It's Always Been You. Elle Wright
the Nelson family gathered on her grandmother’s birthday in March for a family reunion. Each year, the reunion alternated between several states to give each leg of the family a chance to plan it. Love had managed to avoid the last several due to school and work, but since the reunion was back in her childhood hometown, her mother had threatened to haunt her in life and death if she didn’t attend.
Her mother had obsessed about this reunion for over a year, since she was the only member of the family that lived in Las Vegas. The hosting family always stayed at the hotel with everyone else, and Gloria needed Love’s assistance to help make the reunion a success.
“Like I had a choice,” Love grumbled, wrenching herself out of her mother’s arms.
“Don’t get smart.” Gloria smoothed her hair back and grinned at Drake. “Hello, Drake. I’m so glad you’re here.” She embraced him.
“Good to see you, too, Mom,” Drake said.
Love’s best friend had called Gloria that for as long as she could remember. Drake and Gloria had a loving relationship and Love often found herself on the outside looking in at the two of them. They shared the same taste in food and television, preferring big steaks and fried potatoes with their zombie and sci-fi shows.
“You’re looking handsome as ever, son.”
“Mother,” Love said, cutting in, “I know you want to talk about the reunion, but I have to make a few runs. Then I wanted to visit with friends.”
Peering up the ceiling, Love let out a long sigh. She hated lying to her mother. Love was many things, but a liar wasn’t one of them. She lacked the ability to make it convincing, even though she’d tried to perfect the skill growing up. Although she had made plans to visit with her friends, she had no intention of doing so now. She had business to take care of, a marriage to annul.
“Love, this is family time.” Gloria picked at her daughter’s hair with a frown on her face. “Why did you straighten your beautiful curls?”
Love pushed her hands away. “My hair is fine. And I promised them I’d stop by. The last time I came home to visit, I wasn’t able to spend any time with my friends.”
Gloria dropped her purse on a chair and scanned the room. “This is nice,” she said, as if she couldn’t care less what Love wanted to do. “Listen, a couple of your cousins really wanted to come but they couldn’t afford a hotel. I figure they can sleep in this big ole room with you.”
“No,” Love said. “That’s not possible. Drake is my roommate. The second bedroom is his.”
“I can get my own room,” Drake offered.
Love glared at him. “Mother, how about I catch the next flight back to Michigan, and they can have this room? Or better yet, I can go stay at your house.”
Gloria lived in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin South. It was just fifteen miles from downtown. The house held many fond memories for Love and she’d love to get away and sleep in her old room for the night.
“That’s not a good idea,” Gloria said. “You need to stay and be in the thick of things, with me.”
“It’s actually okay. I figure I can spend some time in my childhood home, prepare the house for the cookout you want to have there on Sunday.” Love scratched her neck and tried to ignore the skeptical look on Drake’s face. He must have caught the sarcasm.
“Okay,” he said, elbowing her. “I’ll book a room for them. My treat.”
“Thank you, Drake,” Gloria gushed. “I just love you.”
“So it’s settled, Mother.” Love picked up her mother’s purse and handed it to her. “I have to finish getting ready now. I have so much to do.”
“Wait, I wanted to ask you something. I’m planning a visit to Ann Arbor in a few weeks. Do you have room for your dear old mother?”
Love adored her mother. She really did. But Gloria Washington was a professional nagger. The last time her mom had stayed with her she’d rearranged everything, put all her canned goods in the recycle bin, threw away her favorite socks and insisted Love eat those nasty breakfast bars filled with millet grains.
“Uh...w-well,” she stammered, “I would’ve said it was no problem, but I...it would be awkward.”
“Why?”
That one word was enough to make Love hyperventilate. Briefly, she wondered if her mother would accept it if she answered the question with a whopping “because I said so.” Or better yet, a big fat “nunya.”
“Why, Lovely?” Gloria asked again. “You have a huge three-bedroom condo you’re renting all by yourself. Why would it be awkward? Unless you lied to your mother about living alone?”
Love hated when her mom referred to herself in the third person. She struggled to find a suitable excuse. “I meant to tell you sooner. I don’t live alone anymore.”
“A roommate?”
“Kind of,” Love lied. Again. She pressed a hand to her stomach, uncertain why she felt the need to tell her mother she had a roommate. I have to throw up. “The economy is rough. I figured it would help.”
Gloria’s eyes flitted back and forth between Love and Drake. Finally, she placed a hand on her hip. “When did you start lying to your mother, Lovely?”
Damn. Caught already? “Why do you say that?”
“You hate living with anyone. You wouldn’t even let Drake move in.”
Love shifted her attention to Drake, who was watching her with a smirk on his face. Although he was her best friend, she had turned him down when he’d asked to stay with her while he found a place. Instead, she’d suggested that he book a suite at the Marriott closest to the University of Michigan Hospital, where they were both residents. He was pissed, and didn’t hesitate to tell her. Love had assured him it was the best thing for their friendship. She adored him, but there was no way she could live with him. Drake was your typical smelly, messy and loud man. Not to mention a man-whore.
“Mother,” Love said. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but...” She stalled, running a list of possible roommates in her mind. “Drake is my roommate.”
He gaped at her.
The room was silent for a few minutes as both of them absorbed this news.
“Drake?” Gloria asked. “That’s impossible.”
“It’s the truth. But I can’t really talk about this now. I told you I have plans.”
“No, I want an explanation. If Drake is your roommate, you’ll never find a man who wants to marry you.”
Drake snorted and Love smacked his shoulder.
“When did this end up being about marriage?” she asked her mother. “Wait...don’t answer that.” It seemed as though these days, every conversation between them contained a reference to the M word. “Please, Mother. I promise we’ll spend lots of time together. Later. I’ll answer all of your questions then.” She hugged her. “Love you.”
Gloria stomped to the door. “Okay, Lovely. Take care of your business. But we are going to talk about this. And since Drake is your roommate, he won’t care if I stay there for a few days. Right, Drake?”
He shrugged. “Sure,” he said drily.
Love opened the door to let her out, only to find the concierge on the other side, preparing to knock.
“Mrs. J—”
“Hi!” Love said. “Did you need something?”
“I forgot to give you the receipt from the jewelry store.”
She snatched it from him. “Okay, thanks. Bye.”
“Who