Encounters in the Supermarket (Zach)

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

After her delicious lunch at the fish market, Vanessa had decided to walk over to the grocery store and pick up a few more items. She liked to provide a little bit of variety in Christian's diet, and was beginning to slowly introduce him to more solid foods, like cheerios and other easy foods like that. She still bought him mashed and puréed food, cause it was what he enjoyed eating the most. Wandering inside the store, Vanessa grabbed a basket and propped it on top of the stroller. She didn't plan on grabbing a lot of groceries, even with the extra allowance given to her.

The remaining money sat in her pocket, as she pushed Christian through the store. She ended up in the baby aisle, quickly grabbing the few items she needed. While heading towards the check out, Vanessa passed by the baking aisle, as a sudden idea came to mind. 

She changed her course of direction, going to grab a bag of flour. Maybe she could bake something? Cookies? It would be a nice treat. She eyed up the different brands, her eyes drawn to the very top. Of course, the store brand of flour had to be on the top shelf, out of reach. Especially considering she was lugging the basket and the stroller as well.

Someone else was in the aisle, thankfully. Vanessa tapped the man's shoulder. "Excuse me, I was wonder-" She stopped mid sentence once the person turned around.

[Deleted]

Zach was trying to do anything and everything it took to be normal again. And by normal, everything he was before the Kai-experiment….thinking it like that was supposed to help him move on, but forgetting and going back to who like pre-Kai was proving a lot harder than he thought. Classic signs of being an idiot: Zach's ears perked up when someone uttered anything similar to the bastard's name, his eyes followed the backside of random tall dark-haired men until they turned around and turned out not to be the rich douche, and he actively changed his routes from class to class to avoid accidentally running into the asian creep.

Zach had even decided to stay at home for a while under the excuse that he was trying to save money and needed to mooch of his parents for a while until he finished this next big project. He wasn't sure if they bought that excuse, but at least they let him crash on the couch since his room wasn't really available anymore. In exchange, of course, Zach was supposed to help out with things. Like grocery shopping. Of course, the one with a car had to go use it for what it was good for, and that was for bulk transportation.

He didn't mind it too much. It was something to do. And, as mentioned above, it was one of those normal things that he was hoping would get him back to normal.

Though this time the shopping trip was just for a few missing items his sister needed for supper. And then some stuff they needed for dessert. Zach didn't understand any of it, he just took a list and checked them off as got each item. That's how Zach ended up in the aisle with the flour, sugar, and other baking items. He needed walnuts…..whole or chopped? And chocolate chips….of which there were at least a dozen different kinds: semi-sweet, milk, dark, chunks, store brand, name brand, large, small….. why did they need so many options??

Zach didn't even notice the other person in the aisle with him. Not until she tapped his shoulder. Like a normal person, he curiously turned his head and looked down at her, wondering what she wanted. Though….it took a few extra seconds for him to think she was familiar….maybe? Unfortunately, Zach wasn't very good with faces. He was silent for a moment while he tried to remember…and also with a somewhat expectant face, one which was wondering why she needed to get his attention. "Uhmm…can I….uhh, did you need…something…?"

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Vanessa too had been trying to resume her life normally. It had been proving difficult, considering she had moved back to Pilot Ridge to find Kai. And that had gone over too well. Although Kai insisted that things between him and his friend were okay, Vanessa had her doubts. Who was she to pry further into his life? She wanted to give it a few days before inviting Kai over to her messy little apartment. Time to cool down and adjust to the changes she had brought upon him.

And now? Now she was facing Zach in the middle of the supermarket, standing there with a stupid expression on her face.

Though, Vanessa wasn't too surprised when Zach didn't seem to remember who she was. At the bar, she was dressed to look the part of a sultry bartender, with perfectly styled hair and heavily exposed cleavage. Outside of work? She preferred wearing yoga pants and some random sweater that wasn't covered with paint or food from playing around with her son. She wished that she didn't remember what Zach looked like, so that she could ask him for the help, have a small conversation, laugh and maybe dote about her baby until they left the store, back to their own respective lives.

