Yara's POV
"Yara get up. Wake upppppp!" I opened my eyes from behind the pillow, and saw Julez sitting on the bed. I smiled, and took a moment to realize I'm at Miss Tina's house. "My grandma said you've been asleep too long and that dinner's ready." He said. "Alright thanks." I said. He walked out and I went to brush my teeth again. I brushed my bone straight hair down for the final time, and walked out the room.
I went into the dining room, and greeted Solange. My mom saved me a seat next to her. "Beyoncé is now pulling up in the driveway." Miss Tina said. Julez got up to answer the door, and in walked Beyoncé. I still get a little starstruck when I see her because I mean...she is Beyoncé! It's not every day you stay at her mama's house.
Beyoncé's POV
I pulled up into my mother's driveway and slowly walked up to the door. I'm a little nervous to see Yara because it has been a couple of years. Julez opened the door and we walked into the dining room. "Hey everyone." I said. They looked my way and I started hugging everyone. I first hugged my mother, next Richard, then Solange, and finally Jennifer and Yara. I hugged Yara as tight and long as I could, before it got awkward.
~~~~~
After we prayed over the food, the conversations started going, and I decided to speak to Jennifer first. "So Jenn...how's your TV show going?" I asked. She wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin and smiled. "It's going really good so far. We already shot the first 13 episodes, and hopefully we're picked up for more." She replied.
"Are you recording any music, & congrats on the Super bowl gig." She added.
"Thanks. I actually am recording here and there, but I've really been low-key about it. The Super Bowl was a last minute decision. How are you Yara?" I now averted my eyes to her. She looked up from stuffing her face, and held up a finger so she could finish chewing her food.
"Ummm I'm pretty good. Filming Blackish takes up a lot of my time, & school takes up the other." She joked. "What do you like to do in your free time?" I asked her. I saw my mom smile at the end of the table. "I like to listen to audio books, go to the movies, see plays, hang out with friends...stuff like that." She said. "Wow what kind of plays you like to see?" I asked. I was really interested in the things she liked.
"I really wanna see Hamilton the musical in New York, but mommy says I have to wait until my report card comes." She side eyed Jenn. It kinda stung to hear her refer to Jennifer as "mommy." I shook it off though.
"Don't give me the side eye. If your grades are good like you say they are, then we can go." Jenn said.
"So what music are you into?" Solange said, jumping into the conversation.
"I like all kinds from R&B, Hip Hop, salsa, Pop, classical...all of it really." Yara responded. "Oh and I loved your last EP. Mom and I play it all the time." She remarked.
"Aww thanks. I'm working on new music that's about to drop very soon. I'll let you know when I drop it in advance;that is, if you can keep a secret." Solange said. Yara laughed and nodded her head. "Oh I can keep a secret." She said. "Oh I'm sure we all can keep secrets." Solange replied. We all looked at her crazy, and Yara continued eating the rest of her food. Solange can be so messy at times.
"So Bey do you live in Houston or New York?" Jenn asked me.
"I recently moved back to New York. Once I dropped that surprise album, I was living in Houston but now I'm back in the city." I said.
"I was thinking about moving back after American Idol ends." Jenn said.
"Really? How am I gonna finish Blackish?" Yara said. Obviously they haven't talked about moving of any sorts.
"Well when I say move back I mean for like the summers. You don't shoot during that time." Jenn said. By now, Richard and Julez took all of our plates off the table, and went to Richard's "man cave" to watch TV. Mama wanted us girls to go to the living room to finish chatting.
~~~~~
Yara's POV
We walked into the living room, and for some reason I had this weird feeling. I didn't know why I was feeling some type of way, but I felt uneasy. I brushed it off and sat next to Solange on a sofa. Miss Tina sat in a recliner chair & mommy and Beyoncé sat on the longer couch.
"Why does this feel like an intervention or something. It's so eerie in here." I said. It was extremely quiet in here as a Lifetime movie played on the flat screen TV. Solange laughed at my comment, and my mama fidgeted with
her hands."Ma why you looking like that?" I asked. "Is something wrong?" I started to get worried and anxious at the same time. I don't like feeling left out of something.
