She's Picture Perfect

Prologue

Nakia was a proud black woman. She is a successful career woman in a male-dominated field. She drove the newest cars and owned her own home that was bought and paid for with the money she earned. No one else helped bring her to the place she was at. She's always looking flawless. Always had her hair and nails done. Her make-up and clothes were always on point. She was always the picture of perfection.

Her clothes always had to be the newest brands. Had to have the best of everything. Always having her hair straightened never one piece out of place. She would even set an alarm, so she could get up before her man to put on her face and look perfect for him. He had never seen the real Nakia. No one has not even herself, but all that's going to change.

She was her brand so the way she saw it she had to present herself always looking her best. Her mama would never let anyone see her or her child looking a hot mess. She instilled that in Nakia from day one, and she never went against her mama. Until now that is.

When Nakia turned 30 she had what some would call a mid-life crisis and decided to change everything. It's as if she finally woke up and decided to live her life for herself and to hell with pleasing everyone. Half the time they weren't pleased no matter how much she succeeded.

She took out her long weave and decided to cut her real hair down almost bald. She threw out all them fancy designer clothes that she never really liked any way. She tossed those shoes that no matter how many times you wore them they still killed your feet. She stopped being fake and decided to figure out just who Nakia was.

She has been the woman her mother pushed her into being. The temptress men desired her to be. The strong take charge business woman her boss demanded of her. Never once has she been the person she wanted to be. Honestly, does she even know who that person is?

Sometimes you must hit bottom before you can get up dust yourself off and truly grow. Through all of this, Nakia learns to be her best self. She learns to love herself and knows that others will follow. She starts to heal wounds she didn't even realize she had and strengthens her bond with her friends and family. You just must be true to yourself then and only then can you ever truly be happy and live your best life.

They say there are two sides to every story and this book is no different. You will get to meet NAKIA a beautiful plus-sized black woman who finally finds out just who she is, and through that becomes a strong woman who loves who she has become. You'll also meet her mother mama NOLA and hear how she grew up. You'll get to hear why she thinks the way she does and see her change thanks to her amazing daughter. It's one hell of a journey of love and forgiveness that bonds two strong women together and helps everyone to heal.

Chapter 1

Nakia's pov

I was excited because today I was turning thirty and my man was surprising me, or so he thought it was a surprise, but I knew all about this party. I spent the day at the salon getting my nails done, and my hair looked picture-perfect. My man TRENT kept calling my best friend Layla to see what I liked for my party, so I pretty much planned the whole thing without him realizing it. My mama NOLA was with me at the salon telling me what nail polish to get, what make-up would make my eyes pop, and what hair would make me stand out.

Being so perfect was never easy. It took several hours to look this good. It felt like a full-time job just making my hair look the way it does, but beauty is pain, right? I was wearing the dress my mama picked out and said would slim me down. My mama was always trying to get me to lose some weight, but I loved all my curves and they got me a lot of attention. Of course, my mama would say that was the wrong kind of attention.

My mama thought to please a man you had to be a slim size five. So, me being a size twenty-two did not make her happy but that didn't matter because I loved who I am. My mama would never be caught dead in just a t-shirt and jeans. I have never once in all my thirty years seen my mama when she wasn't all done up. It was as if she just got out of bed looking perfect. She always told me that's how you kept a man, yet my daddy left them long ago.

I loved my man, but I didn't need him. I made my way instead of counting on any man to pay my bills. I went to college, got my education, found my career, then got a man much to her mother's dismay. She told me I didn't need to go to college or work and that I needed to find a rich man who would support me. My mama's way of thinking was not how I wanted to be, but I didn't dare go against my mama. She was scary when she was angry, so I just sucked it up and pretended to go along with everything.

Now here I was looking the way my mother wanted me to look for this party. I didn't care though because tonight my man was going to finally put a ring on it. I found a ring box in his coat pocket so that's why I'm taking the extra time to look so good. We have been together for four years now and living together for the last two. It was time to take the next step, and I was happy that he finally got the hint.

I made the mistake of telling my mama about the ring box and now she's telling me what I must do to make sure I keep this man happy and talking about how I am going to have to quit my job. There was no way I was doing that. I worked hard to get where I was at and Trent needed to respect that, or he wasn't the one for me.

Once they were done at the salon my mother took me home, so I could wait for Trent to pick me up. Finally, I had a chance to just sit down and be by myself. Once I had that ring on my finger there would be no peace. My mama would be in full-on wedding mode and would be on a whole other level with her craziness. After all, it won't be my wedding, it'll be all about her showing off. That's just the way my mama is. I loved her, but I just didn't know if I could live the life she wanted me to live.

I needed some music to calm me down before the party. It was my go-to thing that helped me deal with my mama and clear my head. I couldn't listen to the kind of music I liked around my mama and Trent because it wasn't proper. Well, they aren't around right now so Alexa, Play All About That Bass.

Nola's pov

Today was the day all my hard work was paying off. My daughter was finally going to bag her a rich lawyer. He had money and would be able to give her the kind of life I wanted for her. She was about to get that ring and have her man on lockdown. Trent had my approval. He was polished and liked the very best of everything. It was a good thing I taught my daughter how to be perfect.

