Page 74 of No Remedy for Love

“I’m sure they are, but nobody knows where she lives.”

“What’s her name? You can find out a lot about a person on social media.”

“Girl, Regency, Iraq, bitch, I don’t know. I told you that it starts with an R or an I.”

“What agency or hospital did he go through to hire her? They might have a website with their employee information on it.”

“I don’t know nothing about all that mess. Blaze used to do all of that.”

“Well, I hate to say this friend, but y’all not knowing nothing is what made it so easy for him to up and disappear with her. I mean, at least one of her kids should know something.”

Reanna didn’t agree with what Blaze had done but they made it too easy for him to do it. Bertha had eight kids, and theyknew next to nothing about what was going on with her. They complained that she gave Blaze too much control but they were fine with it as long as they didn’t have to be bothered. Now that there was possibly money involved, they all wanted to be doting kids and care for their mother themselves.

“That’s true but he’s still wrong for how he’s doing it. He can’t dictate when they can see and spend time with their own mother. But like my Aunt Flo said, he can’t hide her forever. Nana is too sick for him to be moving her around like that.”

“Girl, well, I’m by my man’s house and I don’t want him to start looking for me. Keep me posted on everything.”

“You already know that I will,” Blaire replied before she hung up.

Reanna hated to break the bad news to her girl, but there was nothing that her mother and siblings could do without Bertha consenting to it. Blaze had been there from day one, even before she got sick. She just hoped that the part about the money wasn’t true. If it was, that meant that Blaze was about to be one of the richest niggas in the hood. And sadly, they were no longer married for her to enjoy any of it.

“Are you nervous?” Remi asked as she looked over at Blaze.

“Should I be?” he countered while looking back at her.

“Mae and my granny are cool. My mama just be doing too much sometimes but she don’t mean no harm. I’m an only child, so she’s gonna ask a bunch of questions. Her and my daddy weren’t too fond of Mav, so I am kinda nervous. You’re only the second man that I’ve ever let them meet.”

“And I’ll be the last,” Blaze assured her.

“You know they all thought that I was gonna be a carpet muncher,” Remi laughed at the look on his face but she was dead ass serious.

“Seriously? With that bangin’ ass body?”

“What does a bangin’ body have to do with anything? They got some fine ass lesbians out here, boo. But I used to be a tomboy back in the day. I’ll have to show you some old pictures when I work up the nerve. I used to look like Kendrick Lamar with a pixie cut.”

“Man, you almost made me swerve into that other car.” Blaze was laughing so hard, he had tears falling from his eyes.

“You can thank Tracy for the new improved Remedy.”

“As soon as I see her again, I damn sure will.” Blaze looked over at her and licked his lips.

They talked and laughed until he pulled up to her mother’s house. Lollie, Marva and her granny had just come back from their cruise a few days before, but her stepmother still insisted on cooking a meal for them. Marva cooked a pot roast and too many other side dishes to name. Remi explained her mother and stepmother’s living arrangement to him since she knew that it was probably weird to most people. It worked for them and they were happy. That was all that she really cared about.

“Lord, please hold my mama’s tongue today. Amen.” Remi had her hands in the prayer position as she looked up to the heavens. She and Blaze got out of the car and rang the doorbell. She would usually use her key but she wasn’t alone. When the door opened, Marva smiled and ushered them inside.

“Mae, this is my boyfriend, Blaze. She’s Mae to me but this is my bonus mom, Marva,” Remi introduced the two of them and smiled when they embraced one another.

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. I heard a lot of great things about you.” Blaze smiled.

“Aww, it’s nice to meet you too, sweetheart. Remi tells me that you knew her father.”

“Yes ma’am, I used to be a regular at the rec center when I was younger. Mr. Reid was an amazing man.”

“He surely was.” Marva smiled at the compliment and the memories.

Remi and Blaze followed Marva into the dining room right as Lollie came down the stairs.

“Yes honey, my grandkids are gonna be beautiful. He’s fine as hell Remi and cute too. How tall are you?” Lollie asked as she walked around Blaze like she was inspecting him.

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