How could a person who wasn't in your life cause you so much pain but also be somebody you could learn so much from? Reyna stood before that one person who caused her pain but also taught her a lesson, her mother. Eleven years, was how long her mother had been incarcerated, many years without seeing her or talking to her. Reyna's emotions were at an all time high as she faced Lyric. She didn't know the first thing to do as she looked at the woman before her. She had so much to say but couldn't even put it in words. It was crazy how Reyna was the first person Lyric called after ignoring her for years.
When Reyna got that call you could best believe she came running. At the end of the day she was still her mother and she wouldn't treat her any differently even if Lyric did. She knew what it felt like to not have nobody. The decision that her mother made was her sacrifices. She would never put a man before her own child no matter what the circumstances were or what was presented to her.
The day she awaited for. The day she would count down when she was younger was now here. She was the furthest from being happy, yes she was happy that her mother was free but that was the only thing she was happy about. How could you put a nigga before your child? The same nigga who ended up getting married only a year later. He was free with his family while Lyric was carrying that tittle of being a ride or die. She felt her mother was foolish for throwing her whole life away for a man.
Lyric was a beautiful woman. Over the years she had changed but she still looked the same. Her skin tone was like toffee, beautiful hazel colored orbs. She had gained weight in the right places, she wasn't skinny anymore she was thick. Her long dark brown hair was pulled into a bun. At thirty-eight years old Lyric still looked twenty-one.
"Y-You've grown so much. I-I hate I wasn't there to witness it." Lyric said as she looked at Reyna. Seeing Reyna brought tears to her eyes. Over the years she collected photos of Reyna seeing her blossom into a beautiful young lady but it wasn't nothing like witnessing it happen right infront of you and she missed every moment of that. She missed the years that Reyna needed her the most.
"You had a choice." Reyna said, as she looked at the mother. The tears that threaten to fall she tried her hardest to keep them from doing so. She just didn't want to give her mother that satisfaction of knowing how she truly felt. Lyric surprised with her choice of words and her tone. Reyna had never been one to speak her mind, she had always known Reyna to be soft spoken but that was then and this is now.
"I was protecting you." Lyric replied as Reyna chuckled and shook her head.
"You we're protecting yourself. The decision you made was to make sure you wouldn't be labeled as a rat. The man you was dealing with shouldn't have even put you in that predicament to begin with but you had a choice." Reyna said, embedding her teeth into her bottom lip. Lyric looked at her the scowl that graced her face was enough to let Reyna know she had struck a nerve. Which she should have. Over the years Reyna had realized the things her mother did to get by were far from mistakes especially since it was repeated actions. She chose to live the lifestyle just like she chose to keep her mouth shut.
"Well I'm home now." Lyric said. Like that was supposed to make anything better.
Unsure of what to say. She didn't expect the conversation to go like this and Reyna hope she surely didn't expect to be welcomed with open arms at the end of the day Lyric still acted as if her daughter didn't exist. Even when she wasn't locked up. She would still be here for her mother but she wouldn't be so open with her.
"How long are you going to be staying here?" Reyna asked, as she looked around at the room. It was the size of her bedroom in the projects she once lived in. The four plain walls with only one window, twin size bed and small flat screen TV that was mounted onto the wall. The longer she looked the more she could feel her mood shifting, everything was just depressing.
