Smile

Twenty one

"Mom, what happened?" I asked sitting next to her.

She looked at me with bloodshot eyes and shook her head. "I don't know what to do Y/n," she sighed. "If it wasn't for you and Travis I would've left a long time ago."

I frowned. "Shouldn't we be the reason you do leave?"

"No, if I decided to leave he'd come for you and Travis." She wiped her eyes stopping the tears from falling.

I looked away not being able to handle seeing my mom cry. "What did he do?" I asked.

She sighed. "Don't worry about that."

I smacked my lips. "Your up here crying and you don't want me to worry?"

"No I don't, I'll handle it." She grabbed my arm.

I snatched my arm away from her and stood feeling my blood boil. "Bullshit, you won't handle it, you've had years to handle it yet your still getting beat by him." I said, my voice starting to rise.

"Y/n lower your voice and calm down." She said sternly.

I clenched my jaw. "Tell me what he did."

"I already said don't worry about it." She said through clenched teeth.

"What's wrong with you?" I frowned my eyebrows. "Just let me help."

"Okay, if I let you help what are you going to do?" She asked.

"Well, I'd go to the cops first, something you never did." I said.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" She raised her eyebrows. "Of course I went to the cops before and you know what happened?" She asked. "Not a damn thing because he's a white man and I'm a black woman, not to mention the fact that the ones who don't care about race and gender were already crooked and either buying drugs from him or selling them for him, so next suggestion."

"Mom it's not the 80's anymore, find someone who does care!" I yelled.

"Look, I get your pissed off right now but you need to calm down and remember who you talking too." She stood.

I inhaled deeply. "He could kill you or Travis any day."

"Would it make you feel better if I promised you that nothing will happen to your brother?" She asked softly.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I can't promise you that." She whispered.

"Well don't promise me anything." I shook my head as my eyes started to water.

"Let's not think about all the bad shit going on okay," She pulled me into a hug. "No storm lasts forever."

I hugged her back. "Yeah but, even the smallest storm could cause a lot of damage."

She chuckled. "Then we'll just have to rebuild everything the storm knocked down," she pulled back slightly. "And it might take a long time but, eventually you'll have another home, it may be missing a few things but, it'll still be home."

A tear rolled down my cheek. "Mom, I don't like this analogy anymore."

She smiled softly. "Neither do I but, it's the truth."

I nodded and wiped my cheeks. "Your the mom and I'll let you handle it, I'm just scared to lose you."

"And I'm scared to leave you but, you won't have to worry losing me for a long time," She said. "Now, how about me, you, and Travis go out to a park or something?"

"Yeah cool, I'll go let him know." I smiled and went to walk out of the room.

"Y/n," my mom called out and I turned around to face her. "You ever curse at me again and I'll smack the shit out of you."