It wasn't until he spoke that Vanessa zoned back into the world around her. She blinked, realizing that her hand was still lingering in the air, hovering where his shoulder had been. She slowly brought down her arm, clearing her throat. "I... yeah, I need help. I.. I can't reach the top shelf safely... can you grab me the flour please?"

Was it smarter to keep quiet about that night? Probably.

[Deleted]

Zach was terrible at remembering faces. He'd done this before, run into the same person more than one with only a vague impression that he ought to know them already but with no clear recollection of who they were. This woman looked like someone he should know, she definitely looked familiar. Maybe she was in one of his classes? That would make sense.

Still, he was happy to help. Well, not exactly happy, but he wasn't bothered too much by it. After all, it was just getting something from the top shelf, right?

"Uh…yeah, sure." No problem, right? Zach wasn't exactly the tallest person in the world nor the strongest, but he still could reach the top shelf and pull down a heavy bag of flour. He tossed the bag of walnuts he was looking at back on the shelf and turned to grab the flour. "Um…this one?" he asked, pointing to the brand name bag. Assuming it was the correct bag, he pulled it down with a slight grunt. "And just…uh…where you want it?" Probably on the basket that she had on the stroller, but he was just checking.

Zach peered down at the baby with a smile. "This your kid?" Dumb question. "Well…I mean, obviously he's yours," he said, snapping his head up to try and save his idiocy, "….unless you're just a babysitter or something. Not that there's anything wrong with that! You just don't look like someone who has a kid, I mean you don't really have the…and you're just a little bit too….and I'm really screwing this up and should just stop talking now……" Zach closed his eyes, mortified at what he was trying to do…actually, he wasn't even sure what it was he was trying to do. This was why Zach shouldn't talk, ever.

"Umm…I'm Zach, by the way," he offered awkwardly, still holding the bag of flour before him with both hands.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

"Thank you." Vanessa replied, before Zach even had the chance to retrieve the bag of flour for her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, nodding when he pointed to the store brand. It was all the same to her, so why spend more for the name on the label? Again, Vanessa nodded, holding her arms out. "Yeah, just in the basket. But I can take it... I think. Thanks again."

Vanessa eyed Zach, waiting to see any change in responses. Nothing yet. She breathed out a sigh of relief, noticing that he was now looking at Christian. Kai's son. The corner of her lips twitched, and she tried her best to hide how uncomfortable she was with a smile, and a laugh after he was finished with his ramblings. "Oh, no, you're fine. It's okay." Vanessa reassured him, dropping her arms back down her side when Zach continued holding onto the flour. She swayed a little, reaching down to run her fingers through Christian's dark locks. "But yes, he's... he's mine." Vanessa raised an eyebrow, assuming that had Zach finished his sentence, it would have mentioned something about her being young. "And yeah, I'm a little younger than I would have liked to have my first kid but..." She trailed off with a snort. "C'est la vie, right?" Vanessa stifled a laugh, thinking back to the night in the bar and how awkward Zach had been that night as well. It was a refreshing change from the usual ego-centrics she met at work.

"Vanessa." She said in return, sweetly smiling.

Christian looked up at the stranger, with a sleepy smile and a set of familiar eyes that resembled a certain asian man's own.

[Deleted]

Zach just offered her a smile at her thanks. It was really nothing. Just a simple task being asked of one stranger to another. A fleeting moment and one he wasn’t likely to remember by the end of the day if only because it was just a common, simple interaction that held no relevance. Zach thought she was pretty, sure, but he wasn’t in the mindset(nor was he ever) for picking up girls at the supermarket. She wasn’t likely to linger on his mind after they parted. One it was over, it’d be over, and it wasn’t even significant enough for Zach to feel sad over it.

Though there still was the faint nagging in the back of his mind that he’d seen this girl somewhere before. He’d probably remember tomorrow or something, after it didn’t matter anymore.

