“Separated. And don’t you get smart with me. I’m only looking out for you girl.”
“Okay, I appreciate your concern, Mom but I’m not interested in moving back to DC. For the first time, I have my own place and I love it here, I’ve made friends. And I love Rhys and he loves me. I wish you wouldn’t be so negative when it comes to him. It was very nice of him to take us to dinner earlier this week. You seemed to like him just fine then.”
Her mother shrugged. “A free meal is a free meal. So what? He’s into you now, sure, but you couldn’t hold Terrell, what makes you think you can hold a man like Rhys?”
It stung the way her mother so casually wielded her emotional paper cuts without batting an eye. “Yet, you want me to get back with a man whose interest I couldn’t hold?”
“You know how men are. They make a lot of mistakes, but eventually, they come to their senses. It was a lapse of judgment on his part to marry that hood rat and they’re no longer together. I don’t see why you won’t hear him out.”
“Because he broke my heart. Because he promised me marriage, but then married someone else behind my back. Because I have more pride than to take someone back who would treat me like that. Do I need another reason?”
“You’re making mountains out of molehills. What will you do when things end with you and that white boy? And they will. Then what? You’re not in a position to burn your bridges. It’s not like you have your sisters’ looks.”
That did it. “When did you say you were leaving again?”
Jackie raised a brow. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Well, don’t you have to get back to your cushy government job?”
“I told you, I’m on a two-week furlough. This damn recession. When you come back to DC you can stay with me for as long as you’d like. You can help me out with the bills of course. It’ll be like we’re roommates.”
Sadie narrowed her eyes. “Are you having money problems, Jackie? Is that why you want me to move back to DC? To help you out?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why do you want me to return to DC so badly, when you know I’m happy where I am? And please don’t bring up my relationship with Rhys again. With all due respect, what we have is none of your business and if you can’t be happy for me, that’s your problem, not mine. I don’t know why you go out of your way to put me down all the time, but it certainly doesn’t make me want to pack up and leave North Carolina just to take more of your abuse.” It was the first time she’d stood up to her mother and it felt great.
For once Jackie seemed to be at a loss for words before her face fell. “So you’re going to do me like your sisters did?”
“Jackie, let’s not start on that.”
“I’m dying, girl.”
“What?” Sadie couldn’t have heard her correctly.
“I said I’m dying.”