The Deed to a Gangsta’s Heart

Epilogue

R emedy

June 2025

A year had passed since Callie had come back home. To celebrate, I brought her back to the wildflower park. It felt fitting for this to be the place I came clean about what I’d done a year ago. Cookie and Cream were tied up, and as Callie alternated from one to the other, I pulled the deed to my home out. When I was ready, I called her over. She kneeled on the blanket in front of me.

“Here.” I extended the deed toward her, but before she opened it, I covered her hand with mine. “There’s something I have to confess.”

Her smile wavered slightly as she looked from our hands to my face. “What is it?”

“I’m the reason you couldn’t find a house or apartment when you first came. ”

Callie’s head tilted and brows wrinkled. “What do you mean?”

“I told all the realtors in town not to rent you anything of value, so you’d be forced to stay with me.”

Her mouth parted before she released a strangled laugh. “I don’t understand.”

Releasing a shaky breath, I pulled her engagement ring out of my pocket. She whimpered and covered her mouth as she stared at it.

“I didn’t want you to live anywhere else. I wanted you to live with me. I didn’t think I’d actually pursue you, so I wanted you close. They weren’t allowed to rent you anything so you’d be forced to stay with me.” My head bobbed toward the paper in her hand. “That’s the deed to my home. Our home. I had your name added to it. I want you there with me forever, filling our land with homes for our children and their children and theirs too.” I slid the ring on her finger as tears slid down her cheeks. “Will you marry me, pookie?”

Callie giggled as her tears hit the deed. “You’re a sneaky little scoundrel but I love you. Just so you know, you didn’t have to do all of that, pooh. I would have still moved in with you.”

Sucking my teeth, I pulled her onto my lap. “Now you know that ain’t the truth.”

Her laughter made me smile as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “Anyway! Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Mhm.” She nodded rapidly and tugged her lip between her teeth as I wiped her tears. “Yes, I will marry you.”

“Whew.”

I felt a literal chill run through me as her words settled in my heart. I connected my lips with hers as the weight of her agreeing to be my wife filled me. Even with me knowing she’d say yes, hearing it made me more emotional than I thought I’d be. When we pulled away, she wiped away the tear that had fallen from my eye.

“I love you, Rem. Thank you for being brave enough to lead us into this new phase of our lives.”

“And I love you. Thank you for trusting me to.”

Our lips connected again. And soon after, so did our centers. Placing her on her back, I lifted her hands over her head and stroked her slowly as I looked into her eyes.

Callie had always been the remedy for my loneliness and need for love. This woman had been the center of my life and heart since we were five, and soon, she would be my wife. Dr. Callie Simpson officially had the deed to a gangsta’s heart.

The Beginning

(Because true love has no end.)

Keep Swiping…