The only thing he’d probably remember from this was his awkward ramblings, though that was nothing new either. “Sorry…” he offered with a strained smile. He really should just put the bag down already. Zach held it up again for her to take, realizing finally that that was what she’d been trying to do. A light flush reached his face. “Yeah…I guess so.” He tried to mimic her in her lightheartedness. Well, that’d probably be another thing he remembered, she was really easygoing. Not pushy like all the other women he knew.

Vanessa? That name sounded like it should be familiar and it showed in his curious expression upon hearing it.

Vanessa was…with a kid. “Oh…” His eyes widened and he looked down at the kid in the stroller. It would probably look rude or creepy for a grown man to specifically look at a woman’s child the way he was doing right now, now that he had a suspicion and had to make sure because….how dumb was it that he recognized the kid more than the woman who mothered it? And now that he was really looking at the kid…..shit. Zach snapped his head back up to face Vanessa, his face radiating heat with utter embarrassment. “Um…sorry! I didn’t…!” And now he didn’t know what to say. Zach let his eyes fall. “Um……….sorry.”

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

"It's okay." Vanessa repeated, smiling faintly. She accepted the bag of flour and hefted it into her own basket, balancing it precariously on top of the stroller. Somehow, it stayed. "I've... I've learned a lot, I feel like." Vanessa admitted suddenly, snorting underneath her breath. Like protection was important, whether wasted or not. Her fingertips continued to run through Christian's hair, before pulling back with a small sigh. "I don't regret having him but it's been a real eye opener." The Hispanic girl had to grow up in a short period of time, going from a partying college student to a mother in a year's time.

It seemed that all of her subtle cues were finally being noticed by Zach. She swallowed the lump in her throat, patiently waiting. Watching the interaction between her son and Zach, Vanessa grimly smiled, staring at the floor. Christian stirred, making noises and bubbling with his lips. She looked over, making sure he was alright before meeting Zach's gaze. "No... no it's okay. I don't want you to apologize." She said with a firm voice. He really was an awkward soul. "I should have come out from the beginning but... in case you didn't remember... figured I'd spare myself the embarrassment." Vanessa added, drumming her fingers on the handlebar of the stroller.

"I should be apologizing to you. It... it was really unprofessional how I told you." Vanessa's face heated up in response. "I'm sorry, Zach." Christian continued to make his baby noises, demanding attention from his mother and the stranger.

[Deleted]

From the way she was talking, Zach immediately assumed that 1. this might not have been a planned child and 2. the father might not be in the picture. But that was just assumptions, because it was true that having a child to take care of changed a lot of things. Having 11 siblings, he could at least relate to having to take care of children, though clearly he’d left a majority of that job to Dev and Aura.

It also…changed everything between himself and Kai. It shouldn’t have, Zach knew but…it did force him to look at the reality of their relationship, for which he was somewhat thankful. But…he was really doing no better now than he was when he was “with” Kai, and he didn’t know if that was going to change ever.

“No, I just…I’m the one who’s embarrassed….I should have realized you were…” That woman. The one from the bar who was the mother of Malachai’s kid. The kid that she was carting around right now in this stroller. “Sorry…” He said again. It was a compulsion at this point. Zach really didn’t now what else to say.

At least she apologized for the manner in which she told them. It really wasn’t the best time to come out with it, but then again, Zach wasn’t sure it ever would have been a good time to hear it. “It’s fine,” he assured her, holding up his palms towards her. “It would have been the same no matter when it came out.” And probably even worse if she caught Kai alone and he tried to keep it from Zach. Or if they’d been in a place more private, Zach would have gone off on Kai a lot worse than he had. “I mean….how do you even find the right moment to tell someone that they’re….well….” He didn’t want to say it, but it was probably pretty obvious what he meant.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Looking down at how she was dressed, Vanessa chuckled underneath her breath. She hardly recognized herself dressed this way, without the cleavage bearing shirts and perfectly curled hair. It was two completely different worlds, being a bartender and being a mother. "I'm not really recognizable outside of work..." Vanessa figured even someone like Zach could see how little effort she put into dressing herself this morning. Frowning, she shook her head. "Stop apologizing. Really, it's okay." The Hispanic girl tried reassuring him again.

