Intoxicated || An Eminem Fanfiction

Chapter 82

Leila's POV

The house was steeped in an unusual quiet, the kind of peace I'd only recently learned to embrace. Marshall was at the studio, preparing for tomorrow's album release, and for once, I had time alone—a rare moment of calm. I told myself to savor it, but the silence didn't sit easy, each second of stillness only letting old memories creep back in.

Then my phone buzzed, breaking the quiet. I looked down—Security Gate. A familiar tension wrapped around my chest.

"This is Leila," I answered, keeping my tone even.

"Ma'am, there's a woman here claiming to be your mother. She says her name is Shanice Jackson and insists it's an emergency."

Shanice. The name hit like a punch to my gut, the grip of old memories twisting tighter. I'd done everything possible to distance myself, to close that chapter of my life. Still, part of me clung to the faint remnants of who she used to be—those fleeting moments when she'd been more than just a shadow. For one fractured second, I saw her as the mother who'd held me close, who'd kissed my scraped knees and made me laugh. But that mother had disappeared long ago, leaving only the shell of a person I couldn't reach.

"Did she say what the emergency is?" My voice held steady, but a cold prickle ran down my spine.

"She says she's sick and has nowhere else to go."

I closed my eyes, a dull ache spreading across my chest. My instincts screamed to say no, to shut the door and keep her out. But the memory of my brother, Tommy—the one who'd loved her, protected me, and sacrificed so much—broke through. Against every warning in my heart, I said, "Let her in."

As soon as I hung up, I texted Alec: Mom's here. Claims it's an emergency. Could use backup. Alec would understand. He'd seen Shanice unravel our lives, leaving scars we both carried. Now that he knew about my pregnancy, he'd be here in seconds.

A knock sounded at the door. I opened it to see Shanice standing there, looking frail and disheveled, her clothes hanging off her thin frame. A ghost of the woman she'd once been. For a fleeting moment, I could almost see the mother I'd loved—before addiction, before the chaos.

"Leila," she said, her voice soft, almost breaking. "It's been so long."

"What do you need, Shanice?" I kept my voice steady, my grip tightening around the doorframe, though a faint pressure was already tugging at my lower abdomen. I pushed the sensation aside as nothing more than nerves.

She placed a trembling hand on her chest, her eyes glistening. "I... I'm sick, Leila. Terminal. The doctors say it's too late." Her voice cracked, and she reached out a hand as if to touch me, but I took a step back.

The words sank in slowly, each one carrying the weight of memories I'd tried to bury. She's your mother, a small, irrational part of me whispered, and you're all she has left. I thought of Tommy, of the sacrifices he'd made to protect me from this very woman, and how he'd probably want me to try—just one more time.

"When... when did this happen?" I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

"A few weeks ago," she said, her gaze shifting to the floor. "With Tommy gone, you're my only family, Leila. I thought maybe... maybe we could make peace."

Just then, the door opened behind me, and Alec stepped inside. His sharp gaze landed on Shanice, the tension in his posture unmistakable. He moved to my side, his expression cool, assessing.

"Didn't realize we were having a family reunion," he said, his tone edged with warning.

Shanice's demeanor changed instantly, a glint of irritation crossing her face. "Alec," she sneered, her voice turning cold. "You always did know how to make yourself feel important."