The Best of Everything by Kimberla Lawson Roby Page B

could never take that for as long as you did. I could never take it for even a few weeks.”
    “I understand why you feel that way, and I don’t want to see you go through the same thing I went through, either. But at the same time, I really believe that Phillip loves you and that you should try talking to him again. Tell him how you feel about everything.”
    “I don’t know…I’m tired of arguing with him.”
    “Well, how mad was he about this comforter set you bought?”
    “He’s real mad, and it’s so uncalled for.”
    “Alicia, you really are going to have to stop blowing money the way you do. And you should apologize to Phillip. Because, honey, if you don’t stop soon, not only are you going to ruin your credit, but you’re going to cause your marriage to come to an end. And I know you don’t want that.”
    Alicia didn’t like what her mother was trying to insinuate. “Ruin my credit? How am I going to do that when I pay all my bills on time and my credit is excellent?”
    “If you continue down this path you’re riding on, it won’t stay that way.”
    “I don’t see how, because my spending isn’t any worse than what it’s always been.”
    “That might be true, but it was different when you were growing up and while you were in college because your fatherpaid all of your bills. But now that you have a husband, you have to make better choices and act a lot more responsibly.”
    “Mom, why are you siding with Phillip?”
    “I’m not siding with anyone. You’re my daughter and Phillip is a wonderful man who really loves you, and I just want to make sure you consider that. I want the best for you, Alicia, and more than anything I want to see you happy.”
    “You know what? I have to go.”
    “That’s fine, Alicia, but I hope you’ll think about what I said.”
    “Yeah, right. I’ll think about it. Bye, Mom.”
    Alicia threw the phone on its base and turned on the television. She flipped through a few movie channels, watched CNN for a few minutes, and then decided to check out QVC. Very rarely did she watch shopping channels on Sundays, but from the looks of the citrine and diamond ring they were showing, she was very glad she’d tuned in on this one. This ring would go perfectly with the mustard-color leather jacket she’d purchased not very long ago.
    She watched and listened to the host as she described the details and thought about her mother and how she’d actually sided with Phillip against her own daughter. But Alicia wasn’t going to let that bother her because she knew her mother was only trying to keep peace between her and Phillip. Either that or she just didn’t get what Alicia had been trying to tell her. She didn’t understand that Phillip was being unreasonable and was only trying to control her and that she wasn’t having it. He kept acting as though Alicia had a problem and now her mother sounded as though she might be thinking the same thing, but they were wrong.
    However, in the end, the only thing that really mattered was that Alicia was a grown woman, and she didn’t have to listen toanybody she didn’t want to listen to. Not Phillip, not her mother, not Melanie, not anyone.
    And for the rest of the evening, she wasn’t going to think about any of the problems she and Phillip were having. What she was going to do instead was relax, enjoy the QVC precious stones broadcast, and see what else she liked in addition to the ring she was now getting ready to order.
    She did what made her happy, and there wasn’t a single thing wrong with that.

Chapter 11
    T his past weekend had been by far the worst weekend of Phillip and Alicia’s marriage, but now that he’d finally awakened and was watching her sleep so peacefully, he was reminded of just how much he loved her. He didn’t understand why she did the things she did and why she couldn’t seem to stop, but there was no denying that he loved his wife with everything in him. He hated arguing with her as if they