Page 96 of No Remedy for Love

“It’s nice to meet y’all.” Rashad shook both their hands. After a few more minutes of small talk, he and Kiva walked away and went to the register.

“Did you find everything that you were looking for?” Kiva asked him.

“Yeah, I did but really, baby, do you really need more flat irons?” Rashad looked at the two new pieces of hair equipment that were in her handheld basket.

“They’re two different sizes and too damn cute to pass up.”

“Really, Kiva?” He gave her a knowing look. She was only supposed to be getting more shampoo and towels while he got some new capes. Kiva was obsessed with flat irons, so he wasn’t surprised that she’d picked up some more.

“Fine, I’ll go put them back.” Kiva pouted. She smiled when Rashad grabbed the items that were in her basket and put them in his.

“Thank you, baby.” She smiled brightly while giving him a peck on the lips.

Kiva didn’t expect to start dating so soon after her breakup with Mav but she wasn’t complaining. She wasn’t giving up on love but she didn’t go out there looking for it either. Rashad was everything that Mav wasn’t and that was a plus in her eyes. He was sweet, attentive, and the most humble man that she’d ever met. He was old school and believed in love and the sanctity of marriage.

Admittledly, Kiva was only his second girlfriend ever. He had been with his wife since middle school and she was all that he knew. Rashad was devastated when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at such a young age, but it was hereditary. Her mother and grandmother had passed on from the same illness that eventually claimed her life. He was from the old school, so a lot of what was going on in the dating world was new to him. He’d met a few females after his wife passed but, aside from Kiva, none of them made it beyond the first date.

“Okay, so, I’m bringing RJ to my mom and you’re binging MJ to his dad, right?” Rashad asked once he paid for their items. They were walking to their separate cars and heading in separate directions.

“Yes, my bag is in the trunk so I’ll meet you at your house as soon as I do.”

Kiva still lived with her mom so she sometimes stayed the night at Rashad’s house. His son and hers were like Siamese twins, so they loved when they had sleepovers. Since Rashad wanted them to be alone, they got babysitters and planned to spend their next two off days alone.

“Okay, love, see you soon.” Rashad gave her another kiss and let the boys say goodbye to one another. That was always hard seeing as how they never wanted to.

Kiva strapped her son in his car seat and got ready to drop him off to Mav’s house. She would have much rather his mother or sister do it but she wasn’t trying to be childish. She also wasn’t in the mood for Mav’s bullshit.

As much as he’d cheated on her in the past, he had the audacity to be in his feelings because she moved on. Mav must have really thought she was his fool and that was proven when he begged her for another chance. He was obviously looking for the old Kiva, but that bitch was dead and gone. He was out of chances and she was done giving them. Being with Rashad was showing her exactly what she was missing with Mav. She was done settling for anything, especially a man.

Kiva was almost to Mav’s house so she called to let him know. After three tries, he still didn’t answer once. She found out why when she turned on his street and saw all the police cars and people lining the street. Kiva used to live there, so she knew all the neighbors very well. She parked as close as she could before getting MJ out of the car and running over to one of them.

“Hey, Kiva. You better hurry home. The police just went in your house.”

The neighbor obviously didn’t know that she moved and she didn’t elaborate. MJ spotted Mav’s mother in the crowd, so Kiva went over to where she was. His father was close by her, but they didn’t appear to be talking. MJ was pulling on his grandmother’s shirt as soon as he got close enough to her.

“Hey, my baby. Come here and give me some kisses.” She grabbed her grandson, who was going crazy trying to get to her.

“What’s going on? Is Mav okay?” Kiva didn’t want him anymore, but their son needed his father. As dirty as he did her, she still didn’t wish anything bad on him.

“I’m so sick of this shit with Maverick. He’s too damn old to still be doing dumb shit, and I’m over it. I’m not putting out another dime for his ass and I mean that.” Mav’s mother was angry and venting her feelings to Kiva. Mark was frowning as he listened to his ex-wife talk down on their son. He was angry with Mav too but he would never give up on him like she always threatened to do.

“What happened?” Kiva asked right as the police were leading Mav out of the house with his hands cuffed behind him.

“Man, y’all got the wrong nigga. I ain’t did a muthafucking thing!” Mav was mean mugging the officers as he continuously proclaimed his innocence.

“Were you about to drop MJ off to him?” Mav’s mother asked while looking at Kiva.

“Yeah, I was, but I can take him to my mom.”

“No, that’s okay, I’ll take him with me. Does he have a bag or anything?”

“I never send him with one since he already has everything over here.”

“He has everything by me too and I’ll get whatever he doesn’t. I just wanna leave, so he don’t have to witness his asshole of a father fucking up yet again.”

Kiva kissed her son and saw him off. She didn’t have a reason to stay but she was too nosey to leave. She watched, as Mav was placed into the back of the police car. Mark walked over to her right when they pulled off.

“That stupid muthafucker! I told him about that lil girl a long time ago, but he just didn’t listen!” Mark was going off as he pulled a set of keys from his pocket.

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