color and the makeup she wore that most likely was damaging her skin.
“You'll never be safe. You know that,” Cora said sadly, looking down at her lap, visibly shaken.
“Oh, Mommy, please don't cry.”
“Don't tell me what I can't do. If I want to cry, I will. Knowing you've been hurt and almost died at that woman's hands, and there was nothing I could do to stop it… oh, Christ.” Cora lifted up a shaking hand to her mouth and closed her eyes.
Deborah squeezed her mother's hand and didn't respond at first. She opened and closed her mouth, taking a deep breath before she spoke. “There's a possibility that could be true, but this is a chance I have to take.”
“Just like you took the chance in marrying that viper, even after I told you she'd be trouble?” Cora coughed into a tissue, her back shaking from the force. Deborah pushed the pillows up higher behind her.
“You're right. Is that what you want to hear? I've paid for my mistake in more ways than one,” Deborah said softly, wiping her cheek even though no tears fell.
Her mother's brow wrinkled and she grabbed Deborah's hands in both of hers. “We've all made mistakes. I know all too well, seeing as what I went through with your father.”
“Are you saying because Dad treated you horribly that I've fallen into the cycle you did?” Deborah asked. Flashes of “arguments” between her father and mother when she was a child popped into her head.
“I can't say,” Cora replied and stared out the window. “I wish I had more time with you.”
Deborah nodded sadly. As soon as she left and hopped on the bus, she might never see her mother alive again. “Let's make the best of what we have now,” she said brightly and gave her mother a happy smile.
Cora watched her closely.
Deborah looked away. “Mom, I know—”
“What time do you have to catch your train?”
“Four. I should leave here around three, at the latest,” Deborah replied and glanced at her suitcase where her ticket lay hidden.
“Well, son, I hope your trip is uneventful. You're planning on going back to that place I told you about?”
Deborah stopped from rolling her eyes over her mother's vagueness. “Mother, we can talk freely here. I don't think the room is bugged even with you-know-who involved. And yes, I'm heading to Woodberry Creek. “
“Good.” Cora nodded. “She won't think of finding you there.”
“I should hope not after all planning I've done. When I arrive in Woodberry Creek, Sharon Wade will be there waiting for me,” Deborah said and shared a smile with her mother. Not only would she be residing in the small town in Pennsylvania her mother grew up in and one Genevieve had no idea about, but she'd picked her new name in honor of her mother's mother, her grandmother Shara, and Wade, her grandfather.
“Did I hear ya say Woodberry Creek?”
Deborah lightly jumped as a loud booming voice echoed in the room. A large, stocky black woman with hair shorter than hers and wearing dark green scrubs walked in carrying a tray.
Her mother smiled at the nurse and coughed again. “You have ears like a hawk, Michelle.”
Michelle snorted and put the covered tray on the table near the bed. She pulled off the plastic cover and the smell of chicken and rice wafted up. “You'd better believe it.” Michelle jutted her chin out toward Deborah. “And who is this handsome young man?”
Deborah did her best not to blush under the scrutinizing stare. She dropped her face down near her chest, mumbling her “name.”
“This is my son, Wade. He's visiting me before he goes back home.”
Michelle fisted her heads on her abundant hips. “Pleasure to meet you. Your mother is a lovely woman, even if she does cheat at Scrabble.”
“I do not!” Cora shouted hoarsely and coughed loudly.
“Mom, calm down.” Deborah remembered to keep her voice low and lightly slapped her mother on the back.
“I-I'm okay,” Cora replied. When she finished her coughing fit, she took
“You'll never be safe. You know that,” Cora said sadly, looking down at her lap, visibly shaken.
“Oh, Mommy, please don't cry.”
“Don't tell me what I can't do. If I want to cry, I will. Knowing you've been hurt and almost died at that woman's hands, and there was nothing I could do to stop it… oh, Christ.” Cora lifted up a shaking hand to her mouth and closed her eyes.
Deborah squeezed her mother's hand and didn't respond at first. She opened and closed her mouth, taking a deep breath before she spoke. “There's a possibility that could be true, but this is a chance I have to take.”
“Just like you took the chance in marrying that viper, even after I told you she'd be trouble?” Cora coughed into a tissue, her back shaking from the force. Deborah pushed the pillows up higher behind her.
“You're right. Is that what you want to hear? I've paid for my mistake in more ways than one,” Deborah said softly, wiping her cheek even though no tears fell.
Her mother's brow wrinkled and she grabbed Deborah's hands in both of hers. “We've all made mistakes. I know all too well, seeing as what I went through with your father.”
“Are you saying because Dad treated you horribly that I've fallen into the cycle you did?” Deborah asked. Flashes of “arguments” between her father and mother when she was a child popped into her head.
“I can't say,” Cora replied and stared out the window. “I wish I had more time with you.”
Deborah nodded sadly. As soon as she left and hopped on the bus, she might never see her mother alive again. “Let's make the best of what we have now,” she said brightly and gave her mother a happy smile.
Cora watched her closely.
Deborah looked away. “Mom, I know—”
“What time do you have to catch your train?”
“Four. I should leave here around three, at the latest,” Deborah replied and glanced at her suitcase where her ticket lay hidden.
“Well, son, I hope your trip is uneventful. You're planning on going back to that place I told you about?”
Deborah stopped from rolling her eyes over her mother's vagueness. “Mother, we can talk freely here. I don't think the room is bugged even with you-know-who involved. And yes, I'm heading to Woodberry Creek. “
“Good.” Cora nodded. “She won't think of finding you there.”
“I should hope not after all planning I've done. When I arrive in Woodberry Creek, Sharon Wade will be there waiting for me,” Deborah said and shared a smile with her mother. Not only would she be residing in the small town in Pennsylvania her mother grew up in and one Genevieve had no idea about, but she'd picked her new name in honor of her mother's mother, her grandmother Shara, and Wade, her grandfather.
“Did I hear ya say Woodberry Creek?”
Deborah lightly jumped as a loud booming voice echoed in the room. A large, stocky black woman with hair shorter than hers and wearing dark green scrubs walked in carrying a tray.
Her mother smiled at the nurse and coughed again. “You have ears like a hawk, Michelle.”
Michelle snorted and put the covered tray on the table near the bed. She pulled off the plastic cover and the smell of chicken and rice wafted up. “You'd better believe it.” Michelle jutted her chin out toward Deborah. “And who is this handsome young man?”
Deborah did her best not to blush under the scrutinizing stare. She dropped her face down near her chest, mumbling her “name.”
“This is my son, Wade. He's visiting me before he goes back home.”
Michelle fisted her heads on her abundant hips. “Pleasure to meet you. Your mother is a lovely woman, even if she does cheat at Scrabble.”
“I do not!” Cora shouted hoarsely and coughed loudly.
“Mom, calm down.” Deborah remembered to keep her voice low and lightly slapped her mother on the back.
“I-I'm okay,” Cora replied. When she finished her coughing fit, she took
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