Evelyn rolls her eyes. “Please, that man was lost without me.”
That’s when it hits me. This isn’t about me. All the shit she has done and said to me has nothing to do with me. The story she told me while we were in St. Croix comes to mind. She loves my father.
“So that’s what this is about? You thought leaving Daddy would break him.”
I watch the way her face falls and her arms drop to her side. It seems I hit the nail on the head. Evelyn talked all that noise about chasing money and the high life, but I’m starting to see the real her.
Despite having rich husbands and flights across the world, she’s unhappy. No matter what someone may say, money can’t fulfill a lonely heart. And my mother has the loneliest heart I know, because the only man she loved didn’t play her game.
“You wanted him to come running back to you and beg you to stay. You didn’t leave because you were unhappy; you left to be chased. But he never did. Daddy picked up the broken pieces you left behind and kept right on moving.
“The man raised a well-rounded, successful daughter all by himself. I never missed a meal or lost out on doing the things I wanted because of financial burdens. Hell, when I needed a mother’s touch, he reached out to the community around him for that. I had women doing my hair, taking me shopping, and having ‘the talk’ with me when I had my first period. He didn’t need you, and neither do I. Now get the fuck out of my house.”
I’ve finally realized that Evelyn wasn’t going to change. No matter how much I wanted or waited for her to. This was my last straw. I’ll never heal the part of me that has always wanted a mother figure in my life, but I can honestly accept that I won’t be getting it from my mother.
I go to walk past her, but she yanks my arm and turns me around.
“You selfish bitch…ahhh.”
Before I could react to the hand my mother raised at me, Ms. Rose appeared out of nowhere and socked my mother in the face. She hit her like a professional. Mama goes down like a wetblanket. She looks stunned for a second before putting a hand to her bleeding nose.
“You broke my nose.” Evelyn screeches as if she can’t believe it happened.
“Trust me, that broken nose is me letting you off easy,” Ms. Rose says, placing her hands on her hips. “Don’t you ever think you will put your hands on my sweet pea. You may not know shit about being a mother, but I’m here now.”
I turn to Ms. Rose, and the look on her face tells me she isn’t just saying those words in the moment. She looks like a true mama bear protecting her cub.
Evelyn clambers to her feet, glaring at Ms. Rose. I’m still stuck because my mother just tried to hit me. It's not surprising that she tried it. I’m just stuck trying to figure out how she thought that was going to turn out for her. Had Ms. Rose not interfered, I had no problem dragging Evelyn’s ass all across my kitchen.
Evelyn sneers, still cupping her nose. “He’s going to leave you. You will be tossed away for the next young pretty girl. I’ll get the last laugh.”
“I’m not easy to replace, like you.”
The way her face falls only brings me a second of gratification.
“Now, you have about five seconds before I call my security to come in here and toss your ass off my property.”
She doesn’t hesitate. I guess she can tell I’m not joking. She turns and storms out of the kitchen, heading for the pool house.
“Oh, and by the way,” I say, causing her to stop. “James said don’t even think about coming back to him.”
She glares at me over her shoulder before she continues out the door. The moment she’s gone, my shoulders drop. I try to fight the tears, but they come anyway.
Ms. Rose steps toward me with her arms out. I don’t even second guess, I immediately go into her arms. She wraps me in a hug that smells like roses and vanilla.
“Shh now. You’re alright.”
“How could she?” I ask.
I won’t lie as if I’m not a little hurt. For the first time, I thought my mother and I were building a relationship, only for her to try to seduce my husband.
“How could she hate me so much? What’s wrong with me?”
Ms. Rose lifts my face, cupping it between her hands. Her soft brown eyes look down at me with kindness and gentleness.
“There is nothing wrong with you, sweet pea. Sometimes, you can be a wonderful gift, but it means nothing if you give the gift to the wrong person. Your mother has her issues. But those are her demons, not yours.”
I swipe my cheeks, wiping away the tears. “You sent me the video, didn’t you?”