She nodded in agreement with Zach. There wasn't exactly a best time to tell Kai. The best time had been almost two years ago, when Vanessa first found out she was pregnant. She should have found him. They went to the same university. Instead, she had hidden awhile, isolating herself from the rest of the world, only leaving her room to go to class. It was a sad life, full of nights spent crying and throwing up. Vanessa grimaced at the thought, turning her focus back to the present. "Yeah... that's true. I... it should have been awhile ago. Guess better late than never." Not really. She looked up at Zach with a sigh.

Maybe they could talk about it. Put that night behind them. Zach seemed like a nice enough guy. "So.. um... how're you two doing?" Vanessa asked, nervously running a hand over the bag of flour. She was genuinely concerned about their friendship... or whatever they were.

Christian began to whine, and Vanessa rolled her eyes before unbuckling the little boy, picking him up and adjusting the weight in her arms. She bounced him around, murmuring sweet words into his ears. "Sorry... he's fussy and craves attention."

[Deleted]

“Yeah, not with your…uh…” With her boobs practically hanging out. Zach felt horrible thinking that, she was clearly a lot more than just a pretty face…not that women were traditionally just pretty faces, he didn’t think that at all about women, it was just that that was the thing he happened to remember the most about her that night. It was easier to look at her cleavage than it was her eyes, even for someone not as interested as Zach, not that he had any reason not to be interested because she was clearly a good looking woman and he could tell that…

Zach was grateful that this train of thought wasn’t being said out loud.

“I’m horrible at remembering faces, actually.” Zach was willing to admit this. He’d run into the same people multiple times and usually had to take a moment to remember who they were unless they made an absurd kind of impression on him. Then again, that really wasn’t any excuse considering that Vanessa had made that kind of absurd impression on him. He really was hopeless.

If Vanessa had told Kai back when she first got pregnant…what would have happened? Kai might stuck around to support her, maybe even have gotten into a real relationship, straightened out, become more of a….or something. Or he might’ve just continued being the manwhore he was and abandoned her for the next young fresh thing. In the former situation, Zach would never have had a chance with Kai, but he would have respected him. In the latter, Zach would never have given him the time of day once he found out. The latter situation seemed to be the closest to the current situation.

How things ended up between them from now was all up to Kai and how he decided to handle everything. At least that’s….damn, Zach didn’t know. This was just too complicated for him to wrap his head around. “I don’t know,” he spoke honestly, lowering his eyes down to the floor. “I…haven’t really talked to him lately. Last time…didn’t really go that well.” That was about a week ago. Zach was still trying to avoid Kai, hence why Zach was staying at his parents place.

The mood was becoming a little heavy, but the sound of the baby crying seemed enough to distract Zach from getting too down. “That’s…that’s okay,” he said with a laugh. “Guess he takes after his daddy….in..in that way too…” Why did he just say that? Oh well. Zach just smiled, letting himself feel dumb.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Vanessa waited for Zach to finish his sentence, but soon realized that that wasn't going to happen. She assumed it was referencing her choice of apparel at work, chuckling a little at his unfinished thought. She felt no shame from wearing the 'increase your cup size by 2' pushup bras and low cut blouses. If that's what got her money, so be it. "Yeah, no I get what you mean." She couldn't help but to smirk.

"Most people are, it's okay." Vanessa brushed it off. Zach himself was a fairly noticeable person. Even if he seemed like the type to want to blend into a crowd. Paired with Kai, and the two definitely made Vanessa's head turn when the two entered the bar together. "Maybe you'll remember me now." Alright, so it was a lame attempt at a joke but Vanessa figured that the moment called for it.

