birthed me ate up my insides. “Me,” I pointed at my chest, “I pay for this. All so you can blow your welfare check on booze and cigarettes. So don’t preach to me about values and certainly don’t call me a whore.” I let out a lengthy breath.
She shook with anger, her stringy blonde hair falling into her eyes. It looked like she hadn’t washed it in a week, which was probably the case. I knew I shouldn’t have spouted off the way I had. This wasn’t going to be pretty.
She let out a roaring scream and knocked her plate to the ground. The glass shattered and food splattered against the walls. “Do not talk me that way!” She screamed. “Don’t forget everything I’ve done for you!”
I swallowed thickly, anger rising inside me to match her. “What you’ve done for me?” I yelled back. I hated that the kids were seeing this, but I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. I’d retreated into the shadows, never saying anything, for all my life and finally something inside me had snapped. “What you’ve done for me is ruin my life! You’ve taken everything from me!”
“You’re nothing but an ungrateful bitch ,” she spat, shoving the table. It toppled over and food went everywhere. Ivy and Tristan began to cry. I couldn’t do anything to comfort them right now. My mom stalked towards me, her hand raised to slap me. She didn’t though. “Thanks to me you have a life .”
I shook my head. “You’re wrong . What life I had thanks to you was destroyed a long time ago.” My voice wasn’t angry…mostly defeated sounding.
“You really hate me, don’t you, Rowan?” She stared up at me—I was at least a head taller than her.
“I suppose I loved you once, like all children love their parents, but I lost respect for you a long time ago. And after everything you’ve said and done to me…” I paused, lifting my shoulders in a small shrug, “I guess I do hate you. How could I not?”
Her lips twitched into a smile. A freakin’ smile. God, she was weird. “ At least you own it.”
“I am what I am. I feel what I feel. There’s no sense in denying it,” I stated.
“You really are my daughter.” Her lips spread up into a wide smile, revealing her rotted teeth.
Hearing the word daughter come out of her mouth, repulsed me. I didn’t belong to her, and I didn’t like her staking claim to me. “I’m nothing to you.”
Something about those words made her snap. Her hand shot out, smacking sharply against my cheek, pivoting my head to the side.
I raised a shaking hand to my stinging cheek. Tristan and Ivy’s cries grew louder. “Try that again,” I warned through clenched teeth, “and you won’t like what happens. Me, them,” I nodded at the kids, “we’ll be gone and you’ll lose all this,” I spread my arms to encompass the house. “Don’t push me, mom.”
Her nostrils flared but resignation shon e in her eyes. She knew that without me she’d have nothing. What she didn’t know was that I was nowhere close to being ready to leave. The rent for this place was hardly anything—seeing at it was a dump and all. I couldn’t afford a nice place yet and I knew legally I couldn’t take the kids. I’d end up arrested for attempted kidnapping. But she was dumb and didn’t know that. For now, threats were my only real weapon and I planned to use them to my full advantage.
Finally, she turned sharply on her heel and stormed out of the room. The front door slammed closed behind her.
“Fuck,” Jim groaned, pulling at what little hair he had left. “Ronda!” He hopped up, running after my mom. I didn’t know he could move so fast. I guessed he knew he needed to do damage control for groping my ass.
I sighed, looking at the mess of food covering the floor, the walls, and the kids. This was not going to be fun to clean up.
I bent down on the floor to start the process of cleaning up, but didn’t get very far. Tristan launched himself into my arms and wrapped his around my neck.
She shook with anger, her stringy blonde hair falling into her eyes. It looked like she hadn’t washed it in a week, which was probably the case. I knew I shouldn’t have spouted off the way I had. This wasn’t going to be pretty.
She let out a roaring scream and knocked her plate to the ground. The glass shattered and food splattered against the walls. “Do not talk me that way!” She screamed. “Don’t forget everything I’ve done for you!”
I swallowed thickly, anger rising inside me to match her. “What you’ve done for me?” I yelled back. I hated that the kids were seeing this, but I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. I’d retreated into the shadows, never saying anything, for all my life and finally something inside me had snapped. “What you’ve done for me is ruin my life! You’ve taken everything from me!”
“You’re nothing but an ungrateful bitch ,” she spat, shoving the table. It toppled over and food went everywhere. Ivy and Tristan began to cry. I couldn’t do anything to comfort them right now. My mom stalked towards me, her hand raised to slap me. She didn’t though. “Thanks to me you have a life .”
I shook my head. “You’re wrong . What life I had thanks to you was destroyed a long time ago.” My voice wasn’t angry…mostly defeated sounding.
“You really hate me, don’t you, Rowan?” She stared up at me—I was at least a head taller than her.
“I suppose I loved you once, like all children love their parents, but I lost respect for you a long time ago. And after everything you’ve said and done to me…” I paused, lifting my shoulders in a small shrug, “I guess I do hate you. How could I not?”
Her lips twitched into a smile. A freakin’ smile. God, she was weird. “ At least you own it.”
“I am what I am. I feel what I feel. There’s no sense in denying it,” I stated.
“You really are my daughter.” Her lips spread up into a wide smile, revealing her rotted teeth.
Hearing the word daughter come out of her mouth, repulsed me. I didn’t belong to her, and I didn’t like her staking claim to me. “I’m nothing to you.”
Something about those words made her snap. Her hand shot out, smacking sharply against my cheek, pivoting my head to the side.
I raised a shaking hand to my stinging cheek. Tristan and Ivy’s cries grew louder. “Try that again,” I warned through clenched teeth, “and you won’t like what happens. Me, them,” I nodded at the kids, “we’ll be gone and you’ll lose all this,” I spread my arms to encompass the house. “Don’t push me, mom.”
Her nostrils flared but resignation shon e in her eyes. She knew that without me she’d have nothing. What she didn’t know was that I was nowhere close to being ready to leave. The rent for this place was hardly anything—seeing at it was a dump and all. I couldn’t afford a nice place yet and I knew legally I couldn’t take the kids. I’d end up arrested for attempted kidnapping. But she was dumb and didn’t know that. For now, threats were my only real weapon and I planned to use them to my full advantage.
Finally, she turned sharply on her heel and stormed out of the room. The front door slammed closed behind her.
“Fuck,” Jim groaned, pulling at what little hair he had left. “Ronda!” He hopped up, running after my mom. I didn’t know he could move so fast. I guessed he knew he needed to do damage control for groping my ass.
I sighed, looking at the mess of food covering the floor, the walls, and the kids. This was not going to be fun to clean up.
I bent down on the floor to start the process of cleaning up, but didn’t get very far. Tristan launched himself into my arms and wrapped his around my neck.
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