I was busy watching TV when Taliah came stomping down the stairs. I shook my head. Teenagers. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. She called out loud for me. I answered.
“Mum I’m hungry!”
“Okay, there’s cake on the counter. Did you finish your homework?”
“Sure.”
“I know you were watching the awards, Taliah. So whose was the big win?”
“Liya. Did you know she turned 18 today, like me? It’s like we’re twins or something!”
I almost chocked on my lemonade. I spat it out. “What did you say?”
“Keep up mum! Liya, 18?”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought I heard.”
“We could be twins you know.”
“That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. I would’ve known if I were pregnant with twins!”
“I know mum, just kidding,” she said as she kissed me, “love you, goodnight.”
I watched her scurry off to her room. A million things ran through my mind. It was almost time for me to tell her, but I didn’t want to. I knew it bothered her that she had no other family other than me, but I had no choice. I couldn’t possibly tell her the truth, how would she handle it? She would hate me and I couldn’t live with that. She was my daughter and I loved her. I LOVE HER. Nothing in this whole wide world was going to change that. I wasn’t going to spoil what we had.
“Mum I’m hungry!”
“Okay, there’s cake on the counter. Did you finish your homework?”
“Sure.”
“I know you were watching the awards, Taliah. So whose was the big win?”
“Liya. Did you know she turned 18 today, like me? It’s like we’re twins or something!”
I almost chocked on my lemonade. I spat it out. “What did you say?”
“Keep up mum! Liya, 18?”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought I heard.”
“We could be twins you know.”
“That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. I would’ve known if I were pregnant with twins!”
“I know mum, just kidding,” she said as she kissed me, “love you, goodnight.”
I watched her scurry off to her room. A million things ran through my mind. It was almost time for me to tell her, but I didn’t want to. I knew it bothered her that she had no other family other than me, but I had no choice. I couldn’t possibly tell her the truth, how would she handle it? She would hate me and I couldn’t live with that. She was my daughter and I loved her. I LOVE HER. Nothing in this whole wide world was going to change that. I wasn’t going to spoil what we had.