Frowning, Vanessa stared ahead, with a dumbfounded expression. "Oh... okay." She managed to get out. After Zach had left that night at the bar, Kai assured her that everything between the two would be alright. That they would make up and continue being friends or whatever. "I'm sorry." The Hispanic girl apologized again with a heavy sigh. Herself and Kai hadn't planned on an exact day yet, for him to meet the baby, but hopefully it would be sooner than later. She was nervous, for how he would react to seeing Christian.

Her thoughts ceased as her baby's whines caught her attention. Vanessa snorted, allowing herself to grin at what Zach said. "God, this kid has turned out nothing like me then." She looked down, kissing Christian's forehead before meeting Zach's eyes. "Do... do you uh, wanna hold him or something?" She asked. Christian's gaze landed on Zach as well, reaching out with one hand at the stranger. Was that awkward to ask? Probably. "If you want." Vanessa added quickly. "Don't feel obliged."

[Deleted]

Zach was glad that Vanessa didn’t make him finish his sentence, and even more grateful that she kind of finished it for him. Or rather, assured him that she “got what he meant”. Zach wasn’t sure if such a thing was okay to say out loud to a girl in such a public place. Or even at all, she might slap him for seeming to be sexist like that. But he returned her smile, even if it was a bit flatter and far more awkward than hers.

The attempt at a joke wasn’t lost on Zach, which Zach himself found more amusing since jokes often went right over his head. It was probably because it was so relatable to what they were talking about at present and not some obscure reference to something he wasn’t even thinking of at the moment. His smile widened. “I think…I think I probably will.” Zach paused. “I could…take a picture…just in case.” He tried a smile at his own lame attempt.

Zach had no idea that Kai had been lying to Vanessa about their own state of affairs. He wasn’t aware that Kai had said anything at all in any way, shape, or form. But he assumed that because of the scene that Zach had made, that Vanessa was probably clued into their relationship. God, Zach had acted like such a jaded girl, he was so embarrassed that she had to see him like that. “It’s…it’s alright. It’s not you’re fault.” It really wasn’t. Zach didn’t blame her. It would’ve happened sooner or later, it was just a matter of when and what set it off. Zach tried to reassure her with a smile, but it was clearly less cheerful than any of the awkward ones he’d given up ’til now. The subject of Kai, however brief it was, was already bringing down his mood.

But luckily the kid, Christian, knew how to grab people’s attention even when they were at their worst. “Oh, no,” he said with a half-hearted laugh. Zach blinked up when she gave her offer. “Uh….sure,” he said, surprised at the gesture. “No, it’s alright, kids are…kids are great.” They really were. Zach held out his arms to take the child. He held Christian like he used to hold Savvy, and JJ, and Kales when they were all little. Even if he left most of the work up to Dev and Aurora, Zach still had lots of experience in taking care of kids. "Hey, little guy. What's up?" he cooed, offering him his finger to latch onto.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Vanessa chuckled, relieved that her joke wasn't lost on Zach. She wasn't mad that he hadn't recognized her at first, since the... circumstance they met in wasn't ideal. Vanessa didn't exactly leave the best first impression when meeting him. Her own smile widened when he added onto her initial joke, and it even got a faint laugh out of her. "Nah, I think you'll remember me now." She wasn't trying to come across as arrogant either, for once. The Hispanic girl just figured that after meeting in two rather... interesting ways, her name would stick in the awkward man's mind now.

She kept thinking about what Kai had said after Zach left the bar. That everything was going to be okay. That they were friends... Vanessa saw through that one rather quickly. Vanessa felt kind of... deflated, and a little bit pissed off. Why had he lied about that? She supposed it was to protect her from knowing the truth and feeling even more guilty about causing the fight... but now it was consuming her all over again. Blinking, Vanessa swallowed the lump in her throat as she came around, hearing Zach reassure her that it wasn't her fault. "If... if I had just done it sooner... everything could have been avoided." The fight between them. The almost two years of living in shame and embarrassment. She let out a frustrated sigh, feigning her own smile.

