Love Letters From Harlem

7. Ladies First

𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚊 𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚜

"Look, I know she was your mother for a long time, but there's nothing she can ever say or do to make what she participated in okay. I know you can't turn your love for her off, and I don't want you to feel like you can't come to me regarding her, but I'll never steer you down a path that leads to you seeing that lady or being more involved in her life than you already are. It's bad enough that you talk to her regularly. Now she expects you to be at her wedding?" Odessa scoffed. "So she just wants to forget the fact that she helped a crazy ass man hide you from your family, then made you suffer for it?"

"Ma." Mikayla's voice was strained as she pulled the white chocolate-covered fruit that had been chilling in the refrigerator out. "I didn't call to get you worked up."

"Anytime it involves that lady, I'm going to get worked up. I hate that you made me promise not to make her pay for what she did to us."

"It's not like she's the one that took me."

"No, she isn't, but she is a mother herself. Even if she had her baby after he took you, she should have held her baby in her arms and immediately been filled with guilt over keeping you."

"Well, she wasn't, and you really need to let it go, Ma. Dahlia has been punished enough. I'm back with you, and we're good. Please stop holding onto that. You're only upsetting and stressing yourself out."

"I don't see how you can stomach even talking to her. Even if you didn't want to hold her keeping Hamilton's secret against her, she didn't treat you right, Mikayla. How are you okay with that?"

Chuckling, Mikayla hung her head as she gripped the edge of the counter. It wasn't her plan to discuss this with her mother before the girls arrived, but Odessa didn't answer when she called her earlier, and she'd just now returned the call.

"The Dahlia that didn't give me what I needed no longer exists. I wouldn't allow her in my life. This version of Dahlia is more caring and kinder. Our friendship is authentic because there aren't any pressures or secrets between us. I know it doesn't make sense to you, Ma, and I don't expect it to." Mikayla paused and nibbled her bottom lip. "I apologize for even coming to you."

Odessa sighed into the receiver, allowing several seconds to pass before she replied.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Princess. I'm sorry for coming down on you so hard. You're being a good person and I shouldn't make you feel bad for that. I don't know if Dahlia genuinely wants to stay in your life or if it's her guilt over how she treated you, but whatever the case, it's your choice. If you believe she's a changed woman and want to be in her life, I accept that. If that extends to you being in her wedding, I'll have to respect that, too."

Mikayla heard her mother's words, but she could tell by her tone that Odessa wasn't as okay with this as she tried to appear to be. Whether she went and participated in the wedding or not, Mikayla made up her mind not to discuss Dahlia with Odessa going forward. She hadn't taken into consideration how triggering conversations like this were for her mother. For whatever reason, Mikayla believed if she had been able to forgive Dahlia when she was the one taken, Odessa should too.

"All right, Ma. I have to get ready for Frankie and the girls, so I'll talk to you later."

"You're letting all of them women come to your house?"

Now that got a genuine smile out of Mikayla. She hated being in large groups and the introvert preferred one-on-one connections and conversation. Throughout her time in New York, Mikayla had met and connected with a lot of men and women over the years. Justice and Frankie were her closest friends, and they had some of the same friends that Mikayla acquainted herself with. While she wouldn't call them friends, she did enjoy it when they got together in small groups.