Lessons Learned

Chapter 10

"Briel, have you lost your mind?" Stacey yelled at me as she paced in front of me, while holding her six month pregnant belly.

"Stace, we should hear her out. I want to know her reasons for leaving. It wasn't fair to us and yes, she's a selfish bitch for deserting us. But, if we don't hear her out, we will always ask ourselves why. Why did she leave? Were we not good enough? Did she find another man? We deserve to know and the only way that we're going to find out, is if we meet up with her and ask her," I try my best to persuade my sister.

"I don't like this," she mutters stubbornly.

"I don't either, but Brantley is right. We deserve the truth once and for all," I whisper to her before hugging her close.

"Brantley's right and you're right, but I still don't like it. Tell me where and when we're meeting her. I need time to prepare myself."

"Hey, we're in this together, sis. I got your back and you have mine," I assure her with a grin.

Two days later, Stacey and I are fidgeting nervously in my car.

"It'll be fine, Stace. We'll get our answers and put this whole situation behind us," I reassure her for the tenth time.

"I'm fine. I hope she doesn't expect us to be polite and kind to her. That fucking bitch," Stacey mumbles grumpily.

"Damn girl, calm those hormones down. Save them for Brady," I tell her with a giggle.

"Luckily for him, he doesn't get the angry hormone part. He gets the horny hormone part. He's quite happy these days," Stacey brags with a naughty grin.

"You bad girl," I laugh.

"You know it," she laughs with me.

Ten minutes later, we're sitting at a table in the same coffee shop where I first met up with our mother. Stacey and I are sitting close to each other and holding hands for support.  Our heads snap to the door when we hear the bell ring.

"That's her," I whisper to my sister.

Stacey glares at our mother as she approaches.

"Hello," Sophia says as she reaches our table.

"Hi Sophia. This is-well you know, Stacey," I introduce.  Sophia holds her hand out with a smile.  Stacey makes no attempt to shake Sophia's.

"Let's get straight to the point here, Soph. We wanna know why you ditched us all those years ago," Stacey demands with an angry face.

"Stacey!" I whisper, shocked.

"What? She doesn't deserve to be treated with kindness, Bri! This bitch abandoned us when we were children! She doesn't deserve the title 'mother'," she rants angrily at Sophia, with tears in her eyes.

Sophia fidgets in her seat with a forlorn expression on her face.

"She's right, Briel. You both deserve some answers and I have a lot to make up for," she whispers sadly.

"You're damn right you do!" Stacey growls.

"Well, for starters, I want you to know that I loved your father very much. He's a good man and he didn't deserve what I put him through. All three of you didn't deserve what I did to you.  You have to understand, I was brought up in a household where a woman's place was in the home. Her job was to reproduce, cook, and clean. Because I was brought up this way, I thought that was what I wanted, but I eventually realized that I wasn't happy. Don't misunderstand, I loved you both and I cared for Michael, but I felt like I was living for the three of you and not myself," Sophia explains with her hands folded on her lap.