Tina smoothed a comforting hand over Paige’s back. “It’s not over, Paige.” She kissed the top of Paige’s head. “You can make it right.”
After a few minutes, Paige sat up and wiped her eyes. It felt good to talk to her mother like this, like she’d always imagined a mother-daughter duo would talk, complete with comforting hugs and tears. “What do you think I should do?”
“I think you should stop making decisions based on emotion.”
Paige frowned. The warm fuzzies she’d experienced only a minute ago evaporated. It was just the type of thing her mother would say, and it didn’t help anything. “I’m asking you what to do about Andrew.”
“The answer is the same,” Tina said. “You’ve been through a lot this year. And I’ve watched you handle things with grace. I’ve also watched you hide away. You were going to sign this house away to that fool. When Andrew came to see about you, you slammed the door in his face. You have to stop being foolish.”
For some reason, her mother’s words angered her more than they calmed her. It felt like an impossible expectation, one that she’d never be able to meet. She stood, pushing the chair back. “I’m a human being, Mom. I’m not perfect. But I’m me. I had to deal with things howIfelt they needed to be dealt with. If that meant going away, that’s what I did.”
“Paige, stop.”
“No, you stop,” she said. “I’m emotional. I wear my feelings on my sleeve. I react without thinking. I do all those things, sometimes in the same conversation. And that’s okay! You might think I’m weak, but I’m not. If anything, it proves that I’m strong, that I can feel the gamut of emotions and still work, play, and live. I can get hurt and still fall so head over heels in love that I can’t imagine life before that feeling.” Paige sucked in a deep breath. “You told me not to depend on anyone else. But having a strong support system is not a bad thing, it’s not a crutch. It’s freedom.”
Paige adored her team. They fought for her, valued her, and encouraged her. It meant everything to her. They allowed her to be great, allowed her to concentrate on acting. They were the difference between Paige the Great and Paige the Has-Been. And that team leader had always been Andrew.
“I agree with you.” Tina approached Paige, framing Paige’s face in her hands. “Paige, I don’t think you’re weak. I don’t know where you got that from. I actually admireyou. You rise to every occasion, good or bad. I feel extremely proud that you’re my daughter.”
Tears spilled onto Paige’s cheeks and a sob burst free. “Really?”
“I watched you work your way to the top the hard way, without my help. The main reason you’re Black America’s Sweetheart is because you’re strong, determined, and talented. You’re everything I taught you to be and more.”
“You did help me,” Paige said finally. “You had Jax send Andrew.”
Tina smiled. “Yeah, but you made that work. Not me. When I told you to stop making decisions based off emotion, I said that because I don’t want you to end up like me. I’ve been so hurt that I fear I’ll never be able to love a man again. I left Hunter because I thought he cheated on me. He didn’t, but I didn’t give him a chance to explain. I reacted off of pure emotion and kicked his ass out.”
It was the first time her mother had mentioned her third husband’s name in years. Hunter had been one of Paige’s favorite people the world. He’d loved her mother so fiercely, and he loved Paige. When he left, Paige had mourned the loss of that relationship for years.
“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Paige asked.
“Because it hurt too much to talk about it. It’s hard shining the negative light on yourself.”
“Why didn’t you go after him?”
“I was a fool,” Tina admitted. “I’ve regretted that decision every day. When I heard what you did, my immediate fear was that you’d close yourself off like I did. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes.” Tears fell from Tina’s eyes. “And you’re right . . . Your ability to loveisa strength.”
“Mom, I—”
“I’ve made so many mistakes, Paige. But having you was the best thing I could have ever done. And I know you missed a lot of time with me because of my career, but I hope you know that I thought of you every hour of every day. I wasn’t at home baking cookies, I couldn’t sign up to be your scout leader, but—”
“No, Mom. Don’t say that. Because I didn’t need you to do those things.”
“But I should’ve,” Tina said. “I should have been there more with you. You needed a mother, not a friend.”
“I needed a motheranda friend,” Paige corrected.
Tina kissed Paige’s cheek and pulled her into another hug. “I love you, baby.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
“Now.” Tina pulled back, squeezing Paige’s arms. “You really need to do something with that hair if you’re going to see Andrew.”
Paige laughed. “Okay, Mom. Will you help me with my makeup?”
Tina’s eyes lit up. “And your hair?”
“And my hair.” Paige grabbed her phone and sent one text: Do you have time to see me today?
