Erys pulled his hand out of his pocket to study the Rolex on his wrist. “You done?”
Gina, Sylvia’s youngest child spoke up. “You have some nerve. No, we’re not done.”
“You know I can’t understand why you’re here demanding her to come out of her house so you can bully her and whatever else when your bitch ass husbands are currently being arrested for trafficking and a few other charges. You might want to pack up your shit and run along,” Erys stated coolly, walking toward his front door. “Next time you feel the need to threaten me with police, remember this – I’m the shadow in the night. The chaos. You come back here to bother my woman with your Karenisque bullshit, I will find great pleasure in sending the rest of your pathetic little world into absolute chaos. Have a good day.”
Leaving them stuck in their positions, he walked into the house. The aide was waiting by the door to give him a rapid fire rundown.
“We were walking in the park to get Ernie out the house from going stir crazy. She bumped into those hellish women and they started the shoving and the berating. The old one told Remedy that she wasn’t her mother and Remedy ran off. I brought Ernie back to the house. She’s been here an hour crying and throwing up. I can’t get her to drink water, I can’t get her in the bed. Erniewon’t leave her side,” the aide called to Erys’ back. By the time the words shoving and berating hit his ears, he was heading up the stairs.
In the room, Erys found Remedy laying on a pillow in Ernie’s lap and Ernie attempting to text from her phone.
“There you go, nigga. Where the hell you been? Huh?” Ernie asked in a very loud whisper. “Your mama has been in here crying and throwing up. I think you getting a brother or something.”
Erys shook his head at Ernie’s announcement. “All that hollering you doing is going to wake her up.”
Remedy muttered. “I’m not sleep. My head hurts.”
She slowly sat up and pulled herself into a ball. “Ernie, can you get me some water?”
Ernie stood. “Yeah, I’ll be back, Cherie.”
“Thanks,” she weakly responded. Erys sat in the empty spot and pulled her into him. Kissing the top of her head, he pulled in a deep breath and released it. “I’m not her daughter. Makes sense now. The reflection of it all makes me sick to my stomach. But it all makes sense now. Why they put such restrictions on May, why I was never good enough for them, why I didn’t fit in.
“The truth coming to the light was damaging and my silence and compliance was needed. If I broke out that mold or the box and used my voice and really rattled the cages, the truth would ruin everything. I hate them but hating them and wondering about why takes too much energy. I should be focused on what really matters.”
“What’s that?” Erys asked.
Remedy pulled a pregnancy test from the pocket of the athletic jacket she wore. “Before Ernie snatched my phone I JoyCarted this. I don’t get sick like this often. It’s only happened like this one time before and I’m two weeks late.”
Erys took the pregnancy test, his frown melted away. Remedy watched his emotions balance and then grow. Gently pulling her on his lap he kissed her forehead, chin, nose, cheeks then lips picking up on the lingering mint from her toothpaste.
“You’re happy?” she giggle against his lips.
“Over the moon baby. Tagged it and bagged it. I knew your mean ass was going to be the mother of my babies. You slapped too good. You’ll throw a hell out of a flip flop,” he teased, kissing her jawline. “How you feeling? Besides sick.”
“I’m happy. I feel like I closed one book and I’m opening a new one. The possibilities are limitless and I’m very excited for this new adventure with the four of us,” Remedy hummed against his neck. “Thank you.”
“Bumping you full of my seed ‘cause I was trying to trap you or …”
She laughed weakly. “You get on my damn nerves. Ever considered I trapped you? Saw this big house and how much of a trick you are and said mm, let me be like Sylvia and trap this nigga.”
“Nah, because you didn’t like me when you came in here,” Erys laughed. “And that type of bullshit isn’t you.”
“What’s me then? I’ve been labeled all day. Tell me what you see,” she asked, her head back on his shoulder.
Erys picked up her hand and laced her fingers with his. “I see strength. It was a storm in the beginning but you settled in and it’s quiet now. But it’s at full capacity because you’ve learned who you are and rooted yourself. Your heart is big, because no one else is going to love Ernie the way you love him or move with him in mind. And even with all that capacity, you look at me like I’m a king. You could never tell me you love me again and I would feel that forever. Do I need to tell you how beautiful you are too?”
Remedy smiled. “No, I can see it. Like you look past my outer and you see my soul.”
“Same way you see mine, Strawberry. How about I feed you, get you in the bed and when you’re up on your feet let’s take a quick trip to Eastover?” he posed. “The five of us.”
“That works, we’re on a break between releases. I could use a change of scenery.”
“Whatever my baby momma wants,” Erys joked.
“Uh huh. Why were the two idiots here?” Remedy asked.
“For a reality check. If they listened, they’re packing up to go on the run but they’ll be arrested by the morning. But that’s not your battle. Rest, baby.”
