laughing.
Loretta became paler and paler. Rachel stood with her mouth wide open. She was furious and had had enough. She didn’t care what they said about her father, but they weren’t about to sit there and disrespect her mother like that. “Unh-unh.” Rachel started heading around the corner. Loretta grabbed her by the arm. “No!”
“What?” Rachel heard Delilah and Carrie’s laughter grow distant and she peeked around the corner. They were heading toward the lingerie section. “Mama, I know you’re not going to let them talk about you like a dog and you not say anything.”
Loretta looked like she was fighting back tears. She swallowed. “We came here to do some shopping, so we’re going to do some shopping.”
Rachel stared at her mother in disbelief. She knew her mother didn’t have much of a backbone with her father, but this was too much.
Loretta ignored Rachel and walked over to a rack. She picked up a blue jean jacket and matching pants. “I saw this for Jordan when I first walked in. Don’t you think it’s cute?”
Rachel followed her mother, stunned. “Mama, I don’t believe you. What is wrong with you? Don’t you have any pride? This is ridiculous. I mean, I’ve heard of weak women in my life, but you take the cake. They called you fat, ugly, and Delilah all but said she was going to take your husband. And you just stand there. How can you be so spineless? Don’t you even care how—”
Rachel was unprepared for the slap she received from her mother’s right hand. The blow stunned Rachel and stopped her from finishing her sentence. She looked at her mother, dumbfounded. Not only because they were standing in the middle of the department store but also because her mother hadn’t struck her in years.
“Shut up! Shut up right now!” Loretta said. “I can’t do anything about those hussies disrespecting me, but I won’t have my own child disrespecting me!”
Rachel felt tears welling up. Where had that come from? The blow hurt like hell. She also had never seen her mother that angry. Loretta’s cinnamon complexion had turned red in fury.
“Don’t you think I know what those women say about me? It’s not the first time I’ve heard that nonsense,” Loretta hissed. “I know people wonder why Simon is with me. They’ve been wondering for years. Do those comments still hurt? Yes. But if I don’t know nothing else, I know my husband loves me. For me.”
Rachel rubbed her cheek, taking in her mother’s words. “But Mama, he treats you so bad.”
“How? He doesn’t beat me, cheat on me. So what makes him a bad husband? Because he asks me to clean and cook? Because I’m submissive to him? Let me tell you something, Rachel.” Loretta leaned in close to her daughter. “I submit to him because I choose to. I choose to follow God’s words and let the man lead. I know you new-age women can’t understand that, but that’s what I do. And I do it with my head held high. I love cooking, cleaning, and being a good wife. I love taking care of my husband and if that makes me a disgrace to womankind, then I’m sorry. But I won’t apologize for who I am, or how I am.”
Rachel stared at her mother in amazement. It had never crossed her mind that her mother actually liked being submissive, let alone doing it for biblical reasons.
Rachel removed her hand from her cheek. “Well, I guess I’ll never be married. Because I refuse to let a man treat me the way Daddy treats you.”
“Your father treats me just fine. Do I wish he spent more time with us? Absolutely. Do I agree with the way he treats you and David? No. But Simon is struggling with his own demons because he feels like a failure as a father. But if I don’t know anything else, I know he loves me and each one of you kids. Now, I’m grateful that the Lord blessed me with a man like Simon, whose biggest fault is he spends too much time in his church.”
Rachel sniffed and wiped away the single tear falling down her
Loretta became paler and paler. Rachel stood with her mouth wide open. She was furious and had had enough. She didn’t care what they said about her father, but they weren’t about to sit there and disrespect her mother like that. “Unh-unh.” Rachel started heading around the corner. Loretta grabbed her by the arm. “No!”
“What?” Rachel heard Delilah and Carrie’s laughter grow distant and she peeked around the corner. They were heading toward the lingerie section. “Mama, I know you’re not going to let them talk about you like a dog and you not say anything.”
Loretta looked like she was fighting back tears. She swallowed. “We came here to do some shopping, so we’re going to do some shopping.”
Rachel stared at her mother in disbelief. She knew her mother didn’t have much of a backbone with her father, but this was too much.
Loretta ignored Rachel and walked over to a rack. She picked up a blue jean jacket and matching pants. “I saw this for Jordan when I first walked in. Don’t you think it’s cute?”
Rachel followed her mother, stunned. “Mama, I don’t believe you. What is wrong with you? Don’t you have any pride? This is ridiculous. I mean, I’ve heard of weak women in my life, but you take the cake. They called you fat, ugly, and Delilah all but said she was going to take your husband. And you just stand there. How can you be so spineless? Don’t you even care how—”
Rachel was unprepared for the slap she received from her mother’s right hand. The blow stunned Rachel and stopped her from finishing her sentence. She looked at her mother, dumbfounded. Not only because they were standing in the middle of the department store but also because her mother hadn’t struck her in years.
“Shut up! Shut up right now!” Loretta said. “I can’t do anything about those hussies disrespecting me, but I won’t have my own child disrespecting me!”
Rachel felt tears welling up. Where had that come from? The blow hurt like hell. She also had never seen her mother that angry. Loretta’s cinnamon complexion had turned red in fury.
“Don’t you think I know what those women say about me? It’s not the first time I’ve heard that nonsense,” Loretta hissed. “I know people wonder why Simon is with me. They’ve been wondering for years. Do those comments still hurt? Yes. But if I don’t know nothing else, I know my husband loves me. For me.”
Rachel rubbed her cheek, taking in her mother’s words. “But Mama, he treats you so bad.”
“How? He doesn’t beat me, cheat on me. So what makes him a bad husband? Because he asks me to clean and cook? Because I’m submissive to him? Let me tell you something, Rachel.” Loretta leaned in close to her daughter. “I submit to him because I choose to. I choose to follow God’s words and let the man lead. I know you new-age women can’t understand that, but that’s what I do. And I do it with my head held high. I love cooking, cleaning, and being a good wife. I love taking care of my husband and if that makes me a disgrace to womankind, then I’m sorry. But I won’t apologize for who I am, or how I am.”
Rachel stared at her mother in amazement. It had never crossed her mind that her mother actually liked being submissive, let alone doing it for biblical reasons.
Rachel removed her hand from her cheek. “Well, I guess I’ll never be married. Because I refuse to let a man treat me the way Daddy treats you.”
“Your father treats me just fine. Do I wish he spent more time with us? Absolutely. Do I agree with the way he treats you and David? No. But Simon is struggling with his own demons because he feels like a failure as a father. But if I don’t know anything else, I know he loves me and each one of you kids. Now, I’m grateful that the Lord blessed me with a man like Simon, whose biggest fault is he spends too much time in his church.”
Rachel sniffed and wiped away the single tear falling down her
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