Holding the old photograph up to Naomi’s face Joelle yelled, “Is this what mom would have done?”
“You put that down!” Naomi growled.
“You know I’m right.” Joelle snapped throwing the picture to the ground. “Mom would be so disappointed in you!” She yelled.
“You take that back!” Naomi screamed at her near sobbing.
“No, you shut up!” Joelle screamed just as loud. “Your every bit as bad as I thought you would be.” Joelle sobbed. “I never thought you could be so mean. I hate you!”
“You don’t mean that.” Naomi whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.
“I do so. I hate you every bit as much as I said.” Joelle replied ruthlessly.
“What the hell do you want me to do? Let you go out into this ruthless world and fend for yourself?” Naomi sobbed. “I made a promise to mom, that I’d protect you, to love you…” she sobbed more. “I wish you could see that, I really do…”
“That’s not what I see, your holding me back, your not letting me do what I want!” Joelle snapped.
“What you want? What you want is going to hurt you!” Naomi cried.
“I don’t care.” Joelle said, “I wish you could see that.”
“I wish mom could see you now Joelle…” Naomi was still sobbing, “she’d see how I’ve failed.”
“You got that right,” Joelle said.
“She’d see how you’re hurting yourself, how your going to end up like me.” Naomi sniffed. “You don’t have to end up like me, a wreck. I’d hate to see you grow up like me, I love you Joelle, I wish you could see that, mom would be disappointed in me, but she’d also be disappointed in you.”
“I wish mom and dad never died…” Joelle said as she slid down the doorjamb as she started to cry.
“I know… I do too.” Naomi said getting down to her knees, her back facing Joelle, her fingers inches from touching the broken photograph. “I wish I didn’t have to watch mom die.” She whispered as a single teardrop hit the rug.
“I’m sorry Joelle.”