You're All I Need

by Karen White-Owens

  Exasperated, Tia threw her hands in the air. No matter what she said, her twin had an explanation or reason.

  “What are you saying?” Tia demanded. “Spit it out.”

  “If Mother lost her mind when you moved into your own place in the same city, what do you expect her to do when you plan to move to a different country? Tia, she’s fighting back. Mother is finding ways to keep you here with her.”

  Tia shut her eyes against the blinding headache pounding at her frontal lobe. Would her mother go to those lengths to keep her in Michigan? Losing Chris and now Nia’s accusations. This was painful. She missed and needed Chris. Nia was making it almost impossible to think.

  “You can’t hide from it. Junior told me that when you told Mother about your engagement, she had a whole boatload of reasons why you shouldn’t leave with Chris. Come on, girl. Mother made it clear each and every time you brought him to one of our family functions that she didn’t like him.”

  “They didn’t hit it off.”

  “Please. What’s not to like? Chris is handsome, fun, and crazy in love with you. I could see her having a problem with him if he was abusive or treated you badly, but everybody can see how much he loves you. It was in his eyes and the way he talked to you.”

  Tia couldn’t stand it anymore. “If Chris is all of that, why did he leave me?”

  “Chris got tired. Didn’t want to fight with Mother anymore. Needed to get to work. Take your pick.”

  “I think you’re painting Momma as a villain here. Chris has to take the blame for what he did. Momma wouldn’t do that to me.” Tia folded her arms across her chest. “She wants me to be happy.”

  Nia scoffed. “Yeah, right. She wants you to be happy as long as it keeps you close to her and gives her what she needs.”

  Making the time-out symbol with her hands, Tia said, “Stop. I know you and Momma have your problems, but I won’t let you stir up trouble between Momma and me.”

  Snorting, Nia added, “You are right. Mother and I have never been close. We probably never will be. You know I love you, and I don’t want you to miss your window of opportunity.”

  “Window of opportunity?”

  The door opened and the nurse pushed Grandma Ruth into the room in a wheelchair. Tia jumped up and headed for the door, ready to help her grandmother.

  The nurse waved Tia away. “I’ve got it. Besides, she needs to learn how to get in and out of the bed without help.”

  Tia and Nia stood as Grandma Ruth climbed into bed with the nurse’s help. The nurse fluffed pillows and straightened the bed. After a few minutes, she left with the promise of returning the next day.

  “Do you need anything?” Nia asked.

  Grandma replied, “Water.”

  “Okay.” Nia picked up the pitcher and a cup and then turned to her twin. “Why don’t you leave? You’ve been here all day. I’ll take over.”

  “I will.” Tia picked up her purse and fished around the bottom for her keys. “Is there anything I can do before I go?”

  “No.”

  Nia glared at her sister. “You have to make up your mind what you’re going to do with your life. Chris won’t wait forever.”

  “He didn’t wait at all,” Tia reminded.

  “Why should he? Generally, when you tell someone you love him, it means you want to be with him. You sent that man away without a kiss or a promise.”

  No, I didn’t, Tia thought, remembering the final kiss between her and Chris. A kiss filled with so much passion and love it made her hesitate over her next move. She glanced at her bare ring finger, feeling fresh stabs of pain. When she took the ring from her finger, she saw the disappointment and hurt glittering from his beautiful eyes. It took everything in her to push that ring into his hand.

  Chris tried to talk her out of it. Adamant, Tia refused to listen to anything else he had to say. If they were over, then he should have his ring. She insisted and after a moment he took the ring and shoved it into his pocket.

  Nothing had worked out the way it should have. Chris was gone and she was alone. Her family was the only thing left to her and she planned to be there for them no matter what.

  29

  Determined to talk some sense into her mother, Nia Edwards opened the front door to her childhood home, used her key, and entered. “Mother? Daddy?” she called, waiting in the hallway for someone to answer. They must be home.

