Page 108 of Power
“She’s so disturbed, and full of lies. If Reece’s mouth is moving and words are coming out, they’re lies. But...” Mom stops and dabs at the corners of her eyes. “I miss her so much.”
“If you could speak with Reece right now, what would you say?”
Mom turns to look into the camera and with a quivering chin and fake tears she says, “I miss you so much, baby. You can always come home. We can be a family again.” She sucks in a breath and wipes at her eyes. “I forgive you for being a horrible child; I just need to make sure you’re okay. I’m still your momma.”
“She was never my mother,” I whisper as I wipe at my own real tears. “How could she do this?”
“Do you know you’re a grandmother?” the interviewer asks.
“I am?” Mom’s eyes sparkle. “I had no idea. Do I have a grandson?” she asks with hope.
“No, a granddaughter.”
Mom sinks in her seat and scowls. “She’s probably like Reece. Good. I hope her kid treats her like Reece treated me.” She arches a brow and sits back in the seat, crossing her arms in front of her nearly exposed chest.
“I’m a little confused here. First you say you miss her, then you’re saying you hope her child treats her like she did you. Are you under the influence of any drugs?”
Mom’s eyes widen as she sits straighter in the chair. “I’m a loving mother whose heart is breaking because that bitch ran away without even thinking about what it would do to me.”
“Well, this interview is taking a turn for the worse for your mother,” May points out.
I lift both my hands and rub at the pressure just above my eyebrows. “She’s making a fool out of herself. I feel so sorry for her. She sounds terrible, and she looks even worse.”
“Does Reece know how to get in contact with you? Has she ever reached out to you in the past?” The interviewer attempts to bring it back to our fractured relationship. Mom’s staring downward, ignoring the question. “Julie?” he encourages.
“Yeah?” She lifts her chin and looks to him. “Sorry, what was the question?” He repeats it and Mom morphs back into her manipulative self. “I had to move, so I don’t live where I used to. I don’t have a permanent home.” She plays with her fingertips. “If my daughter ever loved me, you’d think she’d do everything in her power to help me. She’s never sent me any money, or called or texted. Nothing. She just ran away and never came back. I have to be honest. I didn’t even think she was still alive. I thought she died.”
“What a despicable excuse for a woman,” May groans.
“Did you search for her?” the interviewer asks. Mom touches her throat and averts her eyes for a split second. “Did you search for her?” he repeats.
“Well, of course.”
“Did you go to the police?”
Mom’s jaw tightens as she blinks rapidly, probably trying to formulate an answer. “Obviously,” she finally replies.
“I can guarantee she didn’t,” May says.
“Considering she dragged me out of the house by my hair.”
“She did what?” May shrieks as she slowly turns to look at me.
“Yeah, she wasn’t a very nurturing mother.”
“You poor child,” May says.
“Please, I don’t want sympathy. Mind you, I feel sorry for her.” I pointedly glance to the TV. “She looks terrible, and she’s spouting lies.”
“She’s actually doing you a favor.”
I bark out a humorless laugh. “Really? I think it’s making me look worse than I am.”
“Think about this, Reece. Anyone with half a brain cell can see she’s drug addicted. She’s also proving that she’s never cared about you. It shows anyone who’s invested in this story how you were forced to survive. And really, consider that, because so many people are battling their own demons. You did what you had to do. Truthfully, this interview probably won’t hurt you at all. You may even win some hearts with it.”
“I see a woman successfully humiliating me.”
“That’s because she’s talking about you.”
