The Unbreakables (BWHM)

Chapter 4

"Are you gonna change, or are you gonna go to the table looking like that?" Ruby asked, not giving a damn about my feelings.

Ruby's my parents live in housekeeper and she always spoke her mind. Her favorite saying being, would you rather have a hurt ass or feelings, 'cause  I can oblige you on either.

"Like what?" I asked swiping a dinner roll from the cooling plate.

"A damn dusty heathen." She replied tooting her top lip in distaste.

Ruby is a young fifty-five. Her smooth pecan brown skin had only recently started to crease with age. Mom and she stayed into it because of Ruby's lack of filter. The way they went at it you would think they hated each other, which couldn't be further from the truth. They shared a symbiotic relationship. I honestly don't know what one would do without the other.

"What? I always dress like this for dinner." I said, before popping the last of the roll into my mouth.

"Not when we have company coming to do dinner you don't." She cast a narrowed eyed glare over her shoulder at me. "You and I both know I raised you better than that."

"Why should I dress up for one of Miah's trifling boyfriends?" The sneer pushing at my lips refused to be suppressed.

"From what I hear he's not another boyfriend, he's her fiancé and it's been a minute since we've had one of them at the table." She replied, coming for me where it hurt.

"Well I don't care who the hell he is, I'm still not dressing up for him."

"Alright, now. Don't get carried away with that mouth. You ain't too old." She spun on her heel to wave a wooden spoon at me, all the while slinging collard green juice everywhere.

"All I'm saying is, I'm tired. My days off  are rare and I don't wanna waste even one by putting on a dress and pretending everything is okay and Miah hasn't lost her mind."

"You don't have to be okay with anything to look nice at the dinner table. Kayla, I remember a time when you took pride in the way you looked. Just look at you. You barely comb your hair or even wear that expensive make-up you were always buying." She dropped the spoon on the counter and approached the islander. "Now all you do is walk around here with them raggedy ass sweats on, that should have been thrown away a long time ago. Your nose be turned up and lips stuck out. Walking around here like you know something that world the don't.

"Girl, you ain't the first woman to get your heart stomped on by a man and I'm willing to bet dollars to no money, you won't be the last." She glared at me with all of hell burning in her eyes.

It's the same look she used on Miah and me whenever we misbehaved as kids. Dropping my head, I took a deep breath. If I could I'd exhale all of the hurt trapped inside of me I'd be alright.

I swallowed to rid myself of the knot in my throat. Once  sure I could manage a few intelligible words, I uttered, "I don't want to talk about it."

Ruby walked around the islander to put her arms around me. When she gathered me close she began to rock back and forth. The way she used to whenever I came running with an injury only she could heal. With her I didn't have to pretend to be strong, because she always saw through me.

"Baby I know it hurts, but you can't give up on all the things that makes life worth breathing just because you're afraid of being hurt again. Life is for living, taking chances, experiencing things, having stories to tell your grandkids one day." She pressed a kiss to my forehead. "It's not for sitting around here moping and working yourself into an early coffin. If you do, then you ain't doing anything but letting them hurt you all over again. And you know what?" I shook my head. "You're the one who's losing." Ruby grabbed my chin and lifted my face to stare into my eyes.