"No I'm fine chunk...um we just have to tell you something that's long overdue, and please try to listen, okay?" She said. I furrowed my eyebrows but nodded my head.
"Uhhh Beyoncé go ahead and tell her..." My mom said to her. Beyoncé looked like she was about to burst into tears, and in my head I'm like "mmmohmygod," just tell me already!
"Yara, there's no easy way to say this...but I'm your mother. I had you when I was 18, and because I didn't know how to love and care for you like a mother should, Jennifer took care of you ever since you were 1, and eventually became your legal guardian." She said in one breath. I just froze. Like my whole world stopped. I held up my hand to pause life at this moment because this must be a joke.
"Hold up. Are y'all playing with me? Is this that BET show, Punk'd? Mommy what is she talking about." I looked at my mom. I wanted my mother to confirm that this is all a big joke. I looked over and tears were streaming down Beyoncé's face.
"Chunk. She's telling the truth. She's your biological mother." I looked at everyone, felt tears mustering up in my eyes, and got up from the sofa. I ran back to the guest bedroom. I didn't want anyone to see me crying. My mother called out for me, but I heard Solange say to let me have a moment.
~~~~~
Mama Tina's POV
I watched Yara run up the stairs, and looked at all my girls in the room. I sat in between Jennifer and Beyoncé as they cried onto my shoulders. Solange sat on the carpet in front of us and grabbed their hands. This moment needed to happen, and though it took 15 years, we're now all free from the secret.
"Jenn I think you should go check on her." I said. A few minutes had passed, and I knew Yara needed to have someone familiar comfort her. Jenn left, and I still held Beyoncé in my arms. I rubbed her back as her tears kept flowing.
"Shhhh Beyoncé. S'okay...everything will be alright." I said.
"But what if she hates me, and never wants to talk to me again? I already missed out on 15 years. I don't wanna make that same mistake." She said. Solange came back from the bathroom, and gave her some tissue.
"Bey that girl will not hate you. You see how she didn't lash out on us or anything, she just gonna need some time to process it. It's a lot to take in." Solange said. Me and Solange tried to keep Beyoncé calm, and hoped that Yara would come back down.
~~~~~
Yara's POV
I heard someone knock on the door, and I didn't even look up to see who entered. I couldn't stop crying into my pillow. My back remained faced towards the door. "Yara baby...please stop crying. You're gonna make yourself sick." My mother said. The bed dipped a bit as she laid down next to me, and rubbed my back.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I croaked into the pillow.
"Because I knew you wouldn't have wanted to come down here, and see them. Beyoncé did what she felt she had to do, but she always loved you Yara." She took the pillow away from my face, and turned my body into hers. I wrapped my arms around her waist and cried some more.
"Mommy why didn't she want me. Was I a bad baby?" I said. She leaned her body back so she could see my face.
"You were the perfect baby anyone could ask for. You were always smiling and had the fattest little cheeks. You went to anyone who wanted to hold you. I can't speak for Beyoncé, but she was a teen mom whose motherly instincts didn't kick in as quickly. There was nothing wrong with you, she just couldn't own up to her responsibilities." She said. She wiped my tears and kissed my forehead.
"So all this time, I was thinking that I'm half Puerto Rican and I'm really just black. Why didn't you tell me all along? Is that why my cousins pick on me?" I said. She sighed.
"Yara only my mother and sisters know, not their kids & if I told you the truth, you'll ask about even more things. I didn't want to open up those can of worms without Beyoncé being there,too. It may have taken 15 years to tell you this, but we all had to mature and step into our truth." She said. I finally stopped crying, and really listened to what she had to say. I'm still hurt and my emotions are all over the place.
"Are you ready to go back downstairs?" She asked me. I shook my head no. I can't look at Beyoncé right now.
"Mommy don't make me go back down there. Can you just stay in here with me?" I said.
"Alright. Lemme go back down and talk to them. Go ahead & get ready for bed. I love you." She said.
"I love you too mommy."
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