“This is the first time you’ve told me this. How heavily?”
“Rayna, I’ve never told you much about my mom because it’s too painful to even think about her.” Michelle drew out a long exhale in a fortifying attempt. I braced myself. “She died of breast cancer at the age of thirty-four. I was seventeen and devastated. For many years, I blamed her for allowing the cancer to eat away at her. Now, it’s come back to show me who’s boss.” She burst out in tears. I went to physically console her but I didn’t know what to say.
“Na-Na, I swore I’d never let a disease separate me from my children. Never! And the doctors are telling me this cancer is extremely aggressive and they can’t make any promises. What am I supposed to tell Erin? I don’t even know who her dad is. Who’s going to take care of my baby?” She sobbed into my arms.
I cried along with her. It was all I could do. I couldn’t imagine my life without Michelle. I cried for us. We sat for a while in our embrace, I’m sure with both our thoughts running wild. I had nowhere to be. Nothing else mattered. She was my world.
I was there so long that before I knew it Erin had come home from school. Michelle’s younger cousin, Amber, had picked her up. Amber never liked me. In fact, she was in PT school trying to take my position. She hated me from the time I’d met Michelle back at NC State. She barely spoke to me and made it very clear to Michelle that she thought I was beneath them. Michelle never paid her much mind and neither did I because she was so young. But ever since I’d been in L.A. she made no secret that she wanted to run the practice in Long Branch City. To be honest, the only reason she hadn’t been was because she didn’t have the credentials at the time. Whenever we saw one another we’d say hello, but it was very cold and forced. I always said if it weren’t for Michelle, I’d beat her snobbish ass senseless. After our arctic greeting, Amber asked Michelle if she could take Erin out to dinner.
Erin had other plans. “Mommy, could I spend the night at Auntie Na-Na’s? Please mommy, please!” she begged.
Amber, of course, wasn’t happy with that request at all. Michelle politely said, “Honey, your cousin, Amber, just invited you out to dinner—”
“But Mommy, you promised to take me to Auntie Na-Na. You said when she came back from her trip.” I wanted to interject so bad and tell her that she was more than welcome to stay with me after seeing that disappointed face but decided against it.
“Well, that is true, Amber. Would you mind?” Michelle asked as she looked at Amber with puppy dog eyes of her own.
“If you insist…” Amber muttered with attitude.
“Well, do you mind, Rayna?” She turned to me realizing she needed to clear it with me first.
“Not at all.” I knew Michelle needed the time alone and I never missed out on the opportunity to play auntie to little Erin. She was irresistible. Shortly thereafter Amber left.
Michelle wanted to stop by and see my new home before we parted ways. I took the girls by the house and Erin was excited to pick out her room. The house was ranch-style with three bedrooms, two walk-in closets, two and a half bathrooms, full kitchen, step down living room, a separate dining room, and a modest-sized den.
“This place is gorgeous, Na-Na! I’m so proud of you! How did you find it?” Michelle asked with pride. It was more than I thought a person could offer considering the blow she’d just been dealt. I fought like hell to suppress my tears for now.
“Azmir gave me a realtor that had business in the areas I was interested in. And it didn’t take long either. If I hadn’t gone away, I would have been in last week maybe. Don’t you love the smell of fresh paint?” I inhaled deeply.