Page 34 of Make Me

She’s a complete contrast to Ivy’s paternal grandmother, who told me I was wasting my time and money when I threw a little party when Ivy turned one. She suggested I donate that money to the church instead, despite the fact that I hadn’t stepped foot in there since before Ivy was born.

I still remember the phone call I received from my own mother, repeating the exact words Brian’s mother had said to me days earlier. That was the first time I told my mother to fuck off. Even now, I can imagine the look she probably had on her face when I hung up on her.

“Pwesents!” Ivy yells. The group of kids follow her to a little table filled with brightly wrapped boxes and colorful gift bags.

“This is my favorite part,” Jackie says.

I grab my phone to take pictures of my daughter and marvel at how much things can change in a year. For her last birthday, I bought a slice of cake from the grocery store where I worked, and the two of us celebrated her birthday alone. This year, we’re surrounded by family and new friends.

“Dolly,” Ivy says, pulling a Barbie out of a gift bag. The doorbell rings, and I hand Cooper my phone and run to the door, expecting to see Marlene.

The smile slips from my face the second I open the door and see my mother and former mother-in-law. They brush right past me, and in my stunned state, I don’t have the chance to stop them.

“Laura, what the hell are you doing here?” Aunt Mae asks, coming towards us. “How can you bring her into this house?” My aunt hisses. Cooper looks up and automatically walks over to us. He wraps a hand around my waist as if he’s giving me some of his strength.

“Mama! Daddy! Look!” Ivy’s holding up a new tutu that we got her. She already knows she’s starting dance school next month. “Bawaweena.” She jumps from her chair and does a pirouette.

I’m struck speechless by Ivy calling Cooper daddy. I should have seen it coming. In reality, he’s the only father she’s ever known, but I’m still not prepared for it. Cooper, to his credit, only smiles at the name.

“We’ll be right there, Ivy,” he says to her.

“I have the right to see my granddaughter.”

I stare at Doris, and all the words I want to say get stuck in my throat. It’s only been about a year since I’ve seen her, but she’s aged considerably since. She’s gone completely gray, and her face has wrinkled, making her look like the old crone that she is. But her eyes. Her eyes are still the same—black and soulless just like her.

I’m ashamed of ever letting her or my mother bully me into a marriage I didn’t want. The days of my mother controlling my life are over. When Doris tries to go past me, I’m jolted back to the present, and I step forward and block her. There’s no way I would ever let them in Ivy’s life when they almost destroyed mine.

“And how dare you?” she hisses. “How dare you try to erase my son with him?” She points a bony finger at Cooper. “He’s not her father. He’s just a man you’re screwing. He’s trash just like you, and you should be ashamed. What kind of an example are you to my granddaughter? To your own child?”

Her words are like a bucket of ice water being dumped on my head. They are the push I need to snap out of my shock. Cooper takes a step closer to her, but I put a hand on his arm, stopping him. “Get out of my house,” I whisper. “You have no rights. She’s my kid, and I say you can’t see her.” I turn to my mother and add, “Neither one of you.” And because Doris has pushed me, I decide to be as cruel as she is for once. “And yes, Doris. I’m going to make sure Ivy doesn’t so much as learn your son’s name. Another man will raise her, and she’ll be so much better off. And you want to talk about trash? You and Brian have a monopoly on it. Your son never once held his daughter. He resented her the same way he resented me. And guess what? He resented you too.”

As I speak, Doris’s head jerks back at my verbal attack, and she looks to my mother for help. My mother holds up a pink gift bag, pulls out a black book, and waves the Bible in my face.

“I see she’s going to need this,” she says, looking at Cooper. “Living in sin with this white man. And I didn’t raise you to be disrespectful to your elders.” She gives Cooper the side eye before turning back to me. “Your mother-in-law found your address on the internet. At least she’s worried about Ivy’s soul, unlike you and my sister.”

They both try to walk inside, but Cooper, Aunt Mae, and I are like an impenetrable wall. “If you think I will let either one of you get near Ivy, you’re delusional. She doesn’t need your brand of crazy in her life. Either leave on your own, or I’ll make you leave.”

My mother takes a step back. Despite our strained relationship, I’ve never stood up to her to her face.

“Ivy!” my mother says. “It’s Grandma.” But Ivy is having too much fun to notice. I turn and catch Jackie’s eye. She assesses the scene. She stands in front of Ivy, blocking her from my mother’s line of vision.

“You killed my son, and now you cut me out of my only grandchild’s life?” Doris says. “You’re a curse on our family.”

“Good thing I’m not a part of your family. I never wanted to be. You two forced us into that marriage, and your son was as miserable as I was, Doris. If you want someone to blame for his death besides the drunk driver, look in the damn mirror.” She takes a loud gasp and steps back. She puts a hand to her chest and breathes deeply.

But she soon collects herself and steps closer. She raises her hand to strike me, but Cooper grabs her wrist and holds it. She tries to pull it out of his grasp, but he doesn’t let her go. He leaves my side and takes a step closer to them. My mother and Doris step back.

“He didn’t want to marry me either, Doris. You forced him. Maybe if you hadn’t, he’d still be alive. Why don’t you think about that when you’re up late at night wondering what might have been? But you should still be proud, though. He was as heartless and as cruel as you are. Every word he ever said to me left a gaping wound, but no more. He has no power over me, and neither do the two of you.”

Doris takes another step back and almost falls on her ass. Ironically, Cooper holding her wrist is the only reason she doesn’t fall. For the first time since I met her, she cries. The tears flow freely, and she’s unable to speak. She opens her mouth twice, but no words come out.

“I’m not going to say it twice. Leave,” Cooper all but growls.

“I’d do what he says if I were you,” Aunt Mae says. “Unless the two of you want to get your asses kicked. I’m not too old to do that, Laura,” she says to my mother.

“You’re coming back to Chicago, and I’m going to help you raise Ivy,” my mother says to me, her voice stern as if she still has any authority over me. “She needs to know her family, and that includes the church. Your father wants you home too.”

“Let her go, Cooper.” As soon as those words leave my mouth, he drops Doris’s wrist. “This is the last thing I will ever say to either of you, so you both listen—” I don’t get a chance to finish. Ivy’s gift from Cooper somehow escapes my bedroom and comes running into the living room. Sam starts to bark when she sees the black kitty, but the cat is unfazed. It runs underneath the table and starts to meow. Ivy immediately follows the cat, picks it up and kisses the top of its head.

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