  “Back here,” Mrs. Edwards called.

  Not sure where her mother was calling from, Nia started for the kitchen.

  “Nia?” Her mother strolled from the rear of the house and stopped in the hallway. She tilted her head as she studied her daughter for a moment. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with your grandmother?” Alarmed, her eyes widened. “Is everything all right?”

  “I was there,” Nia explained, pulling the strap of her purse more securely on her shoulder. “Grandma was asleep when I left. Everything’s good. If you have a few minutes to spare, I’d like to talk to you.”

  Frowning, her mother’s forehead crinkled and her eyes appeared concerned. The older woman studied Nia, trying to figure out this turn of events. “Sure. I’m in the family room.”

  Nia knew her mother was wondering what she wanted. They never talked. It was an unspoken rule that they went their separate ways and only came together for family functions. Nia learned very early that she was not the chosen member of this family, and she understood her position in the family hierarchy.

  “You hungry?” Mrs. Edwards asked, heading to the back of the house. She hovered outside the kitchen door.

  “No. I’m fine.”

  Her mother nodded and continued to the family room. Oprah Winfrey’s theme music could be heard on the television as they moved down the hallway and entered the room. Her mother dropped down onto the sofa and picked up the remote. Instantly, Oprah became a nonverbal program. For a moment, Nia hesitated, standing in the doorway as she watched the talk show host move around the stage without sound. Refocusing on her reason for being there, she stepped across the threshold and sank into the spot next to her mother.

  “Is everything all right with Mother?” Mrs. Edwards asked again, moving her latest romance novel from the couch to the coffee table.

  “She’s good,” Nia answered.

  “Then what is it? What brings you here?”

  “Tia.”

  That got Mrs. Edwards’s attention. “What’s wrong with my baby?”

  “Mother, I don’t mean to upset you,” she explained as her hands fluttered over her slick bob and then dropped to the edge of the cushion. Intruding into someone else’s life was not her way of doing things. Normally she let friends and family handle their own business. Unfortunately, Tia needed help. She didn’t know how to deal with their mother. “Tia is falling apart; she’s miserable. Breaking up with Chris has left her totally lost. It was the wrong thing to do. She doesn’t know what to do without him.”

  Mrs. Edwards waved a dismissing hand at her daughter and smacked her lips, stating, “She’ll be all right. I thought something was really wrong.”

  “Tia’s not all right.”

  “I know my daughter. Tia-Mia made her choice. It’ll take a few days before she settles down.”

  “No. She didn’t make any decision.” Nia pointed a finger at her mother. “You did.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “I’m not,” Nia responded. “Things won’t ever go back to normal. Tia truly loves Chris and he loves her. She needs to be with him.”

  Pressing her lips together, Mrs. Edwards turned the remote over and over in her hands. “I think you’re making far too much of this situation.” She slapped Nia’s hand playfully. “Don’t be a drama queen. Besides, how would you know?”

  “I sat with Grandma today. Tia and I visited for a few minutes. Mother, have you taken a minute to look at Tia?”

  “I’ve seen her. Tia’s fine.”

  “She looks sick. She’s lost weight, and I d
on’t think she’s sleeping. You need to talk with her.”

  Mrs. Edwards stared back at her daughter in horror. She gazed at Nia as if she had announced that she planned to have a sex-change operation. “What about?”

  “Chris.”

  “No. That’s not my place.”

  “But it was your place to make her promise to stay here with you?”

  “That’s none of your business.” Jackie Edwards’s expression hardened, becoming distant, and her voice dropped warningly.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. It is my business. This is about my sister. I don’t want to see her hurt anymore. Darnell hurt her enough.”

  “He didn’t mean much. Darnell was just a passing phase,” Jackie Edwards answered, shifting around on the sofa. “I don’t need you to tell me about my child.”

  Okay, Nia thought. I don’t want to do this, but I have no choice. Mother will ignore the obvious because she got what she wanted. “Somebody should.”

