I'd Do Anything

Chapter 6

"Hope." The voice seemed to echo, I hadn't heard it in so long. It seemed so foreign.

It was my mom.

The little girl inside of me wanted to cry; just knowing she was okay made my heart flutter. I was angry, as I should've been... but she was my mother, and nothing could change that or stop the love that I would forever have for her.

"Mommy?" My eyes watered and I began to feel vulnerable. I turned around to face her, she looked worse than the last time that I seen her. She was skinny and her hair was a mess, she was almost unrecognizable, but her eyes looked the same. They carried the same sadness.

"Hope, I'm so sorry. Let me come home, baby. Let me come home."

I hugged her and together we walked to the car. I took her to get a couple of outfits and after doing some grocery shopping we went home.

As we pulled in the driveway, I was relieved that Patience and Big Mama were still gone. I walked my mom up to her room and handed her towels to shower with.

"It looks exactly how I left it." She said looking around. And she was right, everything was still in place and I made sure to never even step inside this room. The liquor bottles were still on the floor where she laid passed out, the clothes of my father's that she constantly slept with were still scattered about on the bed, I had left everything how it was; maybe because I wanted to believe that she was coming home.

"Yeah, I never opened the door after you closed it. Maybe I closed you out too." I responded.

"I am so sorry, Hope. I really am- but it was just so hard."

"I don't think you understand what hard truly is... we lost both of our parents. People find different spouses all of the time, but a mom is someone that only comes around once." She couldn't find the words to respond.

I broke the silence and said, "I'm gonna go downstairs and start on dinner, get washed up, Patience will be home soon. She needs to see you in a different light than she last did."

All she did was nod, as I expected her to. I didn't want a bullshit apology, nor did I care to hear her reasons for her actions. I just wanted her off the street, she needed to be home.

Walking down the steps, I dialed Kristi, the owner of KeepitClean, and she answered on the first ring.

"Hey, girl, wassup?" she answered

"Hey Kris. You busy? I have a job for you."

"Did cutie pie spill some more juice?"

"Nope, not this time" I laughed, "I need a quick clean for the room on the right side of the hall."

"You okay? You never want that room done. Jesus must have come back!"

"Something like that. I'll see you soon."

"Yes ma'am, on my way" she said before hanging up.

Right when I put my phone down, it rang. The name that came upon the screen was Lorenzo's. I picked up my phone turning it off. I knew it wasn't right because he really liked me, and I liked him too. But it just wasn't the right time. I had been avoiding him at work because life was busy, I had a party to plan for my baby, and I was considering moving to a bigger home with less memories.

As I stirred my mashed potatoes, I heard the door open and Patience ran in to the kitchen grabbing my leg, I picked her up and hugged her planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Ma-Ma." She said. It was something she picked up, but I didn't mind it. I put her in her play pen with her toys and a cup of juice.

"Hey Big Mama, come sit down, let's talk." I said.