My Reason To Love You

CHAPTER FOUR

"You have been disappointing us since the day you were born. Look at your sister, not only did she graduate with top scores she is also a top lawyer. Why can't you be more like her.?" My mother taunts me while taking up more curry on top of her plate of rice. We sat around the dinner table in the middle of the hall in our two-story townhouse.
I was asked to come here this morning over a phone call to discuss "family matters" which means discussing my breakup with Hardin.
"You are not capable of anything good. Only if you were more capable, you could have managed to secure a good husband. You are about to graduate this year, are you still stuck with that stupid decision to pursue literature?" She demanded an answer, but I just sat there looking down at my plate.
"FOR ONCE IRIS! GROW UP!" I cringe at her harsh tone. I clenched my fist over my thigh, hoping for this dinner to be over. I felt a warm hand over my clenched fist, I glanced sideways to find my sister looking straight ahead toward our mother, she held the fork in her hand in a tight grip. She unclenched my fist and held my hand in hers, providing support and comfort.
"One day you go on donation camps, next you go on to volunteer at the countryside for some stupid camp. Now this stupid idea of becoming a journalist or whatever. When will you realise that life doesn't work like that. What are you gonna do run around with a microphone in your hand?"
"Mother that's a reporter. Will you-" I squeeze her hand, pleading with her to stop. If I let her continue, it will turn into a war and I don't want that. She glances at me and then sighs.
"I am done. I have an early morning tomorrow." She puts the fork down forcefully and stands up, then she looks down at me, "Come, Lia, I will drop you off on my way." without waiting for Mother to speak, she pulls me up and we walk out the door.

I sit quietly, looking outside, while Sofia drives. We spend the entire ride without a single word. Soon we reach my apartment. As I try to open the door, she grabs my shoulder, and I stop and look at her. My sister sits in a crisp white jumpsuit, simple jewelry adorning her fingers and neck, and her chocolate brown hair pulled in a tight ponytail. She looks every bit the smart and classy lawyer she was. But in place of her usually confident self, there was vulnerability visible. It was a rare emotion, she only allowed me to see.

"Don't you dare let that woman's words into your head. You were way too good for that cheater anyway." She turns her whole body towards me, holding both my hands into hers.

"We both know Lia, you accepting Hardin was just to make Mother happy, I know you tried everything to make it work. Baby, I know you are hurt, not because you love him but because he broke your trust." I open my mouth to say something, but she stops me.

"Satisfying Mother is not the sole purpose of your life." pause "I know about your article for the annual magazine." I gasped in surprise, I had written an article for our annual year magazine but never submitted it.

"I submitted it to your coordinator." she drops the bomb on me. No wonder it went missing after the last time she visited my place. I looked at her in shock, and she started speaking again.
"Iris." She holds the side of my face, and her expression softens, "Sometimes, it's better to let go. To move forward in your life, you need to let go of the things holding you back. I know, Lia that you want Mother to be proud of you, to love you. We both want that, but sweetheart, it's not worth sacrificing yourself. I know it's not the fact that Hardin cheated on you but the fact that you think you disappointed her again. Let go, Lia. Embrace your dreams and let yourself out there. The world is waiting for you."

After a moment of silence, she looks at me, and then she pulls me into her embrace, a soft lavender aroma engulfing me. Her arms are tightly wrapped around me, and I do the same thing. She lets me go after a moment, she then pulls out a small box from the back seat and hands it to me.

I opened it to find a beautiful diamond bracelet, it was a simple platinum band with a soft pink diamond in the center with small tiny white diamonds around it. My eyes snap towards
her, "Wow! Sof, it is so pretty. What's the occasion?" I ask confused.