  “Nia Edwards, who do you think you’re talking to?”

  “My mother. The woman who can make this all right. The person who needs to let go of my sister and let her have a chance at life. Tia is staying because you put her in a horrible situation. She couldn’t leave you when you needed her or while Grandma is sick. You made her promise to be here with you. That wasn’t fair.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Besides, it’s none of your business what Tia and I do.”

  “Yes, it is my business. I’m here to ask you to let her go.”

  Sitting as regally as a queen, she turned to her daughter with a cool expression that should have had every item in the room covered in ice. Nia felt the chill, but she didn’t plan to back down. “I don’t want to fight with you or cause you any distress, especially with Grandma being sick, but I can’t let Tia suffer like this. It breaks my heart to see my twin this way.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Mind your own business.”

  “It is my business when I see her so unhappy. Don’t you care?”

  “Of course I care. Tia is my baby.”

  “And your favorite child.”

  “Don’t say that,” Mrs. Edwards practically yelled.

  “Why not? It’s the truth. That’s why you can’t stand the idea of her moving to France with Chris. There are valid reasons to be concerned, but you went way over the top. When she first moved away from home, you almost had a stroke. There’s no way you can handle Tia living abroad. Mother, please don’t do this to her. Don’t take her life away. Tia will eventually come to hate you.”

  Mrs. Edwards sat up straight and pointed a finger in Nia’s face. “I would never interfere in my children’s lives.”

  “Yeah, right. Is that why you made Tia promise to stay in town until Grandma got better? Or put it in her head that she needed to wait a while before considering marriage? Mother, you’re in Tia’s business all the time.”

  Mrs. Edwards wagged her finger at her daughter. “You are stepping over the line, young lady.”

  “So what else is new?” Nia wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Stepping over the line was her specialty when it came to her mother. “You and I have always bumped heads. We’ve never gotten along.”

  Mrs. Edwards’s hand fluttered around the shirt opening at her neck. She opened her mouth to deny the allegation, but then shut it without saying a word.

  Nia continued. “Don’t bother denying it. We both know the truth, but this situation isn’t about me. Tia is the one suffering, and you have the power to put an end to it.”

  Head held high, Nia’s mother replied, “Tia-Mia can leave any time she wants. I don’t have a hold on her.”

  “Yes, you do. Mother, Tia found someone who loves and cares about her. Do you have any idea how rare that is?” Nia scoffed. “Of course not, you don’t have a clue. You’ve always had Daddy. It’s special and Tia deserves to be happy. Let her go.”

  “I don’t have any strings attached to her.”

  “It’s time to step up. Do the right thing for your daughter. You have the power to steer Tia in the right direction. Don’t take this from her.”

  Jackie Edwards sat stiffly at Nia’s side.

  “Guilt is a powerful emotion. And, Mother, you use it well. Not just on Tia, but also on all of us. Tia feels it more than any of us because she’s with you a lot of the time. You are a master of manipulation, and I can see it because it’s not directed at me. I can’t let you do this to my sister.”

  She reached out and laid her hand on top of her mother’s. Jackie Edwards shook it off. Nia fought back tears. Her voice was firm and without hesitation. “I’m not Tia and I never will be, but I’m here. When you need someone to go shopping with, call me.” Hope fueled her next words. When Nia made her way to her parents’ home, she’d never expected for her conversation to go this way. Maybe she needed something from her mother, a chance to have a fulfilling relationship.

  “I get lonely,” Nia admitted. “I don’t always like to do things alone. Maybe we can help each other. I’ll be happy to drive and shop with you. You won’t be by yourself.”

  “That’s what this is about. You want to take Tia’s place.”

  “I don’t need to take anybody’s place. I have a life of my own.” Jumping to her feet, Nia stared down at her mother with contempt.

  Jackie Edwards shrank away.

  “I told you at the beginning this was not about me. I thought I could appeal to your motherly instinct. As far as I’m concerned, the way you’ve manipulated Tia is very unmotherly.”

