Page 98 of No Remedy for Love

“My baby is gonna be so confused. Blaze was right. We’re trying for another one as soon as I get cleared by my doctor. This baby is gonna be for everybody but us. It’s bad enough that Lollie threw herself and Mae a grandmother’s shower.”

“Bitch, that really took me out,” Tracy laughed.

Lollie was a mess but you couldn’t help but love her. Remi was fuming when Lollie sent out invitations to her and Marva’s shower only a week after Remi’s was held. She was even more annoyed that people actually entertained her bullshit and showed up. She had a room fixed up at her house like she was the mother-to-be. She was so excited when she called Remi and showed her all the gifts that they’d received.

“Come on and let’s get out of here. Shiva is meeting me at the house to get this cashier’s check for my granny.”

Remi was getting some work done to the house that her granny lived in. Viola was getting too old to be lifting her legs to get in and out of the claw foot tub that was in her bathroom.Remi had her bathroom renovated with a walk-in shower and bench for her to be more comfortable. The work was almost complete, but she wanted the payment to already be there when it was.

She and Tracy headed back to Blaze’s grandmother house. As soon as they pulled up, Remi sighed in aggravation. She saw Blaire’s car out front, and Jean was standing on the sidewalk arguing with Blaze who was on the porch.

The past few months had been hectic to say the least. Blaze’s mother and her siblings had the audacity to try and sue him for their mother’s estate. It was even worse because they had him served at his barbershop. He was pissed but he and Remi showed up on the date they were supposed to. It was a waste on their part because Bertha had dotted every I and crossed every T. There was nothing that they could do and that pissed them off more than anything. Zita’s father was set to claim and move into a house that wasn’t even his.

It took him a while but Blaze finally decided to list it on Airbnb. He had donated all of Bertha’s clothes and most of her furniture to charity. One of the barbers in his shop had just purchased a home, so he let him get whatever he needed first. In the end, all eight of Bertha’s kids got exactly what they deserved, nothing.

“I knew it was too good to be true.” Remi sighed.

Blaze rushed down the steps when he saw Tracy’s car pull up in the driveway. He helped his wife get out and up the stairs. He didn’t trust nobody in his family and that included his own mother. Blaire got out of the car when she saw Tracy but she was wasting her time.

“You ain’t no good but God is gonna punish you for everything that you did to us,” Jean had the nerve to say.

“Did you ever sit back and think that maybe you’re the one who’s being punished?” Blaze asked as he folded him arms across his chest and asked.

Jean was not only a horrible daughter; she wasn’t the best mother either. She never even tried to do better and Blaire was too much like her to see it. They were both selfish and were out only for themselves.

“It’s bad enough that you gave away everything else in the house, you could have at least let us have mama’s pictures. That’s all of our baby and childhood photos with our daddy.”

“Well, I hope you got a good memory. Y’all took me to court and lost. Like the man said, if it wasn’t in the will, it’s not yours. I’m not obligated to give y’all nothing and that’s that. And I’m starting to feel threatened so y’all better stop showing up over here.”

“You sad as fuck to do your own mama like that,” Blaire fumed angrily.

“Jean gave birth to me, but I buried the woman who deserved the title of mother.”

As big as his family was, Blaze never really had a relationship with any of them so he didn’t care about being ostracized. Remi’s family treated him better than his own, and he was good with that.

“Come on ma, fuck him!” Blaire grabbed her mother’s arm, but Jean pulled away.

“Fuck you too, bitch!” Remi yelled in her husband’s defense.

Blaire already hated everything about her, especially since Mav was locked up over her hoe ass. She didn’t know what was so special about her that had him so obsessed. Thankfully, after being locked up for two weeks, Blaire was able to bail her friend out. Reanna had the money in her account but she was the only one who had access to it. Blaire had to wait until she got paid but she was able to help her out.

“Bitch, come down here and say that so I can make my brother a single father.”

“Yeah and I bet I be an only child too. You got me fucked up talking reckless to my wife.” Blaze mean-mugged his sister like she was a bitch on the streets. He didn’t give a fuck about how her and nobody else felt about Remi. She was married to him, not his family.

“Send that hoe down here then.” Blaire was advancing towards the steps until her hair was pulled from behind.

“I couldn’t get your bad built ass friend but you’ll do,” Shiva said as she mixed on Blaire.

His sister wasn’t a slacker but she was no match for the younger, wilder woman. Shiva had just pulled up when they were outside arguing but that didn’t have nothing to do with her. It wasn’t until Remi got in it that it became personal. For every lick that she couldn’t give Reanna, her friend got two.

“Get your wild ass off of my baby!” Jean was slapping at Shiva but she didn’t get close enough to hit her. If it weren’t for Vinnie rushing out of the house to stop it, Shiva would havekilled Blaire with her bare hands. Blaze made no move to stop it and he felt like it was long overdue.

“Come on lil mama, chill out.” Vinnie picked Shiva up and carried her up the stairs. By then, Blaire was on the ground and so was some of her hair.

“Now, you gon’ have an eye to match the one your friend had, hoe!” Shiva yelled.

“Bitch, it’s up every time I see you, hoe! Believe that!” Blaire was still talking shit as her mother helped her up.

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