EMBER #2
Reason and I went out on a date night, leaving Mama T and my cousins at home with the kids. Our first stop was getting our initials engraved on the inside of my engagement ring. He said he would’ve gotten it done already, but he wanted to make sure it was something I wanted first.
We dropped it off at the jewelry store, then we strolled the fancy area like lovebirds. There were dim lights, roses everywhere, cute shops and restaurants lining the street. The setting really made me feel like I was in a romantic movie scene. But this was no film; this was my real life.
“Baby, let’s check out this soup restaurant over there,” he suggested, pointing at the restaurant that had the name Soupville lit up in bright blue cursive letters.
We headed over to the restaurant, and it was packed. I sat in the waiting area while Reason went up to the host and said something to him. The guy’s eyes widened, and he immediately slapped palms with Reason. The next thing I knew, we were being escorted to our table.
As we were passing one of the tables, my attention was on the woman sitting down, staring at the man sitting across from her.
“Em, what’s wrong?” Reason asked when he noticed I had slowed down.
When I didn’t say anything, he followed my eyes, and he looked confused at first. Then, he looked at me and asked, “That’s your mother?”
Reason’s memory was good. He had never been officially introduced to her because I was never allowed to have boys over, but Reason would always see her in passing, and one time on our prom night.
Or when he used to walk me home from school, he would wait a few houses down to make sure I made it inside safely and see my mother outside watering the grass.
“Yeah,” I said flatly, feeling my throat getting dry.
“Let’s keep walkin’,” I instructed. “Baby, I’m not in the mood.”
But we didn’t move fast enough.
“Honey, look who it is. Your daughter.” My mother’s husband gave me a quick nod as he tapped her arm to get her attention.
She looked up from the menu in front of her and looked directly into my eyes.
“Daughter?” That one simple word made it feel like it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
After she gave me a look of disgust, she looked Reason up and down.
Shortly after, her focus was back on me again as her eyes traveled down to my ring finger.
“Hmph, and I see you’re still unwed. Are you on the hunt for baby father number two, dear? ” she said sarcastically.
I felt Reason’s body tense next to me. He moved me behind him, pulled out his phone to send a text, and looked down at my mother. “I was taught to respect my elders, but you gon’ have to watch how you talk to my fiancée and to the mother of my kids.”
My mother’s eyes shot open. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah, you heard right.”
“You must be desperate to become a stepdaddy. And I don’t know where you’re getting kids from, as in plural. This girl has one child that she had straight out of high school.”
“I know. She had my daughter. Your granddaughter, remember? One who you’ll never meet. You turned your back on your own daughter, but she still made it without you.”
“Oh, you’re the little nigga who got my daughter pregnant and made her a single mother, huh?” The wicked way she laughed gave me chills.
That only made me realize my mother never liked me, or maybe never even loved me.
I couldn’t understand the battle between mothers and daughters that I’ve witnessed in other families too.
It seemed like some of the mothers were either jealous of their daughters or hated them as soon as they fell out with the fathers.
I couldn’t for the life of me understand what it was, because I couldn’t imagine having any ill feelings toward Rhema, let alone ever pushing my baby out into a world she wasn’t prepared for, no matter what mistakes she made in life.
“Mr. St. Pierre,” someone called, interrupting my thoughts.
“I rushed right over with your fiancée’s ring.
The engravings are just the way you wanted it.
” It was the jeweler who looked like he sprinted in here.
Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead and above his upper lip. This must have been who Reason texted.
Reason took the ring from him and slid it on my finger. The look on my mother's and her husband’s faces when their eyes landed on the fattest ring they probably had ever seen in person. Every inch of it was covered in shiny diamonds.
I smiled because I knew exactly what my man was doing.
“Thanks, Fresh. Here’s a little extra for the expedited service.” Reason reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of money.
“Man, thank you, Mr. St. Pierre. I can’t wait to tell my wife that I met the owner of her favorite TV network.”
My mother’s mouth was now hanging down to the table. She didn’t have to say a word for me to see that her entire demeanor had changed after hearing that.
Fresh left, and Reason’s focus shifted back to my mother. “Aight, ma’am. We won’t hold you. I gotta feed my woman and get home to our babies.”
“Wait!” my mom stood as we walked away. “Ember, I’m so sorry.”
Her husband stood up from their table and gave my mother a cold look, similar to the one she’d given me earlier. “Dillan, what are you doing? Where are you going?” she asked. Her attention shifted from me to her husband.
“Far away from your evil ass,” he spat as he picked up his vintage-looking fedora hat from the seat and walked away, leaving my mother there, dumbfounded and embarrassed.
I shook my head and continued walking as I thought about my mother’s weak ass apology.
Even though it wasn’t genuine, that sorry came a little too late.
She was a woman who had forced me to learn how to love her from a distance.
And now, all of a sudden, she was sorry after finding out who Reason was and knowing he was wealthy.
Fuck outta here. She could continue living her life without me in it.
Reason signaled for the host to take us to our seats.
I forgot all about the man who was patiently waiting with his fingers intertwined in front of him.
Maybe he was enjoying the light flex that had just occurred.
When we were finally escorted to our table, we spent our alone time enjoying our meal and each other.
I felt like I could get through and conquer anything with Reason by my side.