She should be lucky that she has me to teach her these things and not have to go through the pain I have gone through growing up. I was what most people called an ugly child. I had a nappy mop of hair, and glasses, and was scrawny. My mom would tell me every day how disappointed she was in me. She would tell me how I would always be alone because I wasn't beautiful and that she should have just given me up.

The pain of hearing that every day has made me who I am today. It's what makes me strive to always be the best and have the best. I must always look perfect, so I never have to be that girl I once was. If that made me cold well it's the way I must be.

It must have worked because my daughter is perfect. She is beautiful and practically flawless. It took me a while to get her to realize that Mama knows best. Once she did everything came into place. Now I couldn't wait to plan her wedding. It was going to be a grand affair. One that everyone would be talking about for a long time to come.

Chapter 2

Nakia's Pov

For my 30th birthday, I thought my boyfriend of four years was going to give me a ring, so we could start a family. Only that doesn't happen. He throws me a party and gets me a necklace instead of a ring. but I was taught never to show emotions. Don't let your man see you upset my mama always said, but I was tired of holding everything in. I told Trent once we were at home that I was expecting a ring, and he looked at me all crazy-eyed Laughs hysterically and spoke

"You think we are ready for marriage?" Trent asked.

"Yes, you said I was perfect. Doesn't that mean we are ready for marriage?"

"Yes, you are perfect and always must be. That's the problem Nakia I don't even know the real you. I only get to see the made-up version of you. The fake one that you pretend to be for everyone. I don't want perfect. I want real. You never take a chance and that gets old real fast."

"You're never going to marry me, are you?"

"That is not what I just said."

"You need to leave. Let's be real about this. You should just leave. If you aren't ready now you never will be."

"I may not be ready now but all I am asking is to let me see you the real you. Let's stop with all this nonsense. I didn't say we will never get married all I am saying is that we aren't ready right this minute."

"This isn't how things are supposed to go. I have done everything right. I had a plan."

"Life isn't all about plans or fitting perfectly into a neat little box Nakia and it's time you figured that out."

"No, my life needs to go according to plan. What do you need me to change to make you happy?"

"I am so sorry if I ever made you think something was wrong with you," Trent said with such emotion in his voice.

"Trent just go please I think right now what I need is time alone to think about everything that has been said and done."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, just go."

He walked out and slammed the door. Good who needs a man anyway? I sure didn't. The scary part was going to be telling my mother. She was going to handle this worse than I was. It broke my heart hearing the man I loved the man I gave four years of my life say that he didn't know the real me. How could that be when we talked all the time?

I just needed tonight to myself to unwind. To wrap my head around all of this. Tomorrow I would call and explain everything to my mama, but I just couldn't tonight. I wasn't strong enough to deal with her just yet. I changed into some comfy sweats and a baggy shirt. If my mama saw me now she would have me committed.

I took off my fake lashes and wiped the ton of makeup that I had on my face off. I just wanted to be as natural as I could be right now. I needed to feel real after what Trent had said to me. I have hit a roadblock in my life and didn't know where to go from here. I just had to find a way to come back from this.

I laid down in my bed and put on a Madea movie. It was time for a little Diary of a mad black woman. I was halfway through it when I heard a knock on my door. I wondered who it could be. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I thought about just ignoring it. I turned the TV down a little so that the person knocking wouldn't hear it. All my lights were out so hopefully, they gave up and left soon.

Just when I thought they had left there was a knock on my bedroom window. It scared the shit out of me but that meant it could only be one of two people. It was either Trent or my mama. Neither of which I wanted to deal with again tonight. Whoever it was wasn't going to give up, so I got out of bed and stormed to the door opening it with a bang.

My mother jumped at the sudden noise and then just walked right in. She looked me up and down and I could just see the judgment in her eyes. I was not in the mood for this right now. I am thirty years old not a baby anymore. She needed to realize that. I was done being her Barbie doll. I was not going to let her run me down tonight. I had a bad night and all I wanted to was watch chick flicks pig out and have myself an ugly cry.

Nola's Pov

"Nakia, what the hell are you wearing?"

"Well hello to you too mama. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, so now I have to have an invitation? I came to make sure your hair was still looking good for your man. Then I come here, and you look like this. Where is Trent? Has he seen you like this? No wonder he held out on giving you a ring. You look like a hot mess. You need to get your shit together."

"Mama get out."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me get out."

"He left you, didn't he?"

"No, I told him to leave, and now I am telling you to go."

"You're a damn fool. Enjoy being alone."

I walked out because I just couldn't be around her any longer. She has ruined everything. How could she do that to me? How could she ruin all my hard work? I raised her better than this. How dare she talk to me like that. She was lucky I didn't knock her upside her damn foolish head. I was so heated right now. She gets this from her no-good daddy.

I went home and got me a glass of wine. I needed to fix this because I know Nakia can't. That girl can't do anything on her own. I mean she dressed like a slob. I am the one who picks out her clothes to make sure she's perfect. I have done her hair every day since she had hair. I made it look long and shiny. Everything she has is because of me. Now she wants to be ungrateful.

Maybe I should call Trent and tell him she wasn't feeling well and was taking some meds. That's what made her all crazy. She was never going to get another man like him. I wasn't going to let her ruin this. She needed to be better so he would marry her. She must have done something wrong. It should never take a man four years to decide if he wants to marry you or not. She needed to straighten up or she was going to have nothing.