Free Insatiable by Allison Hobbs

on the table and stood up abruptly. “Who you calling crazy?” Her chest rose and fell as she waved her hand wildly in the air.
    Marquise halted, and then turned to face Cassandra. As he approached her, Terelle watched him struggle for composure. She was prepared to jump between Marquise and her mother if necessary.
    “I didn’t stutter,” he said, finally in a voice that was chilling. “I’m calling you crazy,” he added. “Why’d you bring your ass over here in the first place? You know I ain’t got no pity for you. Me and Terelle both seen you in worse shape than this. That black eye ain’t nothin’ compared to the shit you been into…”
    Cassandra gave Marquise a long dirty look but was silent. He whirled back around; furious steps carried him into the bedroom to attend to his daughter.
    Terelle picked up the chair, and repositioned it beneath the kitchen table. She looked around in bewilderment. How had a perfectly tranquil evening turned so quickly into an absolute nightmare? Though she loved her mother dearly, she would not permit her to destroy the peace she’d worked so hard for and had endured so much to attain.
    Terelle sighed. “Marquise is right, Mom.”
    “About what?” Still breathing heavily, Cassandra sat back down and reapplied the ice pack.
    “You didn’t want me to call the cops on that Harry person…and he punched you in the face…gave you a black eye.” Terelle shook her head, trying to rid herself of the image of her mother being beaten. “But you were ready to send Marquise back to jail.” Terelle paused. “And Quise didn’t even touch you, Mom. I can’t believe you’d make that kind of threat. Why would you want to destroy my family?”
    “Oh, stop being such a damn drama queen. Did I call the cops? No, I did not,” Cassandra said, responding to her own question.
    “Mom, you know I’m trying to have a peaceful life…and um…” Terelle shook her head. “It just seems to me like you don’t want that for me.”
    “That’s bullshit!” Cassandra yanked the ice pack from her eye in protest.
    “Is it? Then why did you come over here with your problems when you know you and Quise don’t get along?”
    “What was I ’posed to do? Stick around and let Harry whip my ass all night long?”
    “First of all, you’re supposed to be in an addiction program. You’re supposed to be living in the group home—getting treatment. But here you come, barging over here—out of the blue—expecting me to put a roof over your head because you decided to move in with that nut instead of finishing up with your treatment. That’s real selfish, Mom.”
    “Selfish? Oh, now, I’m selfish?” Cassandra sputtered. “Fuck that group home. They wasn’t doing nothin’ for me. All they wanna do is make you live by a bunch of stupid rules. I’m a grown-ass woman; I make my own rules. I only asked you for a little help. Now, tell me…how in the hell is it selfish for a mother to turn to her daughter for some help?”
    “What did you ever do for me? Huh? Have I ever been able to turn to you for help?” Terelle yelled.
    “Don’t you raise your voice at me. You may be over twenty-one, but I’m still your mother.”
    Marquise returned carrying Markeeta. “Terelle! This shit is whack. Your mom is trippin’. She got you all upset; she got the baby all worked up…Would you please show her the door so we can git some peace and quiet around here?”
    Cassandra glared at Marquise. “Nigga, I ain’t even worried about you. How you gonna make my daughter put me out? You payin’ rent now?”
    “I’m about two seconds from throwing your little scrawny ass outta here,” Marquise warned. “Terelle, you better do somethin’ wit your mom before she gits hurt.”
    Feeling panicked, Terelle looked at Marquise pleadingly. She couldn’t throw her own mother out into the street. But she knew the situation between her mother and Marquise would only escalate if one of them didn’t leave the