Chapter 25

About an hour later, Megan and Sophia headed out for roller skating. Tasha wearily handed over Megan’s phone and said, “You two have fun.” She added, “Megan, can we talk later? It’s okay, I just need to talk.”

“Yeah, Tasha. Of course. Alright, let’s go, sweetheart.”

“Bye, Aunt Tasha!”

“Bye, munchkin.”

Megan did her best to have a good time roller skating with Sophia. She wouldn’t normally keep her out this late on a school night, but she figured that Tasha might need some space right now. She was also worried that she might have done the wrong thing by putting Tasha and Estelle on the phone together. At least part of the reason for keeping Sophia out late was her anxiety about Tasha’s reaction.

When they finally got home, Sophia was already half-asleep, which made getting into bed easier in some ways and harder in others. Once that was accomplished, she nervously went out and sat with Tasha.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, I think.”

“Uh oh. Any time I told Brad I was fine, I was never fine.”

“No, it’s good. Really. I’ll admit that I was taken aback when you shoved your phone in my hand. But… thank you for doing that. Momma and I have both been so stubborn about this. I don’t know if we would have talked any other way.”

“I’m sorry, Tasha. I shouldn’t have forced that on you. You told me how you haven’t talked with your parents in years and I should have respected that, but I was talking with your mom and she sounded like she really missed you but couldn’t see her own way to reaching out to you, so I just―”

Tasha held up her hand to stop her. “Megan, really, it’s good. Momma and I had a good talk. I missed her so much, but was too stubborn to pick up the phone… Megan, I told her about dating… about dating women. About me dating women.”

Megan grabbed Tasha’s hands and squeezed.

“She didn’t say anything for a minute when I told her. I thought I had ruined everything again. And then Momma told me it was okay. She told me that she didn’t care about any of that, just so long as I found happiness and love.”

“That’s amazing, Tasha. That was very brave of you!”

“Thank you. I almost chickened out.”

“You didn’t, though. You were honest, and I know that your mom respects that.”

“I feel like such an idiot. We missed so much time because of stupid pride. I talked to Dad for a bit, too. It was so nice to reconnect with both of them.”

“That’s so good to hear, Tasha.”

“And now I’m in this weird place where I’m happy and sad at the same time. But, how was your talk with Momma?”

“It was really helpful for me. Your parents are so cute! It’s different, but I also feel like I’ve wasted so much time.”

“I’m glad that they could help you.”

“Me too. I really hope that one day I find love like they have.”

“Yeah, I’d like that, too. Megan, can I ask you for a favor?”

“Of course, Tasha. Anything?”

“I miss having Momma hold me. Can you hold me like I did for you a few days ago? I just need that right now.”

“Of course! Come here and Mama Megan will make it all better.”

“Okay, don’t make it weird.”

“Sorry.”

Once she finished snuggling next to Megan, Tasha asked, “So, what’s going on with Brad?”

“That… Well, after my meeting with Maria, she had some questions that I needed to answer. I sent her those answers earlier today. So, now she’s working on drawing up the documents. I’m planning to meet Brad on Sunday after lunch. I’m really worried, though.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s promised so many things to me and then broken my trust. I’m worried that he’ll tell me that he’ll make these changes to be a good father to Sophia and that I’ll believe him, only to be betrayed again.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence and the companionable silence.

Eventually, Tasha stirred and said, “Megan, I have a thought.”

“Hmmm?”

“Let me meet Brad on Sunday.”

“What? Why?”

“You said it yourself. You trust him too easily. Me, on the other hand, I never liked that boy and I never trusted him. I love… I love Sophia with all my heart and I will never let Brad hurt her, or you, if I can help it. So, let me help. Brad can’t bullshit me. That rudeness and arrogance that he showed in the park isn’t going to fly. And we both know where he was going with that ‘Anglo-Saxon values’ trash, too. That boy is a toxic mix of racism and sexism right now, and neither of you need that in your life. So, if I believe him that he’s gonna get his shit together for Sophia’s sake, then you’ll know it’s true.”

“You’d do that for Sophia?”

“Damn right I would! I would walk through Hell for that girl. You best believe that I consider talking with Brad to be at least a bit of Hell.”

“Thank you, Tasha. Let me think about that.”

“Sounds good. Oh, while I talk to Brad, you can take Sophia to roller derby. There’s a juniors doubleheader on Sunday.”

“That’s a good idea. Either way, one of us should take her to that.”

“Okay, we need to go to bed. If I stay here any longer we are never gonna leave.”

“This is nice, though, right?”

“It is. Anyone ever told you that your boobs make good pillows?”

“What?”

Tasha grinned devilishly at Megan as she untangled herself from her. “Just sayin’. Definitely more comfortable than my regular pillow.”

“Stop, or I’ll never give you Mama hugs again,” Megan whined at her.

“Yes, Mom,” Tasha replied, perfectly imitating Sophia’s ‘exasperated by mom’ tone. Tasha giggled as she ducked a flying throw pillow.