“Hey, EJ!” I said, bending down to hug him back. “What are you doing here?”
Elijah pulled away just enough to look up at me with his wide, innocent eyes. “Momma said we could come surprise you. Is that okay?”
I smiled, running a hand over his hair. “Of course it’s okay. I’m always happy to see you.”
Terri stood behind him, looking both exasperated and unsure. She wore her locs pulled up in a ponytail, her khaki jumpsuit had an uncharacteristic dirty spot on it, and the dark circles under her eyes said she was here on her last bit of energy. “Hey, Momma,” she said, stepping forward to give me a short hug.
“Terri. Good to see you as well,” I said sincerely, concerned for my daughter. The stitch of strife dissolved away. Terri was aworkhorse; it takes one to know one. “What brings y’all all the way to Robin Creek?” I stepped aside and opened the door wider, welcoming them inside.
I wasn’t sure how I expected her to answer my question. Surely she wouldn’t lie and say she was checking on me. Even as I stood there watching my daughter collapse onto the couch, I made up a story in my mind. EJ and Eric had a falling-out. Terri left her training to get back home and resolve things, standing in the gap between her husband, her child, and her father.
God knows I know that role.
Terri sighed. “The APS lady reached out to let me know everything was all right with the house.”
I blinked, caught off guard.Anya?I hadn’t expected her to follow up with Terri about the inspection, but maybe it was her way of showing Terri that I had things under control.
“Well, yeah. Everything’s fine,” I said, trying to process the situation. I sat next to her, but immediately another knock came at the door. I hoisted myself up to answer it for a second time. When I opened it, there stood one of Elijah’s little neighborhood friends, holding his bike with one hand and looking hopeful. “Can Elijah come out and play?”
I glanced at Terri, who gave me a slight nod, and then back at Elijah. “Sure, but stay close to the house, okay?”
“Okay!” Elijah bolted out the door, the boy following close behind.
With Elijah safely outside, I turned to Terri and motioned for her to follow me to the kitchen. “Come on, let’s sit for a minute. I’ve got some of Gabriella’s food left over. You’re going to love it.”
The kitchen was filled with the lingering aromas of the Blaxican fusion Gabriella had made before heading to Lubbock.It was like the smells had soaked into the walls, making the whole house feel warm and inviting. I pulled out a couple of plates and started warming up the leftovers, aware of Terri’s eyes on me the entire time.
“So,” she began, leaning against the counter, “you’re really okay, huh?”
I glanced at her, trying to read the tone behind her question. Was she worried? Skeptical? “I am,” I replied simply, setting the plates down on the counter. “Better than I’ve been in a long time, actually.”
Terri’s brows furrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s just… I guess I’ve always thought of you as…well, you know…reliable. Predictable. You were always the one who kept everything together no matter what.”
I nodded, taking a deep breath before I answered. “I know. I still am reliable. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a life of my own. I love you and Elijah, but I’m more than just someone you can call to handle things at the drop of a hat.”
Terri blinked, her expression softening. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just… You’ve always been the one who sacrificed for everyone. I guess I never thought about you having your own life outside of Daddy and me and Eric Jr.”
I smiled, feeling a strange mix of pride and sadness. “That’s the thing, Terri. I still love you, but I also deserve to live my life the way I want. I’ve spent so many years taking care of everyone else, and now I’m finally taking care of myself.”
Terri’s eyes widened slightly as she processed my words, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of understanding cross her face.
I cut to the truth. “So, what happened with your father and Elijah?”
Her shoulders fell. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Then she covered her eyes with one hand. “Sheeesh. I mean, Elijah is kind and smart, and he’s also a child who speaks his mind.”
“And?”
“And Dad classifies a child telling you they’d rather take a shower than a bath as talking back. They clashed. Dad tried to spank him. Elijah ran next door to the Woodsons’ house. Thank God they called me instead the police, or there’d beanotherinvestigation in the family. With one phone call, you know.”
“Yes, I absolutelydoknow,” I emphatically agreed. I went so far as to raise my hand like I was about to testify on a witness stand. “One phone call, one person’s interpretation of events, and—poof—you’re on the wrong side an inquiry. Suspect number one.”
Her head lolled up and down. “I know, I know.”
“No, youdon’tknow,” I continued, not coming from a place of anger, but a place of hurt. It was time to speak my truth to her, to name my feelings so we could deal with them together. “You didn’t call me when you got faulty information from APS. Instead, you called your father. Sent him here to get Elijah without so much as an opportunity for me to let you know what was really happening. That hurt, Terri,” I said, not even trying to keep my voice steady.
She stared down at her lap. “I’m sorry. I just… I’m so angry about you and Dad breaking up,” she gushed, and tears sprang from her eyes. “My parents… You two are my rock. Together. It feels like my whole foundation has crumbled way becauseyoudecided Daddy wasn’t good enough for you anymore.”
It bit my lip to keep from defending myself. I was past that now.
