Mika sat on her bed that night staring at her phone trying to hold back tears as she nursed Isadora. She couldn't make sense of it at first but she had dissected what it all meant.
Her mom had been trying to set Adora up for adoption, even after birth. Words couldn't describe how angry and hurt she was. Adora became full and Mika put her down in her crib for the time being. There was a number on the fine print and Mika was hesitant to call it, afraid of what the outcome would be.
She really didn't want to jump to conclusions but how could she not, all the evidence was right in front of her. Mika paced around gripping her phone, thinking that maybe she should speak to Bose first but she couldn't wait.
She dialed the number and her thumb hovered over the green button. She bit her lip and brought the phone to her ear as it rang. It didn't take long for someone to answer the phone but it was automated, It asked for her name and the last digit of her social security and Mika answered with her Mom's information. She asked to be transferred to the adoption agency and was put on hold. Her nerves were eating at her, and she debated whether she should hang up and forget what she saw.
"Hello, this is Adoption Services my name is Tracey how can I help you today?" the operator, Tracey greeted.
Mika stayed silent, she didn't plan on what she was gonna say and let her mouth subconsciously do the talking, "Hi my name is Angela Macklin, I'm calling about the case of Isadora Lula O'Brien?".
"What's the case number please?" Tracy asked and Mika heard typing in the background.
"Um, right, it's 84782," Mika stated.
"Okay, I've got it. How can I assist you today?" Tracey went on.
Mika was stuck again, "I-i was just calling- to um..." she trailed off.
"Would you like a start-up again? It says that your request to put your infant granddaughter Idadora up for adoption was pulled and you no longer wished to go through with it," Tracy said, "Are you reconsidering your choice?".
"No," Mika quickly added, "I was just calling to get the details about, recent occurrences?"
"Oh," Tracey sounded unsure. "Well you said that your daughter was still deciding whether she should put the baby up for adoption, but she was leaning towards the idea, and she wanted you to prepare things to make the process easier. The attorney fees were also paid for and the only thing needed was the birth mother's signature since the father was absent. If you would like more information I could gladly switch you over to your assigned agent if they're available," Tracey assisted.
Mika flared her nostrils and gripped the phone with so much force that her knuckles turned white, "No thank you, I've heard everything that I needed to,".
"Thank you for calling, if you don't need anything else, could I interest you in taking a quick survey-," Mika hung up the phone on Tracey. Mika bit her fingernails, she felt sick. She thought about calling Bose, or maybe even the FBI.
Mika heard Adora cooing and babbling sweet baby jibberish and Mika couldn't contain herself. How could anyone ever try to take such a precious thing from her?
Mika hasted out of her room and right down the hall to her parent's room. She barged in without knocking and startled them away from their conversations.
Mika instantly wished Miles was home, he would have her back and hold her through the raging storm she was brewing. "Gosh Mika? What is it?" Her Mother held her palm to her pounding chest. "And it better be something good for you to come in here without knocking," Herm added. Mika's lips had already started to quiver and she sucked them back to stop it.
"Why?" she croaked. Her parents looked at each other confused then at their trembling child. "Why what?" Herm asked. Mika lifted her phone and showed it to Angela. She walked closer so her mom could get a better view of the screen.
Angela took the phone from her and started scanning the image, then swiped through the pictures and stopped to look at Mika for every swipe. She then handed Mika back her phone and sighed. Angela knew she was going to find out sooner or later, she was hoping later and preferably through herself. Mika stood there and waited for anyone of them to speak up. "So? What is it?" Herm asked. Mika didn't break eye contact with her Mom.
"She knows," Angela responded.
Herm was still lost, "Knows what?". Angela rolled her eyes at how slow he was, "Oh, that," He realized. "What were you thinking?" Mika tried to be angry like she had intended but you could hear how weak her voice had become. She wasn't angry anymore, just deeply saddened. "What were you thinking going through my things?" Angela stated. "No," Mika affirmed, "No, do not try to shift any blame on me right now, I- I am the only one asking the questions?". Angela took a deep breath and clasp her hands together to hold her chin up as she looked at Mika. "You were looking through my things, which means you were obviously trying to find a problem and you did, congrats," Angela chided.
That brought tears to the brim of Mika's eyes. Did her Mom think she wanted this, to cause problems? The last thing she wanted was drama revolving around their family again, she hated fighting with them. "You know you guys have done a lot of fucked up shit to me so far, but this, this is despicable," Mika claimed. "You went behind my back and tried to put Isadora up for adoption after me and Bose told you countless times that we wanted to raise her," Mika shouted.
