Title: Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Henrietta's Frustration
Long review is long
I'm still on Henny's side and now surprisingly Henry's.
I think as an only child of a single mother I can understand where Henny is coming from. It didn't feel right going out and having fun while I knew my mother was home alone, it wasn't till she started dating and hanging with friends that I felt comfortable enough to do the same. I don't know, there seems to be a bond between only children and their single parents that says it's us against the world and f- all others, of course when that dynamic is disrupted there will be issues. Most say that since Vanessa is the adult and mother she doesn't have to explain anything. But yeah she does, and it's unrealistic to think there would be no questions that deserve to be answered. I kind of get the feeling that for Vanessa now that she has her second chance, she really isn't concerning herself with how her daughter's taking it. Yes Henny is an adult and Vanessa is the mother but I see a lot of Vanessa talking at Henny not with her. Despite the evidence you've give showing that Henny is selfish and not wanting to grow up, I think there's more to it then that. I think that at this point Henny is feeling resentful, betrayed and annoyed with Vanessa but not wanting to confront her mother shoves her pent up feelings on the perceived outsider...Henry
In the first installment of the series it took 21 years before Henny even knew her fathers name and if she wasn't on the donors list it may have taken longer. She knew nothing of Henry, not his name, age, race, birthday, nothing, and why..because her mother never told her. Vanessa allowed her past hurts to interfere with her child raising. Whenever lil Henny would ask about her father, Vanessa would just say it's too painful to talk about then abandon the subject. Nessa was so focused on the pain of the past, that she never even thought to tell Henny of the fun and good memories she had of Henry. It had gotten to the point where little Henny just stopped asking about her dad, knowing nothing of her father except he hurt her mother and after she met Henry and full story came out (the abandonment, the abortion), all the thoughts she must have had about what a bad man her father was, was given validation. And with her mother doing nothing counter her thoughts, is it an wonder why she gave him the cold shoulder?
In the New Years arc, Vanessa hit Henny. Now I know some where saying that Henny deserved it. But did she really? While Henny's delivery was crude, it did have it's gain of truth. Vanessa admitted to herself that things looked bad to someone who didn't have the information of knowing that the feelings between them came back. Did Vanessa tell her daughter that she still loved Henry, did she tell her that it was always Henry? Nope, she just slapped her then ran off. But before she did that she tried to use the justification the it was her father. What does Henry being Henny's father really mean to her daughter? Nothing, because the only thing Henny knew was he threw abortion money at her mother then ran toward his inheritance and then a marriage. While Henny was worrying about her mother being taken advantage of Vanessa was worrying about Henry. That act of violence was never addressed, but I'm sure Henny hasn't forgotten
Now in this latest installment, I must say completely turned me away from Vanessa. One thing stood out to me since the beginning of the series, is that while I'm sure she does,Vanessa has never said she loves Henny. I seen her say she loves Henry but not her daughter. While Henry has been tearful saying it all throughout. Henry has been the one telling Henny he loves her, that he isn't going anywhere, trying to integrate himself in her life, ease her into the new family dynamic and having her meet his father. While Vanessa was on the side lines. Henry is the one trying to let Henny know she's included, that she still has a place. But while Henry is trying to bring Henny closer Vanessa is essentially pushing her away. Saying that now that she's happy (i.e. had Henry back) and now has a life that Henny should go out and get one as well. I have yet to 'hear' Vanessa tell Henny that she's loves her or reassurance that she will always be her daughter which I think is all Henny needs to hear from her mother in order to calm down. Henny had said multiple times that she was going to be replaced once the baby came, but Henry was the one to hold her tell her he would always be there for her and how much he loves her while her mother just stood there with a frown. I wonder like Henny why wasn't Vanessa the one confronting her. It seems to me while Henry wants everything, Vanessa, Henny, the baby, Vanessa just wants Henry. Just because Henny is an adult doesn't mean Vanessa can't step up as a parent to reassurance her child, which it seems Henry is the only one who cares to. A lot of the issues with the three, I feel is Vanessa's fault. If she had just opened her mouth and told her daughter years ago, I love your father but it just didn't work out a ton a tension could have been cut there, Instead to sitting down a talking to her daughter after Henry came back into the picture, and telling her she still loves him, she smacked her then left. Vanessa is just talking at Henny not with her and that's a huge problem. If Vanessa had said I love your father, I love you and I really want the two of to get along for the sake of family, instead of handing Henry back the ring and and screaming at Henny that now their both gonna be lonely miserable spinsters Henny may have stayed. One again Vanessa is allowing her extreme emotions to interfere with her child rearing, Before it was too painful to talk about Henry, blocking all the good, now happiness at having Henry is blocking all reason of what her daughter going through.
Yes love makes fools of us all and right now I think Vanessa is taking it to another level
But that's just my 2 cents
Longest Review Ever!
On a complete side not I've seen you use Colin Farrell, Christian Bale and Dylan Mcdermott for Henry which is it cause a sista's confused
Author's Response: Dear Longest Review Ever: As for the pix of Henry, LOL I can't make up my mind. I can't seem to find the perfect Henry so take your choice.
Now to your review. I love the in depth analysis. You bring things out that I have not even thought of and that helps my muse tremendously.
You are so right about Vanessa in so many things you said. Vanessa's biggest fear was that she would turn out like her mother and end up losing her mind. So instead, she shut down. She held everything inside. She loves Henny, she does and EVERYTIME she looked at her child, she saw Henry. She didn't talk about Henry because for one, he was white and she knew how her family would feel if they found out. Even though Henny is fair skinned, she still looked black and so she wanted everyone to think that Henny's father was black because she was wrestling with all of the things she had been told about white people all of her life and she wanted to protect Henry. She didn't want to tell the truth about why he wasn't there. She was sure that her uncle Lamont would have had a field day with that information.
When Henry showed up on New Years, it was a dream come true for Vanessa. Henry McDermont was all she had ever wanted and he showed up on her doorstep. She no longer had to settle for the reflections of him she saw in Henny's face. She could actually have HIM for herself.
While she thinks Henny is being selfish, Vanessa is selfish too. She knows her daughter and if she had stuck to her guns and given Henry and Henny a little more time together and even told the two of them about the baby when all three of them were together, things could have turned out differently. Instead she called Henry and told him that she wanted to be with him and went to Maine.
I must say however that Vanessa never resented Henny until now. She was happy to have a part of Henry that she could love and cherish. Everyday she was grateful to have Henrietta a living testament of their love. She should have told her daughter more, especially after she was older. That was a major blunder on Vanessa's part. Sometimes people can't see the forest for the trees.
The two of them do need to sit down and have a heart to heart talk, and that is coming. Vanessa needs to reassure Henny that she loves her, because she does. She needs to take her focus off of herself and Henry and at least try to reason with Henny.
As for Henry, he will never be a whole man he feels until he has regained what he lost, his family. He wants the whole package or he will never be whole. If Vanessa opens her eyes and realizes what it will take to make Henry happy, maybe she'll have a little more patience with her daughter.
Henny has lashed out at Henry and feels bad about it because she knows that Henry loves her and she loves him too, but she hasn't felt comfortable enough in their relationship to admit it yet. All she's ever wanted was to know her father, to have him love her and for him to spend time with her. The time with Henry in Charlotte was overwhelming for her, especially when she was in his room when he had that migraine. She felt like a daughter in an intimate situation with her father and she loved it. She wanted more of the same, and now she feels that has been taken from her by her mother.
Thanks again for the long, long and wonderful review. More is coming and your thoughts are helping it to come!
Reviewer: Raynee Signed
Date: April 12 2012
