I was carrying the Christmas cake when I overheard my mother say, “Don’t bother asking her. Let your sister have the apartment for free.”
There was a long, heavy silence.
Then my mother spoke.
Her voice was small.
“What do you want me to do?”
I closed my eyes.
“I want you to tell Chioma the truth. I want you to tell her that the apartment was never yours to give. I want you to apologize to her for putting her in this position. And I want you to apologize to me.”
“You want me to apologize?”
“Yes. Because you hurt me. And I need to hear you say it.”
Another silence.
Then, so quietly I almost missed it: “I’m sorry.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding.
“Thank you.”
“I just… I just wanted Chioma to be okay. She struggles so much. And you never struggle. You always have it together. I thought…”
“You thought I didn’t need anything.”
“Yes.”
