Hold My Love

Chapter 16: Mother Dear

I try my very best to go back to my life prior Giovanni, over the three months we had gotten pretty close and saw each other like everyday. But It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be thanks to Lace and the tension with her parents, she sleeps over pretty much everyday and work has kept me busy as well.

I wake up to find Lace gone but she texted me letting me know she drove over to Amir's. She has been avoiding her parents and was basically living in my home now. Which I don't mind because I'm lonely but I know her parents are probably worried because my side of town isn't the safest.

But Lace doesn't care how her parents-well her mother feels. She has already bought an apartment on the nice side of Manhattan and is planning on moving there. The only problem is that Amir, a gentleman and respectable Jewish guy, refuses to live together unless they get married with her Father's blessing.

I sit up and pull my a robe on as a knock comes from the door.

"Mr. Santayana, please come in".

He looks pale and anxious but comes holding a bag of Chines take out.

"Good morning Sophia, I brought lunch for you girls", He says holding me in a hug, "Lace isn't home?"

I shake my head, "No sir she went over to Amir's".

He nods slowly, "Do you mind getting me a glass of water dear?"

I leave and return with his water, "She isn't angry with you sir".

He racks his graying hair, "But I'm angry with myself, I thought I knew her, but I was wrong".

"She's still the same Lace, just a bravery version".

"I mean Hannah. It's funny actually, we've been married for 36 years but recently I realize I don't know who my wife is really. I was embarrassed of how racist she was towards Amir and the way she was so quick to judge our daughter. It made me sick".

I nod, "It was terrible, Amir and Lace didn't deserve any of it".

"After Lace left she became unbearable. Hannah blames me for the way Lace turned out, accusing me of spoiling the child. She provokes me with fights by throwing plates at me calling me names she has even locked me out of the house. Then I realized I don't have to put up with any of this. I pay for the house she sleeps in, the food she eats and the clothes on her back. I'm tired Sophia, tired of holding my daughter as she cries because her mother doesn't know how to control her anger. And I'm tired of acting like our marriage didn't die 20 years ago. I asked for a divorce, last week and she moved out on Friday. "

My mouth drops, "Does Lace know?"

"I came here to talk to both of you girls about it. You were the only real friend Lace has ever had and I saw you more as another daughter then my daughters best friend. Tell her everything I told you, and apologize on my behalf to Amir. He's a good guy and I can tell he loves her".

The Santayana's divorce hit's me like my own parents just got a divorce. I have known them since I was eight after Mama died. I moved in for good with grandma and she used her late husbands money to get me into Trinity School where I met a talkative free spirited little girl and we became best friends.

Lace's parents were thrilled that there daughter finally found a friend but when I showed up to the play date and her mother realized I was black, her mood changed. But her father didn't care, he just was glad his daughter wasn't lonely anymore. But With time her mother became used to me, as Lace would always invite me over and because she couldn't explain to an eight year old why she didn't want her to be friends with a black girl.

Lace and I grew so inseparable, her father began to refer to the two of us as Loph or Phace. He would take 'his girls' out for ice cream and to the movies and even to family outings I was invited to go. Despite grandma having me call him Mr. Santayana, I saw him as the only father figure I have ever had that I didn't even have time to be jealous of Lace because her he treated us the same.

During my junior year of school, money ran out for my school tuition but Mr. Santayana unselfishly stepped up paying for me to finish my high school education. I remember watching Grandma cry as he refused to take no for an answer, he told her he saw me as his own and he always takes care of his own. After college I went to community school despite graduating number 5 in my class and Lace's mother pushed her to go to Law school.

When Grandma died two months before I graduated college, the Santayana's were the only ones that held me together. They cried with me, they prayed with me, they made fed me, they payed for the funeral expenses and they cheered me up.

I bake some Blueberry chip muffins and sit waiting for Lace to come home .

***

"Oh no it smells like Blueberry muffins, what happened?"

She walks in and looks at me staring at the muffins, TV off and still in my robe.

"Come sit Lace".

She puts down her car keys on the table and studies me, "Sophia did somebody die?"

I shake my head, "Just come sit, I have something important to tell you".

She slowly sits down as she studies me.

"Your Dad came".

She sighs, "He probably thinks I'm mad at him which I'm not. I just want time alone".

"I told him you weren't mad at him and he said he's mad at himself. He's upset about the way your Mother treated Amir and at the way she has treated you".

"None of it is his fault and Amir isn't even mad at her, he's too pure to be".

"Lace he asked for a divorce".

She freezes, "What!"

I nod, "She became unbearable to him, she would throw plates at him, curse him out and even lock him out of the house".

"Why! I'm gone and I was the problem".

"She blamed him for how you turned out, said he spoiled you."

"No she blames him for being able to love me more then she could. That's why I hated her, even a child can tell when they are unwanted Sophia. She didn't deserve him! Or maybe it's my fault, you know I wasn't planned? She told me that herself. Who tells their seven year old daughter she should have been aborted?"

She begins to sobbing as I wrap my arms around her shaking body, "It isn't your fault babe. Your Dad just had enough, he said there marriage ended 20 years ago".

She looks up at me, "That was the door".

I get up to open it and jump back at the sight of Mrs. Santayana.

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