Chapter 63
***Wells***
I held my phone between my ear and shoulder as I finished the last brush stroke of my painting. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right. What did you say?”
Tony from Golden Flowers seemed more than a little put out.
“The lady opened the door, saw the flowers, screeched at me, and invited me in for a glass of sweet tea. She’s great.
Sure did make me dislike you guys, though.
Did you really invite three birds over right after she told you she loved you? ”
I dropped my phone into my can of paint thinner and went to find Remy and Boone. They were both looking out the window and jumped when I asked what they were doing.
“Come look at this.” Boone waved me over and pointed down below on the back patio. “She’s insane. But hot when she looks a little unhinged.”
I looked down and saw Memphis using several large bouquets of flowers to make something on the stone. “What’s she doing?”
We all watched as she worked and when she stepped back to reveal she’d arranged the flowers in the shape of a hand flipping the middle finger, I let out a bark of laughter. “So hot. I know she didn’t go to art school, but that’s pretty artistic.”
Remy grunted and sat back in his chair. “So much for flowers working.”
Boone dusted off his hands before shoving them into his pockets. “It was only phase one. And she’s engaging with us. That’s a good sign. I think.”
“Something will work.” I watched as she walked back towards her house, holding her back like it hurt. “Does she need to see Braddock?”
“I already called. He said pregnancy hurts and of course she’s holding her back.” Remy tapped his fingers on his desk. “Tomorrow will work. I’m adding in this belly band thing that’s supposed to help her back.”
Only when tomorrow came we were once again gathered at his window as Memphis stacked the boxes of gifts and very purposefully set a bottle of lighter fluid and matches next to the pile. It was impactful, to say the least.
“She needed that belly band. Dammit.” Remy watched the window until she was out of sight and then moved back to his desk. “Okay, so gifts didn’t work.”
“She’s going to take that belly band. She’s still walking funny.” I shook my head in frustration. “I’ll be right back. Or she’ll murder me. Either way, just move on without me.”
I had to stop at the stairs and go back to his office to ask what a belly band looked like, but after that I was on my way to battle.
That’s what it felt like anyway. I found the band thing in the pile and marched the way to her house.
I knocked once on her door and then pushed it open.
She looked up from her seat on the couch with fire in her eyes, but I cut her off before she could kick me out.
“Remy ordered this for you because we can all see you walking around here, holding your back like someone’s grandmother.
It’s supposed to help by holding your belly, or something.
You’re going to put it on and wear it or I’m going to put it on for you.
You’re not hurting anyone but yourself by not using this. ”
She narrowed her eyes at me and seconds went by in silence before she stood up and grabbed the band from me. “I wanted to keep it anyway.”
“You’re welcome.” I turned and went back to the house, my heart pounding. She was somehow more and more beautiful every day. Her bump was getting bigger and I missed touching it. It wasn’t easy to walk away from her but I knew it was a process.
Remy and Boone were waiting for me on the back patio. They saw that I didn’t have the band and Remy grinned. “You did it.”
“I’m going to lose my mind if she doesn’t talk to us soon. She’s stunning and we’re missing it all being this far away.” I looked back down the path. “I say we move up the baby furniture.”
Boone shrugged. “I’m tired of waiting, too.”
Remy pulled out his phone and tapped a button. “It’s done.”
A wave of nerves hit me and I shook out my hands. “It’ll work. It has to work.”
“She’s at least going to let us apologize and set the record straight.” Remy rubbed his jaw and sighed. None of us were sleeping well and hadn’t been since everything fell apart. “I don’t care if we have to tie her to a chair and tape her mouth closed, she’s going to listen to us tomorrow.”
The next day, we were all waiting around to see how Memphis was going to react.
I’d slept like shit again and spent the morning unable to paint anything at all.
Boone had taken some time off work, sending his patients to a close friend.
I never knew what Remy was doing with his business, but he never slipped.
During our time with Memphis, he’d been home more than ever, though.
I was sitting on the back patio, waiting for the beginning of what had to be the end of our fighting, fidgeting and counting out a beat with my fingers.
Every breath felt like it took too long and wasn’t enough.
My anxiety had felt like it was getting better before the falling out with Memphis.
I’d felt hopeful that maybe I was going to be normal again.
I was pretty sure no therapist would ever suggest spanking therapy for their anxious patients, but taking back control had helped.
Being so out of control with everything happening had made me feel like that progress had never happened.
It was my own fault for not fixing things when the ball was in our court.
I’d just been so caught up in feeling wronged again.
I put so much pressure on Memphis being exactly what I thought I needed that I didn’t give her the freedom to be who she was.
It was like I was counting on her to help cure my anxiety and to complete the feeling of family I’d been needing with my brothers.
With all that riding on her back, one mistake had felt monumental. We’d been incredibly unfair to her.
I knew that I couldn’t put the same pressure on her going forward.
She couldn’t heal me or my brothers. She couldn’t fix the things that weren’t in her power.
I’d decided sometime in the middle of the night that I had to put myself in therapy.
Instead of depending on Memphis to heal my shit when she wasn’t even aware that she was supposed to, I was going to heal my own shit and bring her a healthier man to love.
“Hey. You seem deep in thought.” Boone sat down across from me and looked down the path. “Memphis?”
I chuckled. “Something like that.”
“We’re the blind leading the blind with stuff like this.
Maybe we would’ve understood love better if Mom and Bridgette had moved in together.
” He smiled and shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot.
I’ve been so angry at her for so long. She didn’t deserve any of that anger.
She probably had her flaws, but she was a good mom.
It seemed like she was trying to be a good partner, too. ”
“I think it’s been easier to be angry. Back then and now.” I tilted my head up to the sky and steeled myself for his response to what I said next. “I think in some ways, we’re our father’s sons.”
“I want to be mad, but I know you’re right. He held onto anger almost to the bitter end. I think we would too, if it meant avoiding pain.”
Looking over at him, I smiled and felt a little piece of our puzzle shift into place. “Well. I won’t if you won’t.”
Remy sat down between us. “What are we not doing?”
“Holding onto anger and bitterness anymore. We’re going to try being less like Don and more like Mom for a change.” Boone shrugged. “And maybe go to therapy. Seems like we could probably use it.”
Remy was quiet for a minute and when he spoke, he shocked both of us. “I’m starting to think the old bastard was doing something kind in the end.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Did you hit your head?”
He grinned. “Nope, this amount of insanity came from being too close to you two lately. And Memphis. A very healthy amount of it is directly from her.”
“So, you think Don somehow knew we’d agree to have kids to keep the house and then fall in love and understand the meaning of family and maybe even Christmas?” Boone snorted. “Yeah, and my dick isn’t the biggest here.”
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I’m having.” Remy went still and swore under his breath. “Tornado at twelve o’clock. Here goes nothing.”