“First, I would like for you to stop looking at me like that! I brought you into this world, and I deserve some level of respect.” Charlotte said.
That’s truly all you did. Carter kept his thoughts to himself.
“And my God, are both of those women pregnant? At the same damn time?” She asked in disbelief. “Clearly, you’re dating the black one. So, why would you go out and get a white one that looks just like her?!”
If Charlotte were anyone else on the planet, her words might have meant something. But she wasn’t. “I’m not discussing my personal life with you, Charlotte. For the last time, what do you want?”
“For the life of me, I don’t understand your attitude.”
Carter’s lips tightened. “You don’t understand?”
“No! I don’t. I made sure you had the best of everything. You had the best nannies, went to the best schools, and lived in the best neighborhoods,” she beat her chest with the palm of her hand. “I made sure that you were well taken care of at great personal sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice?”
“Yes! Sacrifice. I stayed with your philandering father just to make sure that you never wanted for anything.”
“Let’s not get it twisted. You stayed with Doug because of the lifestyle he gave you. I’m not interested in a walk down memory lane. Again, what do you want?”
“That’s not true.”
Carter started counting to calm himself down. “One, two, three . . . fuck it.” It didn’t work. “If you want to rehash this argument, the truth is that you were a shitty mother but don’t worry, Doug didn’t one-up you because he was a shitty father too. Just to be clear as to why I’m angry towards you. How about because you were either drunk, absent, or letting some man you were dating beat the shit out of me.” Carter’s mother had just pulled the band-aide off a massive-sized wound that Carter hadn’t revisited in years. Not even the tens of thousands of dollars he spent on therapy was enough to ease the ache in his chest. “I don’t have one good memory,” he lifted a finger as he struggled to rein in his anger, “of you or my childhood. I’m not perfect. I’ve certainly made mistakes in my life, but where I won’t fail is with my children. No matter what, they will always know that I love them and that I’ve got their back. What I also won’t do is take parenting advice from you. So, if you don’t need money, I have absolutely nothing else to give you.”
*****
Harlem put the decaf coffee in the coffee maker, then turned around and rested her back against the counter. She folded her arms across her chest as she stared daggers into Elaina.
The two women were basically in a stare-off until finally, Harlem said what had been on her mind since they bumped into each other at that baby store.
Harlem narrowed her eyes. “Why the hell do you look like me?”
Elaina rolled her eyes. “Tuh!” She downplayed it. “I would never want to look like you.”
“A couple of weeks ago, you were a porcelain-skinned white woman with red hair. Today you walk into my kitchen with brown skin, hair like mine down to the same color and highlights, and all kinds of shit done to your face. You. Look. Like. Me.” Harlem enunciated each word. “You don’t think that’s strange?”
“That’s ridiculous.” Elaina shrugged nonchalantly. “I think you’re just jealous.”
“Jealous? Of you?” Harlem snorted as she laughed. “Those happy pills you’re on are powerful.”
“You’re jealous because Carter’s mom likes me. We connected. While you think you have Carter now, I have a long-term plan.”
“And you think his mother is going to help with that plan?” Sadly, Carter doesn’t even have a relationship with his mother.
Elaina’s eyes twitched. Her voice lowered. “I told you, I play to win.”
“Elaina, Carter is not a game. He is a living and breathing human being. You’ve got to get yourself together. If not for you, then for your baby.”
“I don’t need your advice.” Elaina spat out.
“You’re right. A psychiatrist would probably better suit your needs. And for the record, I’m the original. No one will ever be a better me. Let me put this in terms I know you’ll understand. Since we are keeping score, this game is already over. I won.”
Charlotte came storming back into the kitchen. Carter followed a few steps behind.
“Elaina, can you please take me to my hotel. Apparently, my son doesn’t want me here.”
She was not wrong.
“Of course,” Elaina said soothingly before looking up at Carter with fake disapproving eyes. “A hotel is nowhere for family to stay. Why don’t we get your things, and you can come back to my place?”
Charlotte nodded. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
Charlotte pivoted and began to walk toward Harlem. Harlem smiled warmly because she thought Carter’s mom was going to say goodbye. Maybe with time, and once the baby was born, she could help be a bridge between mother and son. Instead, Charlotte looked through Harlem and reached behind her to pick up the check Carter had written out earlier.
Carter came and stood next to Harlem. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they watched his mother and Elaina leave the house.
Harlem was still trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened. “Carter, I must really love you because this is some crazy shit.”
“You are not lying.” Then, her words hit him. Slowly, Carter turned toward her. “You love me?”
She lifted her head
