When Raquel suggested a coffee date, Zatanna had pounced on the idea. It had been far too long since she’d gotten to spend some quality, non-mission time with her friend.
Back in the good old days, before adult responsibilities had kicked in, Zatanna and Raquel would meet for coffee at least once a week. They, along with Artemis, were the only members of the original team who truly appreciated the beverage. Wally had preferred his disgusting, sugary energy drinks, Dick had a penchant for juice, M’gann owned nearly every tea known to man, and Connor was a hot cocoa kind of guy. If Artemis had the free time to join them, she would, but more often than not it was just Raquel and Zatanna.
Being who they were, they couldn’t just go to the Starbucks on the corner. No, instead they would play a little game: Raquel would pick a random city with a Zeta tube, and Zatanna was responsible to find a cafe. Their favorite was the cute little Turkish place, nestled in a quiet alley in Istanbul. More often than not, they would find entire afternoons wasted away, drinking far too many cups of coffee and talking about anything and everything.
When Raquel became pregnant with Amistad, their coffee dates began to change. Zatanna drank for Raquel, and in turn, Raquel would order the most unique pastry on the menu. For the most part, it worked. After Amistad’s birth, the two began meeting less frequently than they used to, but still made time when they could.
Lately, between the many League crises, Amistad, Raquel’s husband, and Zatanna’s job, they hadn’t had the time to meet up. Needless to say, this date was much needed.
“I was thinking Paris this time,” Zatanna mused, setting her phone on speaker so she could finish pinning up her hair for her show that evening. “I was reading the reviews for this one killer cafe, it’s supposed to be way off the beaten path.”
Raquel hummed on the other line. “It’s tricky to do ‘off the beaten path’ with a toddler. Think we could keep it local this time? The last thing I need is Amistad throwing a tantrum for all of Paris to see.”
“Touche. Terrible twos melted into terrible threes, huh?”
“Unfortunately. Mind coming to Dakota?” Raquel asked, trying to speak over the cartoon playing in the background. “Amistad, I asked you three times to turn that thing down.”
“Sounds good. I’ll text you the details?”
“Yes, that sounds--Amistad, I swear to god, I will take away your TV privileges for the week! Talk later, Z?”
Zatanna chuckled. “Go handle your squirt.”
--
Surprisingly, Raquel had arrived before Zatanna.
The younger girl beamed, waving to Raquel before heading over to the table. Amistad turned when he saw his mother smile, grinning just like her upon seeing his favorite aunt.
“Zee!” he exclaimed, slapping his hands down on the table.
Zatanna pressed a kiss to his head, tapping him on the nose for good measure. “Hey Ami. Someone’s excited to see their favorite auntie, huh?” she asked before hugging Raquel. “Been here long?”
“Just a few minutes,” Raquel explained, resting a hand on Amistad’s head to calm his bouncing. “I ordered him something to get him going.”
Zatanna raised a brow, smirking at the toddler. “Did you get a cookie?”
“Big cookie,” Amistad confirmed. “Chocolate chip.”
“The best kind. Though, not as good as M’gann’s cookies,” Raquel mused, sliding over a menu to Zatanna. “I also brought his iPad, so we should be good for a little while.”
“I’m surprised.” Zatanna tasked at her, shaking her head in disdain. “All that talk about keeping him screen-free, and now he has his own iPad? For shame.” Her friend had been quite adamant on raising her son ‘like the good old days’, without the excessive use of technology.
Raquel waved her off, crossing her arms. “Yeah, yuck it up. You try having a decent, uninterrupted conversation without the help of ‘Paw Patrol’.” Zatanna giggled, dodging a straw wrapper that came flying her way. They both looked at Amistad, who smiled sheepishly. “Guess that time came sooner than later,” Raquel sighed, pulling out the iPad from her purse and setting it up for her son.
“It’s good to see you,” Zatanna noted. “I’m glad we could meet up. It almost feels like old times.”
“Old times, sure. Old times plus twenty pounds and a buttload of stretch marks.”
“Oh, shut up. Now we get to raise another little coffee connoisseur.”
“That much is true,” Raquel chuckled, grinning when her son’s cookie arrived and the boy’s face lit up. “He’s come so much more out of his shell ever since we’ve been going to that ‘Mommy and me’ group.”
“Is that what they’re calling it? Can’t imagine that Red Tornado and Will are happy about that name.” Zatanna had been to the little playgroup a couple of times, if only at Raquel or Karen’s request. It was cute to see all the little kids playing together.
“Well they don’t make the rules. Besides, Will is on thin ice after what he said last time.”
“Oh, parenting-group drama? Do tell?” Zatanna purred, resting her chin in her palm and leaning forward.
Raquel laughed, shaking her head. “I missed you, Zee. It’s been way too long.”
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