Passion In The Game

Haunted

Rayna was working on another book in a series she was writing when her phone rang. She answered it realizing it her mother.

"Hey." Rayna said.

"Hey, baby." Tyra said. "How's it going?"

"Fine." Rayna said.

"Anthony left this morning right?" Tyra said.

"Yeah. I'm sure he'll be calling me in the next few minutes to say he landed." Rayna said.

"The game was close enough. How come you didn't go?" Tyra said.

"I didn't want to." Rayna said.

"Why?" Tyra said.

"Because my business." Rayna said catching an attitude. Her mother was always trying stick herself in places she didn't need to be. She wasn't worried about her when she was growing up so why now?

"Honey if it were me I'd be with him." Tyra said ignoring her attitude,

"Well, it's me not you. Anthony needs his focus anyway. He doesn't need me as a distraction." Rayna said.

"I think he could take a little time for you." Tyra said.

"After this game, it's bye week. I'll have him all to myself. There's my little time." Rayna said.

"Hmm, ok." Tyra said.

"What's the word on Ben?" Rayna said.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry" Tyra said, apologetically.

"What happened this time?" Rayna sighed.

"Ben had another episode." Tyra said. "They let him go outside, interact with the other patients. He...interacted with the wrong one."

"So, it's back to square one." Rayna sighed.

"They moved him to another part of the hospital. Away from everyone else." Tyra said.

"Can't we put him in a different hospital?" Rayna said with frustration in her voice.

"He'll get better. We just have to be patient." Tyra said.

"We've been patient for 8 years!" Rayna exclaimed through the phone.

"I know." Tyra sighed.

"We should've helped him before the fire. You should have!" Rayna said.

"Well, Rayna if I knew..." Tyra started.

"Had you paid any fucking attention, more like." Rayna growled.

"Take that attitude out of your voice." Tyra said.

"Whatever." Rayna said.

"I'll call you tomorrow. I don't like talking to you when you have an attitude." Tyra said.

"Well, I don't like talking to you...ever" Rayna said hanging up. Rayna went back to working. She had it in for her mom. This was something that Dr. Phil probably couldn't fix.

This was something that ran deep. It was in her, her mother, father and siblings. This was part of the reason she didn't like going home to Texas. This was something that Rayna wished she could wipe from history.

She wouldn't call it baggage because it wasn't something everyone could see. It was more like a cloud or a ghost, lingering over her. She'd feel it all around her but it only really had an effect when her mother came up.

So in a way, Rayna is haunted.