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"I just don't understand. You changed your number, you're injured and didn't tell me, you're not working. None of this sounds like you Mae. I'm highly concerned. I thought you was coming home for your birthday? Your mother is saying you changed your mind."
"How many times do I have to say I'm fine Dad. And I have other plans for my birthday, I want to do something different this year," Birthday's were a big deal in her family. The enjoyment she would get seeing her mother decorate the dining area with balloons, centerpieces and custom banners. She had a knack for decorating even though she never pursued it, she would always say how it made her happy to celebrate her precious gifts of life. Most times they would spend half of the day out, doing whatever it was that the birthday celebrity would want to do, then come home to join in unharmonized singing around a homemade cake. Ryan's favorite was her moms strawberry crunch cake.
That excitement was no longer there, she felt it would be way to awkward to spend her special day with Royce, more even with her nephew around as well. She knew for a fact that Royce would still be staying with her parents, she stopped working once she found out she was pregnant. Eric was a truck driver, so he made decent money he was just rarely around to give her the support she needed. So of course her parents happily let her stay with them, even turned the extra guest room into the baby's nursery. So she was afraid that birthday's would never be the same.
For a moment she'd forgotten she had company, Ryan loved her dad so she definitely felt bad about shutting him out but it was more fault to her mother, they were one. He wouldn't be able to understand that things were better off broken. "Now I know with everything going on with your mom and sister has hurt you, but you can't shut out your family forever. " Ryan rolled her eyes, because she was indeed on the side of shutting them out, for good.
"No one is concerned with how I feel about it, so why should I care how they feel?" Ryan began pacing back and forth.
"We are concerned, your mother is worried sick about you."
"Well did you know that she sent me a picture of the baby? That was sick," Ryan could feel her skin becoming warm as she began to think about it, "And don't get me started on Royce, she's twisted and-"
"Mae, calm down. Why on earth would she send you that?" he began to mumble to himself.
"See!" She threw up her arm, "Why does the calm always have to come from me Baba? They disrespected me to the highest degree and I'm suppose to just swallow it to save face for the family? That's not right."
The sound of the chair scrapping across the floor brought her attention back to Kadeem. He motioned for her to come sit, then mouthed 'now'. Whatever her father said went muted, "Uh, daddy can I call you back tomorrow it's late and I don't want to ruin my night discussing this."
"I didn't mean to upset you, I just want you to be okay. I'll let you get some rest, " Ryan walked over towards the table, "If I don't hear from you, you'll see me in person Mae. That's my word. Love you." And she knew he meant it.
