Rise To Stardom

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

My feet were slowly carrying me toward the living room in anticipation of seeing her sitting on our couch. There she was with her legs and arms crossed and a blank stare.

“Mom?”

Anger that festered inside me for years thrummed in my veins and curse words — all I would never dare say out loud — strung together in my head seeing the woman I was doomed to call my mother. She was sitting so casually with her legs and arms crossed, like wasn't just showing up after being so absent all these years.

All the times I wanted her to come to my piano recitals, talent shows, graduation barbecues, nothing but disappointment followed when she was a no-show. It was like the Heavens opened up and presented a miracle when she came home for my birthday or a major holiday.

She was clad in a black pantsuit with a baby blue blouse underneath, her black hair that reached a little past her shoulders was wavy and her sea green eyes were scanning me up and down. “Is that what you wear to a club?”

A fake smile managed to tug at my lips. “Is that how you greet your daughter you haven't seen in months?”

She was so much like her mom. Criticize first, hugs second. Like mother, like daughter. Thankfully, I would never turn into her. I wouldn't criticize my daughter first thing as soon as she stepped through the door. Nor would I ever abandon my family for months at a time.

I would be there for her whenever she needed me which was what a real mom was supposed to do. I bit my lip to keep myself from lashing out on her.

“If you only came to say goodbye to dad—”

“We need to talk.”

I scoffed. “I have nothing to say to you. Besides, I'm way too tired to argue with you.” I was going to hide in my room until she stopped me in my tracks with her hand on my wrist.

“I don't want to argue with you.” With the crack in her voice, it was obvious she was holding back tears. You could practically see her heart break through her glossy eyes and quivering lips.

I had never seen this side of her before. She was the most optimistic when dad got his first diagnosis and she thought that the chemo would help. Now, she was a hot mess who was on the verge of bawling her eyes out.

“Mom, I left you that voicemail and you called back acting like you didn't even care.”

“Of course I cared.”

I scoffed. It may have looked like I was amused, but I was anything but. "Oh yeah, sure. It so looked like you did."

“I just didn't want to talk about it!”

“We have to talk about it eventually! When he dies, we're gonna need each other! We're gonna be all that we have!”

“I—” A sob cut her off. She could barely breathe as she squeezed her eyes shut to release the tears. I thought my body had run out of water by now, but I was tearing up just watching her.

I was having the best day of my life, riding the high of my dream becoming a reality. Then, I came home and saw mom and that quickly went away. “He was my best friend.” Her voice came out as more of a whisper. “We got married, had you, and… then, I started my business and…”

Her hand flew to her mouth to catch another sob. For the first time in years, I wanted to hug her. I wanted to be there for her even though she hadn't been there for me.

Before she started traveling a lot, she looked at dad like he was her whole world. I hated seeing her fall apart like this. “I was barely home, taking care of my hotels when I should've been here. Taking care of you, of him. I should've been spending more time here.”