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Omniscient POV
Before Taraji could even fully fathom that her son was standing in front of her, tears of joy were already streaming down her face. Despite how distraught she was in the moment, Fantasia smiled to herself, pleased that she could make the older woman happy for once. Marvell's facial expression displayed mixed emotions. He was happy to see his mother after going so long without seeing her or talking to her, but bubbling underneath the surface was unspoken anger. The mother and son had unfinished business. He wasn't sure if he should hug her or keep his distance. They both had so much going on in their lives, and neither one of them felt comfortable telling the other about any of it. They were essentially strangers, and it was going to take a lot of time to restore that lost familiarity between them.
Taraji: Marcell? Baby boy, what are you doing here? Oh my God, h-how did you get here? This is incredible.
Marcell: Hi, ma. It's good to see you. I heard about what happened to you on the news. I'm sorry that I didn't reach out. Your friend Miss Fantasia was nice enough to fly me out.
Taraji turned to the mocha woman with a twinkle in her eye, a smile of disbelief painting her features.
Taraji: You made this happen?
Fantasia nodded her head, too emotional to speak. She was afraid that she might burst into tears if she tried to talk. She was still reeling from the devastating conversation that they were having just seconds before her son showed up. However, she didn't want to make this moment about her. Taraji needed this badly, so she provided it.
Taraji: I can't thank you enough. This was the best thing you could have ever done for me.
Fantasia: Of course, of course. Well, I'm going to give you two some privacy. I'm sure my husband is ready to file a missing persons report on me by now, so I better get back to the hotel.
Taraji: Ok. Take care of yourself, Tasia.
Fantasia: You do the same, Raj. I love you.
Taraji: I love you, too.
Taraji's heart fluttered when Fantasia kissed her cheek before walking out of the door, probably never to return. Now it was just mother and son, and the held grudges between them. Marcell approached his mother as if he was unsure of whether or not she truly wanted him there. She gave him a soft smile and waved him over, gesturing for him to sit at the edge of her bed.
Taraji: Come sit. How was your flight?
Marcell: It wasn't too bad. Worrying about you made me forget my fear of heights. I'm just thankful I get to see with my own eyes that you're ok. You look a lot better than what the news was saying.
