Family Lies 2

Keep Ya Head Up

Treasure
Six P.M.

"Ahhh! My babies!" Aunt Donna screamed and started jumping up and down and holding her stomach at the first sight of us. I told True we were coming but I guess he neglected to mention that to Aunt Donna. "Hey Auntie. I missed you too!" I said in her ear as she pulled us all into a group hug.

"So this what y'all do now? Y'all don't tell nobody nothing y'all just get on a plane and come home?" Aunt Donna asked as she pulled my mom down onto the couch beside her and my mom laughed.

"You having a baby, I had to come make sure these nig—," Aunt Donna punched my shoulder hard and laughed, "Say it."

"All this talk about Tré don't miss me. She don't come see me. And this how you do me when you see me, Auntie?"

My mom just laughed and sat back and I shook my head. "Had to check on you. I missed you." Aunt Donna smiled and winked at me. "I missed you too, suga."

"Where my kids at?" My mom folded her arms.

"Irv's downstairs. True should be here soon he usually comes home to have dinner with me on Friday nights. He posed to help me make this chicken alfredo. Now he wanna learn how to cook for this lil girl," Aunt Donna rolled her eyes and my mom and me just looked at each other and laughed.

"I'ma go knock on his door. Tré help your Auntie in the kitchen," my mom said as she got up and I poked my lips out far.

Irving Jr.

DOOP DOOP DOOP DOOP DOOP! Went the door and my eyebrows shot up cuz I only ever knew one person to knock like that. "Yoooo!" I put down my game and sat up in bed. When my mom came down the stairs I smiled so hard! I ran over squeezing her. "I missed you Mommy! How was New York? We moving back in our place? Tré here?" She laughed and pinched my cheek before taking me to sit on my bed.

"I'm goin' back a while."

"Why? What you doin' out there Ma?"

"I'm... makin' things right. With me. And with your sister."

"Makin' what right?"

She shrugged. "A lotta things man. Remember... how I told you and your sister about how I lost the twins?"

I nodded while taking off my glasses to look at my mom. "Yeah... that was a foul play by dad. Even Divine says so."

She nodded. "It was. But ever since I came outta that coma... I'd been lying to myself and telling myself that things were better— when they wasn't." I didn't know what to say for real so I didn't say anything. I just let my mom help me put together the pieces. "For a long time it was easier that way. Facing the reality that I'd lost two of the most precious people I'd ever known and— having nobody believe that I'd really do anything to keep them safe— was tearing me up inside. Because what kinda Mama is that? But I had Divine and I had to fight to feel worthy of the love she was learning to give everyday. And I had to fight harder to give it back. Irving wasn't puttin' his hands on me no more. He'd refuse to even raise his voice at me in the arguments I was pickin'. And we didn't want for a thing. And everyday I opened my eyes in that house I told myself that I had to be happy because we were enough. And if I wasn't happy then the energy I was moving in was purely selfish or greedy. My bills were paid. My art was moving again. My husband loved me. My child was well fed and dressed and loved. Why put myself through hell over something I clearly have no control over when I can enjoy what I have?" My mom paused to shake her head and wipe her tears.

"I'm sorry Mom... don't cry," I said as I leaned over to touch my mom's shoulder but she snatched me into a hug. She kissed my head before she started talking again. "Until therapy I didn't realize that thought... thinking I was selfish for not wanting to live without my kids or... thinking I was greedy for wanting to keep fighting for them was just a memory of a conversation I had with your father."