Had Christian not interrupted, Vanessa probably would've continued reliving memories and wallowing in self pity. Thankfully, the kid had good timing. She smiled, closing the distance between herself and Zach, waiting for his outstretched hands. Carefully, Vanessa handed over Christian with caution. Her arms felt empty now that he wasn't there. The Hispanic girl watched Zach begin to interact with her and Kai's son with a soft, loving smile.

Christian stared up at the stranger with a boyish smile, holding onto Zach's finger with a giggle and unintelligible gibberish. Vanessa had been wary, since most one year olds were grasping simple words, but Christian had yet to begin talking. She had been assured that it was alright by her doctor. "He... clearly doesn't talk yet." Vanessa commented with a laugh. Christian brought his other hand to Zach's finger, looking up with another laugh.

[Deleted]

Zach’s smile was still somewhat shallow, but their exchange was enough to coax a laugh from the moody writer. “You’re right. I doubt I’ll forget this time.” And that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, Vanessa was nice. Zach could probably become good friends with her. Her sweet demeanor reminded him of Maebelle.

Though her relationship and connection to Kai, he supposed, would always bother him. He was jealous, that much was certain, that from nowhere a woman comes in and with practically no effort at all becomes something that Kai can’t afford to not put at the top of his priority list, coasting along with the child that would eventually become his whole world. It was…discouraging. Zach couldn’t win against that and even if he could, would he want to? It was always going to be a battle with Kai and Zach just didn’t have the stamina for it. Breaking things off was….Zach just couldn’t keep up. He needed to rest, so it was probably the best thing he could’ve done for himself. Even if it ached more than anything else he’d ever….

“I told you…it’s not your fault.” Zach managed a broader smile, though it was still obviously strained. “I tend to think of it more…if only Kai was smart enough to use a condom, or…if only he wasn’t such an insufferable man-whore.” There may have been a smile when he spoke those words, but his eyes were clearly those of a sour, irritated, disdainfully jilted lover. Because this was absolutely all Kai’s fault.

Not Vanessa’s and definitely not Christian’s. Zach was actually quite pleased to hold the child…his child. God, they looked so alike. Zach wondered if Kai was as adorably innocent as this at one time? He must’ve been. “I think…it takes first borns a while. Because they don’t really have anyone their own age to talk to.” Zach gently pulled at his finger as if he were trying(and failing) to escape the kid’s grasp. “My big brother and I…we both were like that. And I’m…clearly still not good at talking.” It was faster for the rest though. Savvy was practically born talking, JJ saw to that. Zach smiled, reminiscing over his siblings as he held Kai's child. "He really does look like him," he murmured softly.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Vanessa just smirked in response, but it softened into a smile after time. "If so I'll just gently remind you." She teased lightly. She too thought he was a nice guy, and clearly, Christian agreed so as well.

No matter what Zach said, or Kai said, or anyone else for that matter, Vanessa would always blame herself for ruining their relationship. She could see that the awkward man was straining his smile, and decided to drop the subject. It was bringing her mood down. As more blame was shifted on Kai, Vanessa felt the smile drop off of her face completely. "I... it's not just him though." She mumbled, shifting awkwardly. The Hispanic girl didn't think that at all. It was both equally their faults. Maybe if she had been on birth control. Maybe if they both hadn't had so much to drink, they would have taken better precautions. There were a thousand 'what ifs' but none of those mattered anymore. She felt her temper heating up, but tried keeping her cool for both Zach and Christian's benefit. Nobody needed to see the Hispanic girl's fiery side.

Pushing aside her thoughts, Vanessa tried focusing on the present, on her son and his interaction with Zach. A small smile played on her lips. "You're a real natural at this." She complimented before hearing his own two cents. "Yeah... yeah, that's a good way to think of it." Though Vanessa had no plans on having a second child so soon. Christian would just have to wait. "How many siblings you have?" She asked, out of curiosity.

Christian continued to have a firm grip on the man's finger, grinning as his lips bubbled, echoing Vanessa's chuckles at Zach's joke. She reached out, running a hand through her son's hair with a small sigh. "Yeah... there's no denying whose kid it is huh?" She said, sighing.