her way to the master suite. "So, why didn't you call me when your babysitter fell through and do people still get Mono."

Tulip shrugged as she stood in the floor-length mirror fiddling with the hem of the shirt that stopped just over the waistband of the skirt. "They do." She glanced over her shoulder. "I mean but she could one-hundred percent be lying but you know I don't blame her. It's a big ass Saturday and I wouldn't want to be spending it working if I had planned it off."

"So...you called Jasper."

Tulip spun on her bare heels, peering at her friend quizzically. "Are you jealous?" Her lips curved up. "Unlike Beyonce's song, you are irreplaceable. Jasper and I aren't friends but we've gotten more friendly since he and Sidney are been spending more time together."

A smile fully claimed her face reminiscing on the days he and Sidney spent together since the little girl expressed to her that she was bored with the Country Club and wanted more adventure. It was a heaven-sent seeing them with each other. He was never late in the morning and never came empty-handed with a coffee for her and a box of treats. They even shredded the dread of awkwardness that smogged around them at the beginning. It was like old times, with easy conversations, and infectious humor. She glowed in the mirror as she locked the hoop on her earlobes.

"He said to call him whenever so...." She gathered her braid on one shoulder as she strutted back to the bed. "I called him and he jumped at the chance. It's a win-win."

"Mmmhmmm." Niesha nodded and Tulip could feel the thoughts and worries flooding her friend's mind so much that she had to snap her fingers to bring her out of her trance. "What?"

"You're overthinking. Blowing things out of proportion in that noggin of yours. Everything is aligning...finally. I don't want to stab Jasper in the throat and Sidney's got title names for both of us. Now they're not mom and dad but I love being her MeMe. So, stop tripping."

"I'm not." Niesha sat up, pulling a blouse in her lap that had so many strings that she couldn't figure out where the arms went and where the neck was supposed to go. "I just don't want you to get too comfortable and let your guard down."

"It's all good in my hood." Tulip put on a long, delicate necklace that kissed her collarbone. The loud music from the living room that leaked under her down warmed her with joy; Sidney and Jasper were continuing the movie marathon and she was about to go on a date...for the first time in a long time. Strides were being made, good things were about to happen. She could feel it in her soul. "Now, stop projecting and take the leap."

"What do you mean?" Niesha innocently asked.

Tulip rolled her eyes because she knew exactly what she was talking about. "Lachlan asked you to go with him to Ireland days ago and you have yet to give him an answer."

"I'm not stalling if that's what you're trying to say." Niesha shook her head. "I just don't know if my passport is valid and I've been too busy to try to find."

"Bitch, that passport is in the drawer underneath that thong I brought." She harked from the closet reaching for the shoes that went best with her outfit. "That you never wore."

Niesha laughed walking over to the mirror and rubbing her hands over her voluptuous curves in her athleisure wear. "I don't like things in my butt. Sue me."

"I will." Tulip strutted sexily from the closet in strappy heels. "If you don't take a page out Sidney's books and take your ass on a fucking adventure." Tulip gripped Niesha's shoulders as if she was going to shake her. "We're the hardest working people I know and it's time for us to start enjoying life. Trust me I know it's scary but when we're eighty we got to tell our grandchildren all the shit we did and we can't just say we binged Insecure and played The Sims."

"I don't play The Sims." Niesha clarified. "...anymore."

"Well, bitch you did. Don't think I forgot." Tulip said and they both chuckled. "Lachlan isn't Warren...I mean he wants to take you to his birthplace so we both can conclude he's not stringing you along."

Neisha nervously smiled with wide eyes, "No, He's going at warped speed."

"Then tell him that," Tulip said moving to her phone on the nightstand that chimed. "Let's be honest with these men." She held up her phone with the text from Austin saying he was on the way still on the screen. "Like Austin's probability of getting some wholly depends on this date and Jasper is a good father figure and I admire that and..." She joined Niesha in the mirror. "We look fine as fuck. I'd fuck us...I really would."

They both laughed just as loud police-like knocks banged against the door and she knew precisely who it was.

"This little girl has no chill." She said before opening the door with her smile still etched on her face. "Yes, warden."

"MeMe," Sidney started as she waltzed in the room with a Storm t-shirt on even though she'd never seen any X-Men movies, yet. "You'll be home at ten, right."

"On the dot," Tulip said catching the little girl by the shoulders and turning her back towards the door. "But you'll be asleep by then so..." She pecked a kiss to the top of Sidney's head. "Goodnight. I'll be down in a couple of minutes."

Sidney sighed lowly with her lips straight and drained of the elation that she had upon entering. Tulip had to battle her thoughts of bailing on her date but took solace in the fact that Sidney was going to be with Jasper.

"Tomorrow will be a  'just us' day," Tulip reassured her with a stroke to Sidney's cheek and she could see the happiness swell like a wave back in the little girl's face while pushing back her guilt for going out tonight.

"The carnival!"

"Yes!" Tulip matched the child's exuberance with her arms up. "The carnival!" She looked back at Niesha with clenched teeth and her friend laughed. She hadn't been to a carnival in years and hated heights but she had promised to ride the Ferris Wheel so it was a fear she would have to triumph in less than twenty-four hours. "Now." She gestured for Sidney to go back downstairs and she obliged.

She closed the door and turned back to Niesha, "What color lipstick should I wear?"

What do you think Austin has planned for their date?

How do you think Jasper is going to be as a babysitter? How do you think he'll be when he sees Austin?

Should Tulip let Sidney's sadness about her going out deter her from going on the date?

What do you think Niesha should decide about Lachlan's proposal to go to Ireland with him?

What color lipstick should Tulip wear? (The most suggested color will be used in the next chapter)