From the other side

Chapter 2

"Because you're right" she groaned again, her whole body leaning into the cold touch. "I do feel better when you take care of me, but you don't have to be so smug about it" she protested with no real power to it. "And I hate the nicknames"

Izzy leaned over her mother and kissed her forehead, changing the side of her hands.

"You love the nicknames. You always did. I never forget the first time I called you mom. Your eyes they had this sparkle in them, you did everything not to scare me off. You're my mom, my momma, my Mamala, my Kammy"

"Stop it or you'll make me cry" her voice betrayed how weak she was.

She felt like a child again. She craved affection and comfort from the moment she woke up.
"You're my only family, my best friend. You gave me home 20 years ago, and you've been my home ever since."

She felt tears forming behind her eyelids and before she could stop them, those tears were already falling down her face, wetting her cheeks.

"Oh god" she let out, but her words were interrupted by quiet sobs "I really will cry" she buried her face into her daughter's shoulder in attempt to muffle the sounds.

"And you have every right to, after yesterday, I would break a long time ago." Lizzy moved her hands over her mother's back, comfortingly her but not stopping her from crying.

"I'm supposed to be the strong one" her broken words were lost in sobs "strong enough for both of us"

In that moment she didn't feel strong at all, she felt helpless and in desperate need of someone who would take care of her.

"That was accurate about 15 years ago, or when you took a 5 year old under your roof and called her your daughter for the first time, but not now, now you are as responsible for my strength as I am for yours."

She was crying uncontrollably, clinging to her daughter, the sobs and ragged breathing shaking her whole body.

"I just-" another sob that interrupted her " I just hate failing" she buried her face into Liz's shoulder.

"Yeah, I get that from you mama. But you have me to pick you up when you fall. You can't be strong all the time it's destroying you. You took me in and raised me a black child on your own. You gave me future i would never have without you."

Her sobs were finally slowing down, but she let out another quiet cry when her daughter's words hit her.

"That's not-" her voice was hoarse from all the crying "That's not fair"

She knew her daughter was right, but she couldn't let go of the guilt that was gripping at her heart. Not when she lost the election.

"What isn't fair?"

"That you're not letting me be hard on myself" Kamala finally raised her head from her daughter's shoulder and sniffed "You shouldn't be the voice of reason when I feel like being pathetic"

"I am a voice of reason. I tell you it's okay to cry, that you did all you could in this freaking election. You will go out there and deliver the best speach known to men, because it's who you are. No matter how much it hurts, you will get through it, we will get through it, together, as a family."

"When did you get so wise?" Kamala shook her head, a weak chuckle mixed with another sniff left her lips, as she wiped the last of the tears. "And here I thought you were still my baby girl" she added and ruffled her daughter's hair.

"I love you mama, and we are getting through all of it together. I will always be your girl and you will always be my mama, that's not going to change, ever. We are each other's support remember? Out relationship is stronger than any boy, any political event or opinion. It has always been." Liz cuped her mother's face "No matter what happens we have this here. It's our own little bubble, but the people that believe in you need you, to show them your way, to show them how it looks to lose with dignity." Elizabeth smiled at Kamala her heart full "what happens here in our home that is our secret but the people need you to be your usual perfect strong self, and I know it's an act, but they don't, I know that you're so much more than just a politican or a black woman. They not always do."