Charmaine Walker Of Black Ink Crew: Chicago has so much to look forward to. The mommy-to-be is expecting a daughter with her husband Neek, and even opened up her own business. While these are all tremendous blessings, enjoying them has been less than easy.
In a sneak peek from tonight’s episode, Walker gets the call that no one ever wants to receive. Her father breaks the news that her mother Glenda has been hospitalized and that doctors are doing their best to save her life. While waiting for more updates on her mom’s condition, Walker calls Neek to ask that he come home right away. “I’m not ready for this,” she says on the phone. “My mom didn’t even get to see our baby.”
Walker tries to maintain composure for the sake of her baby, but breaks down in tears once she receives confirmation from her father that her mom passed away.
In advance of tonight’s episode, Walker remembers this fateful day as the worst moment of her life. “My mom lost 4 sisters before the age of 50 and I always had this horrible obsession with being worried about the day my mom would leave,” she shares on Instagram. “I love my mom and I feel her presence. I’m trying my best to get better but this isn’t easy. Only thing I ever wanted was for her to be a grandma. Something we looked forward to! She still is a grandma though. The best kind there could be. A guardian angel grandma.
Walker spoke exclusively with ESSENCE last month about what pregnancy has been like in the wake of such a major loss. “Obviously [my pregnancy] is something I wanted to share with her,” she says. “It hurts so bad that she won’t be here for this. But on the other end, I am grateful that I’m pregnant right now because I have to process her death with a sober state of mind. I can’t run to any vices to get through this. Being reminded that there’s life inside of me does bring joy.”
Catch tonight’s episode of Black Ink Crew: Chicago at 8PM ET/PT on VH1.