A Mother's Bond

29

Beyoncé July 30, 2016
I watched from the sidelines as Sarayah met our family. Solo and Jay were with her every step of the way, encouraging her, making her feel comfortable. I did my part by staying away from her. I knew I'd only upset her. I also knew everyone had noticed the distance between us. Every once in a while, I'd catch a snippet of a whispered conversation about our relationship, or lack thereof.

Eventually I couldn't take it anymore, so I went outside to get some fresh air. The only people out there were a few kids running around and some uncles playing dominoes. No people whispering about me. No petty gossip. It was nice.

Kelly came out and sat down beside me. She reached out and put her hand on my knee, shaking it gently. "How are you doing, Bey?"

I shrugged, playing with the hem of my yellow skirt. "As well as can be expected. My child hates me, and now everyone knows. They're gonna be talking about this forever."

Kelly grabbed my hand, waiting until I met her dark brown eyes. "She doesn't hate you."

I threw my hands up. "It feels like it. She's been all up under Solange and Jay all day. She hasn't even looked at me once. You know she won't even call me 'Bey'? She calls Jay 'dad', and I'm still 'Beyoncé'. And the worst part is, I don't know how to fix it. I don't see an end to this."

"I know you're probably tired of hearing this, but this won't last forever. You'll get through this."

I scoffed. "I wish I could believe that–I'm trying to believe that–but I don't know if I can. I don't even know how to be normal around her. How to just...be. You know? How do I even talk to this kid?"

Kelly furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know, just talk?" She glanced over her shoulder. "Look, right now she's with Aunty Gladys. After talking to her for a few hours, she'll be glad to talk to anyone else."

I turned around and sure enough, there she was, talking to Aunty Gladys in the living room. She looked bored out of her mind. I wasn't surprised. Aunty Gladys could go on about damn near anything for hours. You had to watch out for her at family gatherings. She would catch you when you least expected it and trap you in an endless, one-sided conversation. You could be walking out the bathroom, she didn't care. Ruthless. I felt bad for Aunty, though. She was just lonely. Uncle Jeff passed away four years ago, and they didn't have any kids. So, she didn't really have anyone to talk to. Still, I had my limits, and she always passed them.

I smirked. "Where are her precious Solo and Dad now? Bet you they're hiding."

Kelly giggled. "Pro-bab-ly. I would too. Shit, that's what I'm doing right now. I'm not tryna be her next victim. Last time she had me trapped for three solid hours. Do you know how long three hours feels when you're counting the seconds? LONG."

I watched them for a bit longer before getting up. "I'm gonna go help her out."

Kelly raised her glass, leaning back in her chair. "Well I'm gonna stay right here. It's been nice knowing you, boo."

She cackled, and I rolled my eyes, sliding the screen door open. I walked towards Sarayah, but just as I was about to reach her, Julez burst onto the scene, sweating and panting like he'd just run a marathon. He held up a tray filled with random objects, looking desperately at Sarayah.

"SARAYAH! There's an EMERGENCY. You need to come right now! My mom needs your help!"

Aunty Gladys looked down at him confused. "Well, I'm sure you can find someone els–"

"NO!" He yelled. "It has to be Sarayah. She's the only one who can fix this. It's too...too..." He looked at Sarayah for help, and she mouthed something to him.