Page 1 of Make Me

Chapter 1

Laci

The keys dropfor the second time. I take a cleansing breath, but small hands grab the keys and pass them to me before I have a chance to pick them up myself.

“Thanks, Ivy girl,” I say. She looks up and smiles at me. Her smile is wide and exaggerated, displaying the small gap between her front baby teeth. I reach down and stroke one of her afro puffs.

“Door, Mama,” she says, pointing. She wraps herself around my leg, and with one shaky hand, I manage to get the door open.

“Third time’s the charm, baby,” I say to my daughter. The smell of fresh paint hits my nose before we cross the threshold. I shouldn’t be surprised by the smell, but I am. I was here last weekend to see the place and to sign the lease, and the landlord said there would be new carpet and a fresh coat of paint throughout the house.

The house, though small, is bigger than our old Chicago apartment. Here, Ivy will have a yard, and I’ll get a much-needed fresh start. A new life away from the big city and away from my past.

“Nice, Mama,” Ivy says. Her short legs take off, and she runs to the middle of the living room and stretches out on the new carpet. She rolls around like only a two-year old can. She’s as carefree as she’s always been, and I hope and pray she always stays that way. If only I could get just a drop of her innocence and her love for life. But she’s two, and despite losing her father when she was barely six months old, she’s always had me. I’ve been her constant when everyone who was supposed to be close to us has been a disappointment. This new beginning is exactly what we need.

There’s a knock on the door. I know exactly who it is. She doesn’t wait for me to tell her to come in. The door opens, and Aunt Mae steps inside. She opens her arms, and I walk right in and sigh into her comforting embrace. Just like when I was a child, I lay my head on her big bosom and let her warmth comfort me.

“I’m so glad you’re here, baby.” She kisses my temple and lets me go. “And where’s my Ivy?” Ivy squeals and practically tackles Aunt Mae to the floor. Aunt Mae picks her up, throws her in the air, and catches her.

“Show Aunt Mae how much you’ve grown,” Aunt Mae says while she puts my daughter down. Ivy stands up tall, puts a hand on her hip and slowly walks around the room. She sticks out a leg, bends down, and stands back up.

“I’m a bawaweena, Aunt Mae,” Ivy announces. She sticks out her chest and stares into the adoring face of her great aunt.

“The prettiest ballerina I’ve ever seen. Have you seen your room yet? It’s that room over there.” Aunt Mae points to the small second bedroom, the one directly across from mine. “Uncle Hank made the bed just for you, and I made sure your bedroom is perfect, just like you.” She taps Ivy’s nose with her fingertip, and my daughter runs out of the room, excited about having her own space.

I spin around the open living room. My new couch is here, and the small round table and chairs are in the eat-in kitchen. There are boxes throughout the house, but all the heavy furniture is put together.

“How are you, baby?” Aunt Mae asks. She drops her hefty body on the couch and motions for me to sit next to her. As soon as I lay my head on her shoulder, I feel a sense of calm I haven’t felt in years. “We should have gotten you here sooner,” she says. “Hell, I should have fought like hell for you to stay.”

“I’m hopeful for the first time since—” I think about it and say, “ever.”

Aunt Mae doesn’t say a word. She’s silent, waiting for me to say more. She’s always been like this. Unlike my mother, her sister, who thinks it’s her right to dictate my life, Aunt Mae is quiet strength. She’s the support when you’re uncertain of your own decisions.

“The past three years have been a wreck. Ivy’s the only good thing that’s come out of it. But I’m ready to put all of that behind me and focus on my life here. I’ve always loved being here with you.” My mom used to send me to spend summers with her sister, and I even spent my freshman year of high school in Oak Bend, until my mother summoned me back to Chicago. That year with my aunt was the most stable I’ve ever had.

“I’m glad you’re here too, but have you talked to anyone? And I don’t mean those shady pastors that your mother’s always trying to shove down your throat. A real professional. Someone who can actually help you. If not, I can help you find someone here.”

“Yeah, Aunt Mae. I had this great therapist back in Chicago, and she gave me some great coping techniques. We’re going to continue by phone until I find someone here that I’m comfortable with.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Did your mama find out?” Aunt Mae asks. I lift my head from her shoulder and stare at her.

“I’m done with her. At least for now. She’s done too much, but she doesn’t get it. Last week, some of her church friends tried to come into my apartment to pray for me.” I put ‘pray’ in air quotes. “That was after she tried to bring Doris in my house to see Ivy. I told her I was seeing a professional, and that was all the help I needed. I love her, Aunt Mae, but I need some distance. I told her that. Too much has happened between us, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive her.”

I can still see the hurt look on my mother’s face when I told her I needed space from her, but I don’t regret my words. I made a promise to myself and my daughter that I’d be healthy. I want to provide Ivy a stable home, and since I’m the only parent she has left, that falls on my shoulders.

“I’m proud of you, baby. And if I were there, I would have smacked that bitch Doris into next week.” Aunt Mae sits up and holds my face. My aunt only met my former mother-in-law twice, but she never trusted or liked her. “Forget that old, wrinkled biddy. You’re strong, Laci. Stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’re only twenty-four years old, and you’ve been married, had a child, and buried a husband—all while dealing with a crazy mother. But look at you. You have a beautiful little girl, you’re an amazing mother, and you’re still standing, fighting for a good life.” She pulls me back into her arms and wraps them around me.

“That’s because I have my Aunt Mae. I can do anything as long as I have her.”

Chapter 2

Cooper

“Finally,”I pant while I take the three stairs to my deck in one step and sit on one of my chairs. I grab the bottle of water I left under the seat and down it in a few gulps. I put my hands on my thighs and do my best to calm my racing heart. It’s always like this after a run, especially after sprinting the last quarter mile. I look at my small yard, relieved not to have to mow it today. I hate that shit, especially after painting and mowing the yard right next door for the new tenant.

I have no idea who the new renter is. The house might belong to me, but my sister Margie deals with all new tenants. I’m only here to mow lawns and fix whatever goes wrong inside. The last tenant was a landlord’s dream. He was a single guy who worked from home and spent his free time playing Dungeons and Dragons. He moved to Detroit to be closer to a fellow gamer, and the house was empty for about six months.

Oak Bend is not exactly a booming metropolis, and I was happy when Margie found a tenant. I even lowered the rent when my sister gave me a sob story about her being a single mother. That’s Margie. She’s always there to help others, but as long as the new tenant pays the rent on time and is not needy, I don’t care.

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