“And Remedy?”
Ernie smirked. “If that little feeling in your chest and your dick means you’re going to do right by her, then I can share. If not, I’ll beat your ass.”
“You keep threatening to beat my ass like I can’t put your ass to sleep,” Erys said with a chuckle. He found himself doing that. Smiling, laughing, feeling joy. Exactly a week of being cussed out, ignored, challenged and parts of him he’d held so tightly to were starting to slip away from his tough exterior.
“That’ll be the day I show you who I am, boy. Don’t get this shit fucked up. I’m losing myself, I’m not weak. Not yet…”
Remedy told him that there would be moments where Ernie was so clear you made yourself believe that what was literally eating away at his mind had gone away. This was the moment, so he held on to it with every fiber of his being.
Erys pulled the suit from his arms and handed it over to the tailor. He didn’t speak, not wanting him to lose his thought and go off of the rails. So he sat and looked up at his father in that bright suit and waited.
“You’re probably not going to miss me when I go,” Ernie continued. “I understand that. I get it why you wouldn’t. The rest of Rem is going to crack. Not being selfish but I know that she hasn’t allowed herself to crack because she wants to hold me together. All this ain’t for nothing, Erys.”
Erys dropped his head. He’d already watched his mother take her last breath and he hadn’t believed that the strongest woman he knew would be so frail and helpless. With his father, he was getting what he wanted…finally, and it was ending.
“I hear you,” he muttered.
“Nah, look at me, nigga. I need you to understand what I’m saying to you. I got more days behind me than I do ahead. She needs someone to take care of her. If you’re going to do that shit, you better be the baddest muhfucka doing it,” Ernie stated. “Make sure you bury me next to your mama. I need to bother her from outside of heaven. We got unfinished business.”
After two hours in the suit shop, Erys got the text he’d been waiting on.
Mouth: Ready
Franklin: we’re coming out
“Remedy is ready,” Erys spoke, watching his father stand and sigh. “You tired already? It’s only one o’clock.”
“I don’t get up until one o’clock,” Ernie mocked. “You woke me up at the crack of dawn’s ass for what? To eat fifteen year old porridge.”
“You tired because you were roaming the halls all night, opening and closing doors. You forgot where you were?”
Ernie huffed. “I didn’t forget shit.”
He was getting agitated. Hopefully when he laid eyes on Remedy it’d soothe whatever was happening.
“Must’ve forgot about our tee time in the morning too,” Erys taunted. “I was going to let your crazy ass drive the cart.”
“Got cart girls?” Ernie asked, perking up.
“Of course. Come on man, I know what you like,” Erys said, leading him across the street.
“Is Remedy coming?” Ernie questioned.
“I think after today we should give her a minute,” Erys said, his mind recalling how she was barely holding herself together earlier.
“You doing that big thinking. I love that shit,” Ernie cheered before Remedy caught his eye.
Sweats gone and in their place a pair of biker shorts, crop tee, and an oversized blazer. The hair they’d gotten accustomed to seeing in a messy bun atop her head was now cascading over her shoulders and layered with bangs framing her face. She was walking out of the boutique with her bags and a fresh air of confidence.
“Damn,” they both muttered.
“Why are y’all looking at me like that?” she sounded off with a slight frown.
Erys straightened up. “Almost didn’t know that was you and then you opened your mouth.”
Remedy rolled her eyes. “Make yourself useful and put these in the truck like you insisted and you won’t have to hear my mouth.”
“Remedy, did you max the card out?” Ernie asked. “Tell me you did.”
