Don't Go Baking My Heart

“If that’s what I choose, then yes! I’m not ever going to be a carbon copy of Jinelle. Isn’t one perfect daughter enough for you?”

Her mother folded her arms, a sure sign Reba would be stuck in this lecture forever. “That’s not what we’re trying to do. I want the best for all my children.”

“And what if being a PA is the best for me? Why can’t you just listen, for once?”

“Alright, fine. And what about Devon? You won’t even give him a chance because of a list of cons you’ve built up? All of which aren’t even really cons.”

“Of course, you saw the other list, too.” It was such an amateur move for her to leave that laying around. She had been more wrapped up in her thoughts than expected.

“He’s a good catch. Why won’t you give him a chance?”

“You! You’re the reason I’m afraid to,” she blurted out. “Because every time I think about it, I feel like I’m proving you all right. That I need to be with someone like him to fix me. So I can be seen as an actual person and not the colourful façade everyone thinks I’ve created. I do like him, maybe more than that. I do want to give him a chance, but every single moment I think about that, I hear your voice. Telling me that no one will really want me the way I am.”

Her mother’s eyes grew wide with shock. “Honey, I never meant to make you feel like that. I just thought I was helping you. This is a lot to take in.”

“And this is why I’m a mess where relationships are concerned.” She shook her head. “Why I can’t even believe that he wants me just as I am. And he does. I had my doubts, but he’s shown me. I don’t need to be some watered-down image of myself because you think that would help me in life. Respectfully, screw all of that.”

“Well, honestly, I…”

Reba held up her hand. “I don’t have time for whatever guilt trip you’re about to throw down. I love you all, but frankly, your parenting needs work. And I got places to be and a man to lock down.”

Her phone rang. She turned her back as her mother continued trying to talk to her. She needed an umbrella to get out of here.

“Where are you?” Cherisse shouted in her ear as she answered the call.

“I’m on my way. How’s it going?”

“Not great, actually. I think he’s actually flustered, which is bizarre cuz it’s Devon. He’s never flustered.”

“Oh, shit. Okay, I’m coming.” She tossed on her hoodie, tucked her phone away into the pocket, and grabbed an umbrella from near the door.

“Reba,” her mother said as she opened the door.

“I really don’t have time.”

“I know, but we’ll talk when you get home?”

“Maybe.” She dashed out, the grips on her sneakers making sure she wouldn’t go skating on the wet driveway. She stuck her wireless headphones in and called Cherisse back.

“Play-by-play of what’s happening?” she asked as she exited her area.

“He got this look on his face when he took the pans out. I don’t know if the cakes fell or not. A bit hard to tell from this angle.”

“Oh no, that’s no bueno.” The cakes were the base of the entire cube. If shit went south with that, things were already downhill. It didn’t make sense that he’d have an issue there, though. “It’s gonna take me an hour with this rain.”

“The crew and I are holding it down until you get here, but I think he’s gonna need a big Reba hug after this.”

“Who’s there?” Reba hadn’t asked if everyone was going, but she assumed so.

“Ms. King, Maxi, Leah, Keiran, Jeremy, and me.”

“He’s not going to like bombing this in front of you all.”

“Nope.”

Reba didn’t want to think she was the reason he had lost focus somewhere. It could just be a stroke of bad luck. But would he think so? Not that it would be fair of him to blame her, but she did feel bad for not being there at the start of it like she’d promised.

This wasn’t the best way to start something, but she hoped he would understand.