A Mother's Bond

21

Jay July 26, 2016
The next few weeks crawled by. I could feel every second passing. There was so much tension in the air. Solange and Mama T left a few days after the fight, and the little amount of civility in the house went with them. Bey and Sarayah wouldn't even sit in the same room as each other, so that meant I had to deal with everything Sarayah-related. I had to take her to the dentist to file her dental records. I had to take her to the hospital, so she could have a proper check-up. I didn't mind doing these things, it was just difficult being handed all these responsibilities without warning or preparation. I needed my partner. I couldn't do this on my own.

I sat in the studio wondering what I should do. I'd been spending a lot of time in there, avoiding Bey. I knew hiding wouldn't help anything, but at this point I was lost. I had no idea what to do. Eventually I pulled out my phone and dialed up my mom. She's always kept it real with me.

"Hello, who's this?" I could hear pots clanging in the background. She was probably making dinner.

"Shawn."

"Shawn who?" She asked, causing me to sigh.

"Your son." I replied, knowing it was a set up.

"Son? Oh, I hadn't heard from mine in so long I forgot I had one." Predictable.

"So, what is it this time, Shawn? How's that daughter of yours that you're hiding? Her and Bey getting along?" She asked bluntly.

"Nah, and things aren't getting better. I don't know what to do. It got so much worse after Solo and Tina left. Bey and Sarayah haven't spoken in weeks. They won't even sit in the same room. It's crazy."

"Why? What happened?"

I sighed. "It's a long story, but basically, Beyoncé was way out of line. Treated Sarayah like some stranger off the street–worse, actually–and now their relationship is even more messed up than before. The worst part is, it's affecting everyone else. Sarayah and I were in a good place, but now she barely speaks to me. She asked me to give her space, and I have been, but it's not getting better. It's just tension. Blue feels it too. It's not a good environment for anyone."

"And how long ago was that?"

"That she asked me to give her space?" I thought for a second. "Um, about two weeks ago?"

"Two weeks? I should climb through the line and beat some sense into you."

"What? I didn't want to push her too much and end up pushing her away."

"Well if you let her go, she'll end up drifting away."

I groaned. "Why is this so hard?"

"Because if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it. Now go spend time with your daughter. Show her she has a family she can lean on. That includes me too, Shawn."

I sighed. "Okay, thanks."

"Mhm."

We hung up, and I walked upstairs. I knocked on Sarayah's door before letting myself in. She was lying on her bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. She glanced at me before looking back at the ceiling. I cleared my throat, suddenly unsure of my plan.

I chuckled awkwardly. "Staring at the ceiling again, huh?"

She nodded absently. "Yup."

I nodded, shoving my hands in my pockets. "I know you said you needed space, but I was hoping you could make an exception. Maybe have a little fun."

She furrowed her eyebrows. I rushed on before she could say no.

"Don't tell me you'd rather watch paint peel. My ego can only take so many hits."