"What colour of panties are you wearing?"
"Excuse me?" She countered
"I won't repeat the question again"
"Red. They're red" she swallowed
"Reach below your gown. Pull it. And hand it over to me"
"Why would you want it? It's just a piece of material...
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A week later at the office, Raven got an unexpected call from her Mom.
"Hi Mom. Good morning. It's such a pleasant surprise. You rarely call, and whenever it happens, it's usually not during day time hours" Raven smiled into the phone, as she got up from her chair, and left her office, walking through the hallways, dressed on matching red suit, and red suit trousers.
"Hey baby. I know. I just... I haven't heard from you in a while. How are you?"
"I'm good. Really good" Raven affirmed, another smile backing up her words, a smile her mother couldn't see however, but the rest of her workers did as they passed by her, smiling at her in return, thinking she'd been smiling at them in the first place.
"You sure?" her mother's voice resounded again, through the ear piece in Raven's ear
"Yes Mama. I'm good. And I'm pretty sure about it. Why? Is something wrong?" Concern began to smear on Raven's previously unblemished features
"Oh, I don't want to bother you..."
"Ma, it's me. Raven. I'm your baby girl, any time, anywhere. If you don't bother me, who are you going to bother?" The more her mom dragged and delayed to tell her whatever was going on, the more Raven got worried
"I went to the doctors today. You know your father. Always complaining that I rarely go and do checkups and all of that. So I finally went" she started
"Wow. I'm pleasantly surprised. And happy at the same time. That's good for you. If you'd told me about it sooner, I could have even followed you. You know, to hold your hand and all, so you don't get scared of them needles" Raven teased over the phone, relaxing back into a smile. "Awwwn. Was that what you wanted to tell me?"
"No, not exactly. But how's Mikhail doing?" her mother diverted again
"I uh— I wouldn't know. He left" Raven began
"What? Mikhail left you? Fuck! That son-of-a-bitch! If I—"
"Mama! You never swear. Ever. I have never heard you swear a day, in my entire life, and just that one news of Mikhail can get you to swear for the first time ever? Jeez! I'm definitely jealous now. Like, all my life, with every single atrocity I've committed, I never elicited the forbidden words from you. Mikhail does that in less than a year of your knowing him? I definitely need to start limiting the influence that guy has over my friends and my family. Besides you didn't even let me finish talking. He left Philadelphia, not me. He went on a really long trip a week ago, to Africa. And he hasn't reached out to me since then. He's neither called me, nor texted me." Raven shrugged, walking backwards, until she got to Charlotte's office. She knocked and went in, closing the door behind her. Charlotte wasn't on seat, surprisingly. She probably went to go make some photocopies, or run some personal errands.
"Well if he hasn't texted you, why not text him?"
Raven rolled her eyes "I already did so mama. Twice! If I text him a third time, it's going to start looking as if I'm desperate. And I'm a lot of things Mama, but desperate, isn't one of them. Plus he's a man of power, and a man of great means. No matter how busy he is over there, if he really wanted to make out time for someone, or talk to someone, he's going to do it. Trust me, I know. That was how we met. If he wants something, or someone, he goes after it— them, with everything he's got, no reserves, until they have no choice, but to succumb to his will. He's a controlling fucking bastard."
"Ah, a controlling fucking bastard that you oh-so-apparently love, young woman" her mother laughed over the phone
"Well if I don't love him, who else will? He's too controlling for other people, to even get near. I just hope he's okay though. Wherever he is. Cause he's got no friends or family there." Raven nibbled on her lower lips for the umpteenth time that day, a signal of how worried she'd been, day in, day out, over him
"So pick up a phone and call him, baby. Love is sacrifice sometimes, you know? It's not always so nice, and all mushy. Sometimes it means playing the fool, or taking that bold extra step to reach out to a loved one, when they won't reach out to you. And like you said rightly, if you don't love him, who else gonna? He's a lonely man. He's right at the top, but being at the top is so lonely because a lot of persons exist below. So never feel embarrassed or insecure to reach out to the man that you love, Raven. I would know. It's been one of my secrets, for a very long time. And it's work hasn't it? After so many years, I'm still with your father. Over thirty years and counting, now. And trust me, it's not from a lack of problems, because we've had our issues in the past. But I love him enough to let go, and I love him enough to always take that bold first step, when it feels like he's pulling away. You know what's right, so when your partner does the wrong thing, that doesn't mean you have to do wrong as well. Two wrongs don't make a right. I taught you to always do the right thing girl, inspite of whatever, inspite of whoever. So do the right thing and call him" Her mother's firm, yet caring admonishing voice, delivered from over the phone
Raven instantly became weak, and dizzy, a mass of assaulting emotions, rioting through her body. She slowly slid down to the floor, from the door she'd been resting on initially. And slow, unwanted tears were quickly blurring her eyes.
She sniffed and blinked multiple times, to get the tears to go away. With a sigh, and lifting one of her hand to rub her aching head, she spoke once more through the speaker
"I'm pregnant, Mama. Is that a bad thing? I don't even know if I should feel glad. Or miserable. And I don't know how Mikhail's going to take it. I've messed up. And bad."
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A/N: Yay! New chapter. This is supposed to be Monday's update though. And it's coming late once again, so sorry about that. I had a family function to attend. ღ
This conversation is going to be continuing in the next chapter. I really wanted to show A mother's influence, over Raven. And you're going to see why that's important in the future coming chapters. ♡
So don't forget to vote, comment and follow me. Next chapter is dropping on Friday. See you then ❦☆
