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“So let her talk. You didn’t throw her under the bus like you were originally planning. You didn’t give away her secret when you could have. She should be grateful.”
“You’ve met her once. Did she seem like a grateful kind of person? And even if she is, she would never admit it out loud. That would mean she didn’t have control of the situation.”
Before he can respond, I catch sight of movement out of the corner of my eye and glance over to see my mother standing on the front steps, arms crossed over her chest, glaring in our direction.
“She looks pissed,” Eli notes, his attention focused on his rearview mirror.
“That’s how she always looks,” I reply, letting out a sigh as I unfasten my seatbelt before opening the door. “You don’t have to stay.”
Eli’s at my side, taking my hand in his, seconds later. “We’re in this together. Not just for an interview, or against Celia, we’re in this life together. We face everything and everyone as a united front.”
“It’s your funeral,” I mutter as we approach.
My mother wastes no time giving me her opinion on the interview.
“What were you thinking? You know better than to talk to reporters. All they do is twist your words to make a great story. It doesn’t matter what you say, they find a way to make you sound like the bad person. To make you look like a fool. I thought I taught you better, Taylor Jane. I’m not surprised. You never did listen to me.”
“I’ve heard everything you’ve ever said to me,” I state, stepping past her and through the open front door, Eli never leaving my side. Her bags are sitting at the bottom of the staircase. She’s either on her way out again or just arrived home. “Going somewhere?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m home indefinitely. It’s become clear that I need to keep a better eye on you right now. To keep you from making an even bigger mistake than you already have.”
“I’m not a child, Mother,” I practically scream as I spin in her direction.
“Then stop acting like one. You can be mad at me all you want but that doesn’t give you the right to speak to reporters on my behalf about me or about our life.”
“Our life?” The nerve of this woman. She’s delusional. Releasing Eli’s hand, I move until I’m standing toe to toe with her. She has less than half an inch on me but a three-inch height advantage in the heels she’s wearing. “We don’t share a life, contrary to what you believe. You’re never here. You’ve never been here. You wanted a child, but you weren’t willing to slow down and be a family. Martha raised me. She taught me how to drive. Took care of me when I scraped up my knees learning to ride a bike. Made sure I had a ride to track practice. That I ate, had clean clothes, did my homework.
“Those are things a parent should have done. But I didn’t have parents. I had a mother who was always off filming, focused on her career. A mother who claimed she wanted me but then didn’t act like it. Who refused to tell me about my father because she couldn’t handle the pain of reliving the situation. Or were you afraid I’d learn the truth? That you bribed people to keep their mouths shut about that happened that night.”
“Tay—” Eli starts but cuts himself off when I glare at him over my shoulder.
“You are not a mother. You are not a parent. This is not our life. I’m an adult and I will speak to whoever I want whenever I want about whatever my heart desires. For the record, we didn’t speak about you. I didn’t air your dirty laundry to the world if that’s what you’re really worried about. The focus was on my relationship with Eli. And yes, we are in a relationship. One where we take care of each other. We’re there for each other.”
Her eyes have gone wide, her jaw hanging slack. I’ve never once raised my voice to my mother before now. I’ve given her the benefit of the doubt, trusted that she was always doing what was in my best interest, but I know better now. I see her for who she really is.
A selfish person who only cares about herself. About her image.
“I love you, Mother, but I do not owe you anything. Not a thank you. Not an explanation. I’m no longer going to let you control my life. I’m moving out.”
With that, I spin on my heels and stomp past Eli, continuing through the kitchen and out the back door. I don’t stop until I’m standing in the middle of the living room in the pool house. I’m surrounded by pictures of happy memories I’ve shared with my friends. Of moments captured on film that will last a lifetime.
Then there’s my mother’s artwork hanging on the wall. The couch she insisted we buy for the small space. The drapes that match the accent chair.
It’s been a long time coming, me moving out. I should have done it years ago, but I wasn’t ready to leave. I was scared to be alone. But it’s time. The check from the interview will clear any day and I’ll be able to put down a deposit on a nice, little house. Make a home for myself. Buy furniture that’s not just for show. A couch I can comfortably take a nap on.
“That was intense,” I hear Eli say a few minutes later as he casually strolls into the pool house. I watch as he slides onto a barstool at the kitchen island, leaning back against it, his eyes trained on mine. “You okay?”
“You keep asking me that.”
“I’m waiting for you to be honest with me.”
“You know,” I start as I walk over to where he’s seated and stand between his open legs, “I think I’m going to be fine. I was planning on moving out anyway. It’s been time but I was too scared to leave. Now, after everything I’ve learned in the last few months, I look at it as a chance for a fresh start. To be my own person. I’ve been living in my mother’s shadow for years, avoiding the spotlight. I didn’t want to be compared to her. Hell, I didn’t want people to associate me with her at all. I thought that would bring attention I was trying to avoid.”
“You aren’t given attention because of who your mother is, Taylor.”
“I know that now.”
“You are your own person. You’re strong and resilient and fierce. You stood up to her when she tried to tear you down. You were a little harsh, not going to lie, but I don’t think she would have listened had you gone easy on her. It’s going to take some time to repair your relationship with her, but I think you both need some time apart before the healing process can happen.”
