Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oɱɳιʂƈιҽɳƚ Aυɠυʂƚ 13ƚԋ Qυҽҽɳʂ, NY
Xaier stepped into the rehab facility with a deep frown on his face at the familiarity of it. The sterile smell of the building still made his stomach churn a bit, but today, something felt different. This was only his second visit to see his mother, Grace, in two months, but he didn't feel as tense as before.
The last time he'd been here, his entire body had been stiff with unease, and the disgust he held for her had been fresh, raw. But now, after hearing her side of the story and letting it sit for a while, the rage he felt towards her had dulled just a tad. He still couldn't quite see her as his mom, not yet, but at least the idea of being in the same room didn't make him want to shoot her in the head. Maybe just her leg.
That was good, right?
He entered the familiar visiting room where Grace was already seated, his hands placed in the pockets of his hoodie, he watched as her eyes immediately narrowed as they met his. Her first words were laced with concern. "I heard you got shot," she blurted before even offering a greeting, her voice catching slightly, betraying the worry behind her gaze.
Xaier laughed at this and shrugged nonchalantly, brushing it off like it was just another inconvenience in his day. "It wasn't shit. Nothin' major, nothin' I haven't been through before..." His eyes darkened, and he added, "You should know better than anyone about that, considering you had someone shoot me yourself before."
The shot from his mouth hit its target, and Grace visibly winced, her face crumpling for a moment before she looked away. She said nothing, just nodded in quiet acknowledgment knowing he was right about that. After a long heavy silence, she sighed and glanced back at him.
"You look good," she murmured, as if trying to find something positive in the wreckage between them. "But why are you here Xaier? Your father said you might not come. I'm happy to see you but I don't want you to feel forced-"
Xaier leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest as he interrupted her talking. "Ain't shit forced, I'm here cause I wanna be and stop listening to Rylo about me, that nigga don't know shit... I got a problem though," he started, his tone uncharacteristically subdued as he looked away from his mom's eyes. "A problem that I think starts with you, so you might be the only one that can help me fix it."
Grace blinked, sitting up straighter, her curiosity piqued. She wouldn't say it, but for some reason she was excited now, the fact that her son was actually coming to help himself with a problem.
Truth be told, Xaier himself was unsure of why he even came to her, but he did know for fact that this was where the issue stemmed. From her. His trust issues with women, why he held on to Kesha for so long, everything tied back to this one person, and X figured that maybe just coming here would give him some kind of answers to something.
