To a new beginning!

Chapter 2

   "She has been here for a while now" Hanna said, studying the Louis Vuitton tote bag on Susan's arm with new found interest.

   "What?" Susan said again, hoping she'd heard wrong the first time. "Why? How?" She had so many questions but those two were all she could work her opened mouth to ask.

   Hanna sighed. "Susan, let's go in first. We will deal with the questions later. I'm sure it was a long and  tiring flight, let's get you fed and rested."

   But Susan didn't move.

"How long has she been here Hanna?"

  Hanna sighed again, resigned. "More than a couple of months."

   "What? Hanna, what? I can't go in there. I'm going to a hotel or something. I just cant go in there." She said, instinctively taking a step back.

   It came all at once -the fierce burning in her chest, the tight knots in her stomach and the heavy pounding in her heart.
 
It had her, moving further away from the house trying to catch her breath.

  "Susan? Susan breathe" Hanna caught her hands, her face calm but her eyes filled with worry. "Come on baby, breathe. Its just a little panic attack, just focus on breathing. Inhale baby." She nodded in encouragement when Susan did as she was told. "Now exhale, that's right. You re doing great honey."

"I'm good. I'm good, i just got dizzy for a minute."

  "It's all good baby. You wanna sit down?" The worry more evident on her face now.

  "No, Han, why didn't you tell me? Prepare me for this?"

   "I wanted to, countless times. But your father insisted he didn't want you to know until he was ready to tell you himself. I am sorry Susan."

   "God. What does she want?"

Hanna rubbed her arms lightly. "Susan, look at me. If your father thought for a minute that your mother's return was malicious or filled with some hidden agenda, he would have never allowed her back into his life or yours. Come inside, it will be alright. I promise."

Susan glanced at the house again. She could do this, she could face the woman who'd mothered her and abandoned her like she was nothing. She could do it and it wouldn't take no skin off hers.

She would make sure of it.

She was only in the country for a few weeks, and then she would be out and wouldn't have to see her ever again.

   The years have not been kind to her mother. Not that Susan would ever admit it to anyone but she had kept a picture of Martha with her all these years and the Martha standing in front of her right now looked almost nothing like the one in the picture. The one in the picture was young and beautiful.

  Absolutely beautiful, with a radiant dark skin Susan had inherited.

The one in the picture had beautiful eyes full of light and laughter. 

   The Martha staring at her right now had eyes devoid of any light, they were dull and sad. And she looked alot older than her fifty-eight. The once radiant skin was dry and the once pronounced stunning cheekbones were just bony now.

She was so thin.

Standing close to the hallway, gripping the wall as if she'd fall without it, Martha could do or say nothing as she stared at her daughter.

She was so beautiful, Martha thought. Her baby girl was all grown up and even more beautiful than she'd imagined. Her chest tightened and her throat clogged, but she willed herself to speak.