  “Don’t forget who you’re talking to. I am your mother.”

  “When you choose to be.”

  “Nia Edwards, stop before you say something you’ll regret.”

  “You mean before I say something that you don’t want to hear.” Nia shook her head. “I was hoping to help us both, but you don’t want that. You want your world the way it is and nothing else. That’s not going to happen. Get ready for some changes. I’m going to encourage my sister to follow her heart. You do whatever you have to.”

  With that, Nia turned on her heel and marched out of the room. She didn’t stop until she was on the front porch. Breathing hard, she took a minute to gather her thoughts and fought back tears before getting behind the wheel of her car.

  She glanced back at the home where she’d learned so much about love and even more about pain and rejection.

  Nia took a deep breath. It didn’t matter. She turned the ignition and the car hopped to life. After glancing out of the side mirror, Nia pulled into traffic. She’d gotten through her mother’s rebuff just as she had all the rest.

  30

  Stunned, Jackie Edwards sat quietly on the sofa as Nia marched out of the room. The agitated click of her daughter’s high heels faded as Nia marched down the hall. The slamming of the door punctuated her departure.

  Minutes later, Greg Edwards peered into the family room. “Is it safe?”

  Frowning, she looked up and focused on the man she married thirty-seven years ago. “What?”

  “Can I come in?” he teased. “Is the coast clear?”

  Nodding slowly, Jackie waved her husband into the family room. She had so much to think about and consider.

  First, Nia never visited. She made a point of avoiding her mother unless something important came up. Her twin girls had always been close regardless of the relationship they had with their mother. Tia meant the world to her sister. Nia loved her twin and was completely devoted to her.

  Jackie knew Nia would do anything to help her twin. No matter the situation, Nia let things slide off her back and went about her business unconcerned, unless it involved someone in her family.

  Nia’s accusations hurt. It felt like someone had flashed a light into her eyes while she was suffering from a migraine. Had she been treating her children unfairly? Was she being selfish? Did she deserve the things that Nia had said to her?

  Greg crossed the floor and sank onto t
he cushion next to Jackie. Silence reigned as he sat by her side. After a moment, he reached for her hand and laced their fingers together.

  “You heard everything?” Jackie asked.

  He nodded.

  “Am I wrong?” she whispered.

  “Do you want the truth?” he questioned.

  Jackie snorted. “No.”

  He squeezed her hand. “But you need to know.”

  She nodded.

  Greg took a deep breath and let it out in one big gush. “Yes.”

  Shutting her eyes, Jackie sat perfectly still. Greg was a constant who enriched her life. She couldn’t imagine her household without this man. He never lied. No matter how painful, he always told her the truth. Before he’d tell a lie, he wouldn’t say anything at all. Nia had always been a problem between them. Over the years, they had learned to live together, but Nia always presented the only real disagreement they had. Now, all of her problems with Nia were coming back to haunt her.

  Guilt mixed with a hearty dose of pain made her feel like crying. Unfortunately, tears wouldn’t make things any easier or better. She needed to sort this situation out. It was time to talk. “How do I fix this?”

  “Which problem?”

  Her head pounded. She squeezed her eyes shut and rammed her palm against her forehead, muttering sarcastically, “Thanks, my loyal husband. You are such a joy to be with.”

  “You asked.” Shrugging, Greg chuckled softly and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “You stepped into it. I’m trying to keep you from bringing the funky odor and the mess into the house. Otherwise you’ll smell up the whole place.”

  Jackie rested her head against his shoulder. “Have I treated my girls differently?”

  “Yes.”

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  “You probably didn’t. But, hon, you gave birth to two girls. You raised one and did what you needed to for the other. You put all the love into Tia. Nia got what was left. I never understood what was going on in your head, but I tried to compensate and make it up to Nia by being the parent she needed, the person she trusted and came to when things went wrong.”