𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐢'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

i was so tired of beating myself up that i just let what happened tonight be. i was satisfied that i didn't cross any lines and the moment i arrived in my hotel room i collapsed onto the bed. i was truly exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the night, but right before i could doze off my phone buzzed with a text followed by a ring.

there was only one person i knew who tried to get a hold of people like she was about to tell them that the world was going to end, that was my mom.

"hey, mom," i answered, trying to sound more awake than i felt.

"hey, sweetheart. how are you?"

"i'm good, i'm about to settle into bed." i said as i saw a message come in from trenice.

"okay sweetie, i just wanted to remind you that we're having easter sunday dinner this weekend. even your sister will flying in from london, so we are expecting to see you!" she says, her voice was filled with warmth and excitement.

"of course, mom. i'm looking forward to it too. i'll be there," i assured her, feeling a pang of homesickness. my family always managed to make me feel grounded, no matter how chaotic my life got. i hung up the phone and finally opened trenice's message.

𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐞🎧

heyy skai sorry for texting super late |

dani asked me to relay a message to you asking if u can unblock her bc she said that u left something idk |

| uh sure thx for letting me know x

no problem |

curious about what i could have possibly left behind, i felt my bare wrist and sighed. i felt a mix of frustration and gratitude. my watch was a gift from my mom, and i was relieved it wasn't lost forever. but dealing with dani again so soon was the last thing i wanted. 

i tossed my phone onto the bed, deciding to deal with it in the morning. i kicked off my shoes and slipped under the covers, my mind replaying the events of the night. the argument, the walk to the beach, and our moment—it was all too much. 

i navigated to my blocked list and saw dani's name and felt sick, as i remembered the state of mind i was when i blocked her years ago. pressing unblock, i threw my phone away from me and i closed my eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly to erase the whirlwind of emotions swirling in my head.

i'll speak to the girl tomorrow.

when I woke up the next morning, sunlight streamed through the hotel curtains. i grabbed my phone, noticing a few missed calls and texts, but my attention was drawn to dani's message. i took a deep breath and typed out a response.

𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

hey u left your watch at the beach. i have it with me. |

| thnks for letting me know i'm already on my way back to LA so can we schedule a time for u to return it?

after sending the message, i packed my bags and headed to the lobby where my driver was waiting. the drive home was long, giving me too much time to think about everything that had happened.

***

easter sunday arrived, and my family's home was filled with the familiar sounds of laughter and chatter. my family was a full household of creatives, my mom being a screenwriter and my dad being an artist. the house was buzzing with energy as i walked in, the familiar scent of home instantly soothing my nerves. as i stepped into the living room, i was greeted by the sight of my zendy and tom engaging in their own conversation.

zendaya, looking effortlessly stylish in a floral dress, her hair pulled back into a neat bun smiled as she saw me and wrapped into a warm hug. "skai! you're here!" 

"hey, Z. happy easter!" i replied, returning the embrace and handing her the bouquet. "these are for mom."

zendaya took the flowers with a smile. "she's going to love them. come on in, everyone's in the kitchen."

stepping inside, i felt the familiar warmth of home envelop me. i made my way to the kitchen, where the sound of laughter and clinking dishes filled the air. mom was bustling around, checking on various pots and pans, while dad was setting the table.

"hi, mom! hi, dad!" i greeted, leaning in to kiss mom on the cheek and giving dad a quick hug.

"skai, darling! it's so good to see you," mom said, her eyes lighting up. "those flowers are beautiful. thank you!" 

dad grinned as he looked over at us. "hey there, superstar. how's everything going?"

"good, as always," i replied, laughing. "i'm happy to be here so i eat good though. smells amazing in here."

"just the usual easter feast," mom said with a wink. "now, go say hi to tom. he's in the living room." 

nodding, i made my way to the living room, where I found tom, sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone. he looked up as i entered and broke into a wide smile.

"skainimal! long time no see," tom said, standing up to give me a hug. that ridiculous nickname he gave me was starting to grow on me.

"hey, tom boy! how's it going?" i asked, hugging him back. "how's the theatre stuff going?"

"honestly so fun, a nice change from the usual hollywood blockbuster stuff i'm used to doing," tom replied, his british accent adding a charming lilt to his words. "it's good to finally have some time off, though. how about you? keeping busy, I bet."

"always," i said with a chuckle. "but it's nice to take a break and spend time with family."

zendaya rejoined us, and the three of us settled into easy conversation, catching up on each other's lives. 

i couldn't help but notice how happy her sister looked with tom, the two of them sharing quick glances and private jokes that spoke volumes about their connection. i'm so happy for them, maybe once day i'll have my own share of this type of love.

soon, mom called everyone to the dining table. the spread was impressive: a glazed ham at the centre, surrounded by roasted vegetables, mac and cheese, and a variety of traditional african american side dishes. a plate of hushpuppy completed the feast.

as we gathered around the table, the meal was filled with laughter, stories, and the kind of teasing that only family can get away with. mom and dad recounted embarrassing childhood stories of zendaya and me, much to our chagrin and tom's amusement.

after dinner, we continued our gathering in the living room playing a series of board games, which was a thompson tradition. i couldn't help but laugh at tom at how badly he was performing in the games.

"you guys need to stop making fun of me before i crash out and then no one will be playing." tom shot back whilst playing game of life, half serious, half joking.

as the night went on, the room filled with the sounds of our laughter and playful banter. it was moments like these that reminded me how lucky i was to have such a close-knit family. despite our busy lives and the miles that often separated us, we always found our way back to each other. later that evening, as we were winding down, my phone buzzed with a text from dani.

𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐚 (𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫)

hey, i'll be back in la in two weeks. i can ask my management to drop off the watch if that works for you. |

| sure, that works. thanks.

i couldn't deny the felt a pang of disappointment at her formal tone. she even wrote you in its full form and everything. i swear i have never heard her sound more professional in my life. she wasn't even offering to meet in person. she even ended the texts with a period, who does that? i typed out a quick, dry response.

mom noticed the change in my expression and gave me a questioning look. i shook my head, silently telling her it was nothing to worry about. but the truth was, it stung. despite everything, a part of me had hoped for a different outcome between the two of us.

𓏲𝄢 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝!