Chapter 2: The Secret She Claimed To Find
I stood in the kitchen, waiting for Nia to explain.
For the first time all evening, she looked nervous.
That made me even more uneasy.
Because Nia was rarely nervous.
She was confident.
Controlled.
The kind of person who always knew exactly what to say.
"What did you find?""
She looked down.
"I found documents.""
"What documents?""
She walked toward the dining table and picked up a folder.
She had placed it beside her purse.
I hadn't noticed it before.
She slid it across the table.
"I found these in your mother's drawer.""
I opened the folder.
Inside were papers.
Bank statements.
Receipts.
A handwritten note.
I looked through them quickly.
At first, I didn't understand.
Then I saw the name.
My name.
Marcus Reed.
"What is this?""
Nia crossed her arms.
"That's what I was trying to figure out.""
I looked closer.
The documents were related to my old student loans.
The ones I had paid off years ago.
The ones my mother had always told me not to worry about.
My stomach tightened.
"Why does my mother have these?""
Nia's voice became softer.
"Because maybe she wasn't as honest with you as you think.""
I looked up.
"What are you accusing her of?""
"I'm not accusing anyone.""
But her tone said she already had.
I put the papers down.
"Nia, be careful.""
She laughed quietly.
"You're already defending her.""
"I'm asking for proof.""
"Marcus, I saw the way she reacted when I asked her about them.""
"What way?""
"She got defensive.""
I stared at her.
"My mother has spent her whole life being judged by people.""
"That doesn't mean she's innocent.""
The silence between us felt heavy.
I remembered my mother sitting on the floor upstairs.
Crying.
Packing.
Alone.
And now my wife was standing in front of me, trying to convince me that my mother had betrayed me.
"I need to talk to her.""
Nia shook her head.
"Of course you do.""
"What does that mean?""
"It means you always choose her.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"That's not true.""
"Really?""
She stepped closer.
"Who did you pick when we got married?""
I frowned.
"What?""
"You promised your mother could live with us before you even asked how I felt.""
"Because she needed help.""
"And what about me?""
The question caught me off guard.
"What about you?""
Nia's eyes filled with frustration.
"I've been feeling like a stranger in my own house.""
I didn't answer immediately.
Because buried underneath her anger, I heard something else.
Pain.
But pain didn't excuse cruelty.
"You should have talked to me.""
"I tried.""
"When?""
"Every time I brought it up, you defended her.""
"Because you weren't asking for a solution. You were asking her to disappear.""
Nia looked away.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I heard footsteps.
My mother stood at the bottom of the stairs.
She looked smaller than I had ever seen her.
"Marcus.""
I turned.
"Mom.""
She held a small purse in her hand.
"I think I should go.""
I walked toward her immediately.
"No.""
She shook her head.
"Please listen.""
I stopped.
"I don't want my son and his wife fighting because of me.""
Nia looked away.
My mother continued.
"I can find somewhere.""
"No, you can't.""
"I can.""
"Mom.""
She smiled sadly.
"Baby, I survived before. I can survive again.""
Those words hurt.
Because she shouldn't have had to.
I looked at Nia.
"Did you ask her about these papers?""
Nia nodded.
"Yes.""
"What did she say?""
My mother was quiet.
Too quiet.
"Mom?""
She looked down.
"I didn't want to tell you.""
My heart dropped.
"Tell me what?""
She walked slowly to the table.
She touched the folder.
Then she whispered:
"Those papers weren't mine.""
I looked at Nia.
Then back at my mother.
"What do you mean?""
My mother's hands trembled.
"I kept them because I was afraid.""
"Afraid of what?""
She took a deep breath.
"Afraid you would find out what really happened with your college money.""
The room went silent.
I felt like the air had disappeared.
"My college money?""
My mother nodded.
"I lied to you.""
Nia looked at me.
I couldn't read her expression.
Anger?
Relief?
I didn't know.
"Mom...""
She wiped her eyes.
"When you got accepted into college, we couldn't afford everything.""
"I know.""
"No, Marcus. You don't.""
Her voice broke.
"You thought I worked two jobs because we were struggling.""
I stared at her.
"What are you saying?""
She looked at the papers.
"Your father left behind something you never knew about.""
My breathing slowed.
Dad had been gone for twenty years.
There were still questions about him.
Things my mother never talked about.
"What did he leave?""
My mother reached into her purse.
She pulled out an old envelope.
The paper was yellow from age.
"I found this after he died.""
She handed it to me.
My name was written across the front.
My hands shook as I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
But before I could read it, Nia suddenly stepped forward.
"Marcus.""
I looked up.
"What?""
Her face had gone pale.
Because she recognized something on the paper.
"What is it?""
She swallowed.
"That handwriting...""
I frowned.
"What about it?""
She stared at the letter.
Then at my mother.
May you like
And whispered:
"That's my father's handwriting.""