"Mika, we are just looking out for you that's all we've ever been trying to do-," Angela was saying as Mika spoke over her, "You are not looking out for me, you are looking out for you. You guy's I'm not stupid-".
"We never said you were sweetheart," Herm cut in.
"But you act like I am, especially Mom," Mika voiced, "You don't care about me or my future, you stopped caring about that when I got pregnant. The only reason you want Isadora gone is that you feel like you failed as a parent,".
Angela stood quiet, avoiding eye contact. Hot tears spew from Mika's eyes but she quickly wiped them away. It was the truth and her Mom had confirmed it with her silence. "But that is not her fault and I can't believe you wouldn't sink so low," what Mika was feeling at the moment was something she's spent months trying to run away from and it was catching up to her.
"I don't want Isadora gone, not anymore at least. I love her Mika, you know I do. But I am not the bad guy for trying to protect you from growing up so fast. I had my own plan, I was going to find her a good home, with good people and parents. People who can love and provide for her on a much more mature level," Angela defended herself. "Yeah well what about Bose, you think he wouldn't have fought you on because he would have, so hard," Mika said.
"We know, alright we were rushing things which is why we didn't go through with it, we wouldn't have been able to anyways without him being aware. We didn't need the O'Brien's filing a lawsuit against us," Herm responded.
Mika continued to sob as Angela's voice got louder, "You were a mess just a couple of months ago and you weren't happy, no kid should have to go through that-,"
- "I'm not a kid anymore!" Mika declared. "And I hate you," she spat, then viciously looked to her silent father, "And I hate you too for letting her do it,". Herm shamefully put his head down.
"You will always be a kid in our eyes. And now that you're a mother you'll understand one day why we react and do the things we do for our kids," Angela assured. "No! Understanding why you're so cruel to me would mean I would become like you and I will never be like you, a horrible mom," Mika raved. Angela took a threatening step towards her and Herm stood up from the bed.
Since the day Mika and Miles were born Angela swore, she would give it her everything to be the only person her babies would ever need, and now 18 years later one of them stands in front of her and says to her face that she was a horrible mother.
"I've done everything for you and your brother. I was there for you your whole life, I raised you, I loved you, i cared for you, I've protected you, hell I would kill you for you two. Have I not given everything, just for you to be so blatantly disrespectful and ungrateful to me?" Angela fumed.
Mika scoffed, "Boohoo, you did your job as a parent, something you wanted to do and now I owe you? Newsflash, you haven't been a mom to me in a long time, you don't deserve my respect," Mika argued. "Ladies," Herm spoke up. Angela was appalled at Mika.
Mika turned to leave but Angela gripped her arms and Mika shook her off. "I swear to you Mika if you were anybody else's child right now in your position you'd be out on the streets fending for yourself and your baby. You wouldn't have survived without me or your father and you still can't", Angela barked. "I don't need you," Mika swallowed a lump in her throat.
"So you think you can get by without us?" Angela mockingly laughed and Mika sniffled. Her face was drenched in her cries by now. "You know what you probably can, you do have a rich baby daddy after all. He and his family will take you in if we decide to cast you out, isn't that right? Like a charity case. At least you did that right," Angela lifted her hands up like she praying to the holy spirit.
"I don't need him either," Mika was quick to say, "I don't need anyone. I'll make sure Isadora has a good life, a great one because she's my daughter and she gonna look up to me one day like I use to look up to you, but I won't disappoint her like you just did me,".
Angela took that as a challenge, "Fine, then from this moment on forwards, we are cutting you off. Get your own damn formula, get your own damn clothes, and food, and start paying rent,".
"Angela!" Herm's voice boomed.
Mika's chest heaved up and down as the adrenaline rushed through her head, "Okay, I will,". "Mika, just please let me talk to her," Herm was saying. "Dad, that doesn't matter. You're gonna side with her no matter what because for some reason you do whatever she says, she's got your balls in her hand," Mika spat. Angela's mouth gaped open, Mika had officially lost it, but Mika was right.
"And Mom," Mika said softer, "Congradufuckinglation because you just lost me forever,".
Mika finally left them alone, slamming the door on her way out. Her vision was blurred with tears and she didn't know where to go. She couldn't go to her room because she didn't want Adora to hear her cry and she couldn't go to Miles's room in case he came home and found her pathetically weeping. So she settled for a faraway closet and crumbled to her knees. She felt defeated and that this time, she wouldn't be able to get back up.