“WHO IS MY MOM?!” She yelled in frustration, making us both jump. When she doesn’t say anything, Raine’s face calculates the time, slowly realizing what I’d pieced together as well. My jaw dropped right as she stood up from the couch and backed away. She shook her head. “No…no, please tell me it’s not true. It can’t be…”
“Yes, baby,” Ms. Patrice nodded, confirming what we both knew. “Myra is your biological mother.”
The world suddenly tilted as Raine stumbled back against the wall, knocking a painting down in the process. I got up to help her, but she waved me off. I stopped in my tracks, not sure what to do. She only shook her head and turned to enter her room, slamming the door and locking it behind her.
“She’s still locked in there?” Ginger asked as she entered the living room. She’d gone to drop off Ms. Patrice back at home before taking Emelia to her grandparents’ house. Alex and Kenzie left around the same time, too. I nod, sighing. “God, I can’t believe thatMyrais actually her birth mom. I don’t blame Raine for needing time to process it all. Imagine being treated like how she was treated by the woman who gave birth to you? My heart hurts so much for her.”
“Same,” I agree, resting my head against the back of the couch. “I wish she’d just let me in to hold her, though.”
I’d spent the last two hours trying to get her to open the door and let me in, but she wouldn’t even reply. I got worried and told her that I would break the door down if she didn’t at least let me know she was still breathing. That got her to message me with a picture of herself. My heart broke as I looked down at the picture of her tear-streaked cheeks. I knew that she needed time, but I felt useless just sitting out there as she was crying her heart out in there.
“And you said that her mom said that she was 18 when she had her?” Ginger questions, and I look over at her, nodding. “So, that means that they’ve also been lying about Myra’s age, too.” She sighs. “This whole time, Raine thought she was fifteen years younger than her, but I’m guessing that’s just something they told her so that she wouldn’t start asking more questions. I love Ms. Patrice like a second mom, and I knew she did what she thought was right, but this shit is messed up. Her niece and nephews have actually been her half-siblings this whole time, and she didn’t even know it.”
“Yeah, that’s a lot to have dumped on you all at once,” I agree.
Silence washed over us as the TV played softly across from us. We both knew that all we could do at the moment was wait for Raine to come out when she was ready. Minutes turned to hours, and soon, the sun was setting outside the window. I glanced over at Ginger every so often, and she wore an anxious expression as she bit her nails. Then, just when I thought we’d go all night without seeing her again, we heard her door open and instantly jumped to our feet.
Raine appeared at the archway that separated the living room from the hallway, and we rushed over to her. Ginger was first to pull her in for a hug, and that seemed to bring tears to Raine’s eyes again. When it was my turn to embrace her, Iwrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead lightly. We moved over to the couch, and she snuggled in my arms as Ginger sat on the other side of her.
“I know this is probably a dumb question, but how are you feeling, bestie?” she asks softly, to which Raine sighs deeply.
“I feel like my whole world has been turned upside down, not gonna lie,” she admits. She sits up and looks between the two of us. “There are so many questions I need answers to. Like, how the hell did I miss this? What led up to it? But most importantly, I want to know why Myra treated me the way she did, even though she knew who I really was to her. Does she really hate methatmuch?”
“No, honey, no,” Ginger assures her. “I’m sure there’s more to this story that your mom, uh, grandma…didn’t tell you.”
“She’s still my mom,” Raine corrects her. “Just because Myra gave birth to me, it doesn’t make her my mom. I don’t care what the reason is, I’m never giving her that title.”
“Love, I understand your frustration,” I tell her. “But…shouldn’t you at least hear what Myra has to say about it?”
“Yes, and I invited her over to talk,” she says. “I wanted to get it all over tonight, but she won’t be back until tomorrow. She’s coming over for lunch.”
“Do you want us to be here?” I ask, and Ginger nods, but Raine shakes her head.
“Thank you, but no,” she replies. “I need to talk to her one-on-one first. It’s the only way I know she’ll be completely honest with me. When others are around, she tends to act all tough and tries to breeze past heavier topics because she hates being embarrassed or having people in her business.” She pauses, trying to blink back tears. “It just hurts. When I was younger, I looked up to her so much and sought her approval, even after she started to treat me like a burden after our mom was diagnosed. I can’t help but think that her having to step in a takecare of me made her disdain for me grow. God, have I really been this naive my whole life?”
“Hey, no, look at me,” I say, taking her hands in mine. She looks up at me, a defeated look gracing her beautiful face. “No matter what she says, how she feels, or what her reasons were, remember that you are amazing and worthy of all of the love you receive, okay?” She nods. “I’m only gonna be a phone call away, so if you need me, please let me know, and I’ll be over with the quickness.”
“I know,” she sighs before snuggling against me. She takes Ginger’s hand and squeezes it softly. “Thank y’all for always being there for me.”
“Of course,” Ginger nods.
“Always,” I tell her.
“Now, I think I’m all cried out for the day, and I’m hungry as hell,” she chuckles. “Can y’all-”
“On it!” Gingers nods before standing. “I’ll go pick us up some dinner while you relax here with your future wife.” Raine laughs a genuine laugh, and I feel myself become at ease once more. Ginger smiles, no doubt accomplished. “There’s that smile! Okay, I’ll be back soon. Love you, bestie. Take good care of my baby mama, Dawn!”
“Baby mama?” I laughed after Ginger left. Raine lays her head in my lap and looks up at me with a smile. “What’s that about?”
She rolls her eyes playfully before reaching up to run her hand through my curls. I can see the small gesture slowly calm her, and it felt good on my end, too. I listened as she told me the whole story behind Emelia and how she was conceived. I listened and couldn’t help but admire them for creating a loving environment for her. Even though Raine wasn’t technically a part of the arrangement, she was Emelia’s godmother and washelping raise her, too, so they like to joke that she was also a baby mama. It was pretty wholesome.
Later that night, after Ginger had come back and we’d eaten and watched a few movies together, I found myself in bed with Raine once again. However, this time, all we did was cuddle as she tried to fight sleep. I’d run her a bath about thirty minutes before, and the warm water worked wonders on her stress-filled body. It was nice to see her relaxed and comfortable.
And as she drifted off to sleep in my arms, I thought about how I’d give anything for her always to know this kind of peace. Tomorrow was gonna be another stressful day for her for sure, but I was content with the fact that when I saw her again, I’d be able to comfort her the way she deserved. What more could I ask for?
CHAPTER 16
Truths For Lunch.
