Page 52 of Stripping Little Seraphina
I couldn’t hear her at first. The noise in my head was too loud. But her steady presence pulled me in inch by inch until my breathing started to hitch less violently.
When she saw I was finally able to hear her, she pressed the phone back into my hands. “Call your sister,” she said softly. “Let her anchor you. You need more than me right now.”
I shook my head, not wanting her to think that she wasn’t enough. It wasn’t that at all. I just…
“It’s not up for debate. Call your sister, babygirl.”
My hands trembled as I dialed. Master E and Vasiah quietly slipped out of the room, leaving me with the ringing tone in my ear.
“Hello?” My sister’s voice came through, brisk and alert.
I broke. Words tumbled out, sobs cutting through as I explained everything, how Mom was unraveling, how I felt like the worst daughter alive.
She was quiet for a long moment before her voice softened. “I’m pissed at her, Sera. You don’t deserve this. She doesn’t get to use her pain as a weapon against you.”
I sucked in a shaky breath.
“You’re not hurting her,” my sister continued firmly. “She’s doing this to herself. Block her calls. I’ll deal with her. You focus on you. Don’t let her stop you. Don’t let her take this away from you. Every time that I’ve spoken to you over the past few weeks, it’s given me motivation to stop being the golden child and do the things that I want to do. Hear me loud and clear when I say this…. Fuck Mom.”
I gasped.
“No, really. Fuck her. This is bullshit. You’re happy and she can tell and she’s destroying that for you. Anybody that speaks against you, speaks it against me. There’s no way I’m okay with her treating you like this. You deserve the entire world and for hurting you like this, she’s gotta deal with me, too. Wipe your eyes, pick up your joy, and go live for you. No more worrying about them.”
Her words wrapped around me like a shield, and I exhaled without shaking.
“That’s right, baby sis. Exhale all of her nasty energy. Go love on that bad ass woman of yours, she’s handsome as fuck, by the way.” She chuckled.
I smiled for the first time since this all started. “I called her handsome, too.”
“She is. It’s obvious that she’s a woman, but she’s got so much masculine presence that it’s hard to say anything but handsome. Anyway, go hug her and tell her that you love her and I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Wait. How did you know?” I asked her.
“Know what? That you love her?” She giggled. “You talk about her nonstop. I’ve never heard you so happy with anybody.And you were giddy about your first female. That doesn’t even compare. It’s you. You’re different. The kind that blossoms because you’ve found the one person that gives you peace. Well, the one person outside of your favorite twin.”
We both laughed at that.
“Have you told her?” she asked.
“No. I… I keep waiting for her to run or disappear.”
“And?”
“And she hasn’t. She handles her son every day. They talk and laugh over the phone and then she spends time with me, too. She manages it all effortlessly. We got off to a rocky start, but since we talked, it’s been a dream a million times over.”
“Then we’re not letting that go. Not unless it becomes bad. You decide when or if it ends, not Mom. Got it?”
I nodded though she couldn’t see me. “I do.” I exhaled again. “I love you, Jo.”
“Same. I love you, too.”
When I left the room, Daddy was waiting. She didn’t say anything at first, just pulled me into her arms. My safe place.
Oh god, this feels good.
“I talked to her,” I whispered into her chest. “She said I should block Mom’s calls. She’s on my side.”
Daddy kissed my temple. “Good. You don’t have to fight this alone, little one.”
