"Miss Shaunie," I started, trying to keep my voice calm even though I wanted to go off, "I love your son. For real. This ain't no game to me. This ain't about his money or what he can give me,"
"Every bitch say that until the money run out." She looked at her nails, unbothered. "Trust me, baby. I been around long enough to know how this go."
"You don't know me—"
"I know enough." She looked up at me again. "I know you used to trick off with old ass men. I know you used to let niggas pay for your time. And now you up in here playing wifey in my son's house, working at my son's restaurant, living off my son's money."
"I work for my own money."
"That he gave you the opportunity to make." She stepped closer to me, and even though she was shorter than me, her presence was intimidating. "Look, I ain't saying you a bad person. I'm just saying you convenient. You was there when he wanted to play Captain Save-a-Hoe, and now he think he in love. But baby, that shit fade. And when it do, where you gon' be?"
I opened my mouth to respond but I couldn't find the words. I was so mad, so hurt, so fucking frustrated that tears started forming in my eyes. And I refused to cry in front of this bitch. Refused.
"You know what," I said, my voice shaking, "I'ma let you talk yo’ shit; excuse me but I got shit to do."
"Mmhmm. Run away. That's what y'all young girls do when shit get real." She turned back to her turkeys, dismissing me completely. "Tell Sontae I'ma be back Friday. We having Thanksgiving at my house this year, Trigg coming through, and Tasha just got out so she gon' be there too."
"Tasha out?" I asked before I could stop myself. I'd heard about her. She was Trigg's sister and she had been locked up for a minute.
"Yeah, she got out on a technicality two weeks ago." Miss Shaunie lit another cigarette. "So, yeah she gon' be atThanksgiving. She family. Real family. Not..." She looked me up and down. "Whatever this is."
That was it. I was done.
I walked out that kitchen so fast, heading straight for the stairs. I heard the front door open just as I hit the first step.
"Yah? Ma?" Sosa's voice called out.
"In the kitchen, baby!" Miss Shaunie's whole tone changed, all sweet and loving now.
I couldn't do it. I couldn't be around her right now. I went straight to our bedroom and closed the door, leaning against it as I tried to catch my breath.
Then I grabbed my phone and called Mya.
"Heyyy, sis! What's good?"
"Girl." I sat down on the edge of the bed, my voice coming out tight. "His mama just came through and I'm about to catch a motherfucking case."
"Oh Lord, what Miss Shaunie do now?"
"Bitch, she came through talking about how Sosa could have any bitch in Chicago. How I'm convenient. How I'm just another hoe trying to come up off her son. How when the love fade, where I'ma be. All types of disrespectful shit. Then she called me 'not real family'."
"She did NOT!" Mya sounded heated now. "Yah-Yah, please tell me you cussed her old ass out."
"I wanted to! So bad! But that's his mama, and I'm trying to be respectful, but Mya I swear to God I can't stand that lady." I laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Like, she really stood in this kitchen and basically called me a gold digger. After everything I been through. After how hard I been working. After a whole year of being with her son and trying to prove myself. This bitch still won’t let me live."
"Fuck her," Ya'Mya said bluntly. "For real, sis. She jealous
"Jealous? Of what?"
"Of you! Think about it, she had to hustle and struggle for everything. She probably ain't never had no nigga treat her the way Sosa treat you. So seeing her son give you everything, love you the way he do, that probably fucks with her. That shit makes her feel some type of way."
I ain't think about it like that. But Mya had a point. Miss Shaunie came up rough, had to do everything on her own, probably got played by niggas left and right. And here I was, getting treated like royalty by her baby boy.
"Even if that's true," I said, "that don't give her the right to talk to me like that. I ain't did shit to her. I ain’t been nothing but respectful."
"I know, sis. And Sosa know too. You gotta tell him though. Let him know you can't keep dealing with her disrespect."
"I know, I know." I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "Let me call you back. He coming. Tell Yatta I said wassup."