SLOW BURN

Chapter 32---- Set up

" Glass, come on baby, eat with me please?" Mrs Vickie pleaded.
" No, I don't feel like it" she said, covering her face with a pillow.

"Glass, I'm begging you- you're all I have now, please child, come eat"
" Don't you hate me mom?"
" What? No!"
" come on mom, I killed Taliat! And thanks to my carelessness, I got dad killed too. Just spill it! You probably think I'm an evil burdensome child from hell!"

She knew she was being harsh, cold.
But the guilt was too much.
She's done nothing but bring pain to her family.

How can her mother not hate her? How?.

" so this is what it's about? You think I blame you? Huh?"
" Don't shit me Mom. When Taliat died, for six months you wouldn't even look at me"
" Glass, that was because I didn't know how to deal with her death. Because whenever I looked at you, I saw your pain and I saw Taliat's pain of having to die without a mother by her side. And I didn't know how to stop you from the hurt and the pain was too much, not because I didn't love you or that I blamed you "

" you're lying"
" I swear I'm not child and Vincent wouldn't allow me to die "
" What are you talking about? How does it relate?"
" when Taliat died, I felt like a bad mother, I imagined how hard it was for her to die in your arms instead of mine. How you bare the pain alone. I wanted to die with my baby but then Vincent was strong for us all. He taught me me that death is a natural phenomenon.

It happens and it happens when it's time. You can't negotiate with death. He taught me to be strong for you and now that he is not here to be strong for us, I'm here, we need each other and I'm not dying now. Even if I do, I'd be up there with Taliat and him, watching over you, always"
" But I killed Taliat"
" No child, you didn't "
" if I had listened to her and not go to that party. If I had not been stubborn and stalked her, then she'd be here Mom " Glass said and wiped a stray tear.

" Maybe. But you didnt kill her, neither did the driver that run her over. Death killed her. And death is part of life"
" But why Mom? Why does death take away people we love?"
" I don't know dear but what I know is that after death, there is an eternal life and Taliat is waiting patiently there for us. She'd be with Vincent now and he'd take very good care of her. And whilst we're still here, we shouldn't waste our life Glass, we should utilize it, love and enjoy it because life on earth is a gift, a precious gift that deserves to be cherished while it lasts."

"Mom?"
" yes child "
" I'm sorry for my actions.  been a bad child and-"
" no no no, you've been the best. The best thing Vincent and I could wish for. "
" I love you Mom "
She said and hugged her tightly.
" mom don't  leave me okay?. I can't survive if I lose you. Don't die"
Mrs Vickie smiled  " yes child. It's not always a choice, death comes when it's time. Now let's go eat, the food will get cold and Zea is not around to heat it " Mrs Vickie said and Glass smiled at her, happy to not be alone.

*****

One week later, Cedric managed to convince  Macy to help him with his plan of reuniting Glass and Delen.

Initially, she had refused vehemently but continuous persistence from Cedric won her over. Their first plan was to set a blind date for them. 

*
Unknown to anyone, Randy had proposed to Glass but she politely turned him down, promising to accept ones she'd signed the divorce papers.
*

On Tuesday night, Macy managed to convince Glass to go to diner with her. Glass didn't understand why Macy dressed her up that much as if it's a date.
Macy had just brushed it away and said it was good to dress up even for a casual evening diner.