Page 6 of Love Resurrected
“Hey”—she holds her hands up in surrender—“I’m just trying to help you, and this would be a non-threatening way to do something social.”
“Please tell me how being auctioned off is non-threatening?”
“Well, you’re such a peach to be around, you probably won’t get anyone bidding on you anyway.” She smiles.
I’m not amused. “Now I’m definitely not doing it.”
“You promised Kat you would—”
“Fuck you, Remi.” I hate her for bringing Kat into this. How dare she use the few final words Kat and I had together against me.
“Fuck you, Brad.” Her race reddens.
“Bad word, Mommy,” Brianna says.
“Sorry, baby,” Remi tells her then turns to me, her expression fierce, index finger pointing. “You aren’t the only one who lost her. You don’t have exclusivity on mourning. Don’t be an asshole.” She wipes at her eyes and turns away from us for a moment. Knowing she still tears up over Kat is morosely satisfying. Because I’m not alone in that.
“Bad word, Mommy,” Brianna says again.
“Baby girl.” Chance pulls Brianna to stand between his legs. “Mommy might say some bad words for a little while with Uncle Brad. Can you go play with your brothers?”
“No, I stay with Uncle Brad. He sad.”
“He’s always sad, baby,” Remi says, facing back our way, looking more composed once again. “It’s because he can’t pull his head out of his aaa . . . apricot and move on with his life.”
“His head is apricot?”
Remi sighs. “No, Mommy was making a simile.”
“Metaphor,” Chance says.
“It’s a simile, I’m saying his A-S-S is an apricot.”
“It’s a metaphor,” Chance says.
Remi waves her hand at him. “He’s just sad, Brie. That’s all.”
“He sad he has no babies. The mama died like turtle,” Brianna says.
Remi raises an eyebrow at me.
I run my hands through my hair. “That’s not exactly what I said,” I mutter.
“I just want you to be happy,” Remi says.
Brianna comes over to me.
“Up.” She holds her arms out. I pick her up and place her in my lap, wondering all the while what it is about me that this little girl likes. She turns and places her palms on my cheeks, angling my head in her direction.
“You be happy,” she says. “Listen to Mommy. She the smart one.”
I laugh at that.
“I’ll think about doing the auction, how’s that?” I tell Remi.
“I will take that as a yes,” she says.
“Except it’s not one. AndifI say yes, what do I have to do?”
