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“You mean the teenagers.”
“Tae.”
“What?” Tae sighed and rubbed her belly. Why did she call now? She should have just waited until her mind settled down and she fell asleep. “I don’t want to argue about Janita. She can take care of herself, and if she would get a job, she wouldn’t be looking to everybody else in the family for money all the time. I’m sorry. I gave her all I’m giving. I’ve cut her off.”
“Well, you have to do what you think is best, sweetie.”
Tae thought her mother didn’t agree with her choice. Well they could all get over it. She needed to save for her own baby. Janita’s oldest was sixteen for goodness sake. She could get a job herself.
“Ma, I wanted to ask you something.”
“What’s that, sweetie?”
She hesitated and then plunged ahead. “This is going to sound crazy at my age, but… Ugh. Okay, how do I know when I’m really in love with the right one? I mean, you and Dad have been together since the beginning of time and…”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
Tae chuckled at her mother’s dry tone.
“Are you in love, Tae? I remember how hurt you were when you broke up with Daniel. I liked him. I thought he was a wonderful man, and even Dad said you let a good one go. He could have been the one.”
“Okay, Ma, I get it.”
“He got married though, s
o he’s off the market.”
Tae wondered where her mother had heard that news. She never told her. “How do you know?”
“Oh we talk sometimes.”
Tae’s throat closed. She swallowed. “Excuse me?”
“I called him not long ago to see how he was doing. We had a nice long talk. He told me he married. I congratulated him. To be honest, he didn’t seem all that happy, but I encouraged him to keep working at it. Marriage is no picnic. I can tell you.”
If Tae didn’t cut her off, she’d keep rambling on. “What else did he tell you?”
“What else was there for him to tell me?”
Damn, her mother was clever when she wanted to be. “I just wanted to know about love.”
“I think you know what love is. You loved him, Tae. You may still love him. Is there someone else?”
With every passing moment, she regretted asking the question.
“You never talk to me,” her mother complained. “I used to always hear your news from Janita or your younger sister, Sasha.” As if I don’t know who Sasha is without her explaining.
“I’m sorry, Ma.”
“You were a closed-off little girl coming up, always wanting your own space. You would hide in the closet to get it, but Janita and Sasha would find you and pick at you until you gave in and joined the family. I put it down to being a middle child.”
Tae rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling, letting her mother ramble on. Her personality was what it was and wouldn’t change this late in the game. She loved her family, but her mother was right, she’d fought for her own and lost the battle too many times. She hadn’t told her mother about the baby, and now didn’t seem like a good time. Her mother would be thrilled, but she would no doubt descend upon Tae with others in tow. Tae wasn’t ready for that, not with her emotional tug-o-war over Jax and Daniel.
Her mother broke through her wandering thoughts, and Tae realized she’d started to drift off. “You will know when you love the one, Tae. Just trust your heart. It will never lead you wrong.”
“Thanks, Ma. Well, I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to get some sleep because I have to be in early tomorrow.”
“Okay, sweetie. Call more often. I love you.”
