A Life Completed (Hard Time Series Book 5)

Visiting Rox

STEF POV

"Sister girl! Just the fucking person I wanted to see!!"Roxy says to me as baby Stef and I stop by the bakery she manages to pick up a few treats for Lena and the kids. Roxy and I over the past four years have been working hard on our relationship, but it has not been easy for me, considering everything she did to this family prior to my stroke.

Granted I have never been the most forgiving person, ever,  never was and I still find myself holding back with her but she has kept her word about everything, and has gotten a ton of help in terms of her anger and drinking problems which is one of the reasons her and Peaches are still together. They are doing well actually and Peaches works at a hair salon with Tracey making pretty decent money while Roxy manages a bakery. They have finally gotten a nice little home a far cry from the one they had lived in when they first got together almost  fourteen years ago. Am I proud of Roxy? Definitely but I know I am still weary of her at times and she knows this too and has respected the boundaries I have put up.

"Oh yeah why is that?" I ask taking a seat on the stool as my granddaughter helps me. Since my stroke there were times I sill had issues with coordination and today was one of those fucking days and I hated that. I despite it." I got it baby, thank sweets." I wink at her as she smiles taking a seat next to me.

"Because! Everybody want vegan or gluten free baked stuff! So, I whipped up something. NO FLOUR, NO DIARY, NO NUTS, NO EGGS, NO nothing. So ya'll two gotta taste." She slides a plate of cookies over to the both of us as I look back at her.

"Then what the fuck is in it? Dirt." I says as she leans down shaking her head at me.

"Baby Stef, would you talk to your grand mama about sophisticated palettes. There'es plenty of ways to make stuff without that shit."

"Then it must taste like ass."

"Would you just try it."

"What's in it? I ain't eatin nothing if I don't know what the hell is in." I say hearing my granddaughter giggle as Roxy shakes her head again.

"It's vegan flour heifer. Vegan. With monk fruit. And my own mixture of stuff. 'Sides if I wanted to posin your ass I had done it already." She jokes as I playfully roll my eyes at her.

"I'll try it. Can I Yaya?"

"Yeah, go on. Don't say I didn't warn you." I say as she takes a bite and Roxy rubs her hands together looking excited.

"Oh...these are f'in  awesome!"

"Hey! Language!" I yell smacking her hand as the cookie falls to the plate. "What did I tell you?"

"Sorry. I just mean they are real good.  Can I have another? Nana Lion would love these. She's going Vegan."

"What? Where did you hear that?" I ask looking at her like she lost her mind as she bites another cookie.

"The other day Yaya. She told me when I was helping her garden.  Can I get a latte?"

"Ain't you liek 2? What you doing drinking coffee?"Roxy asks laughing  as baby Stef shakes her head. I know her asking that was my damm fault anyway since I had treated her to Starbucks a few times to get lattes and was damm near guilty of spoiling her half to death which was probably me making up for Callie's inconsistent parenting. If hat's what you called it.

"15. I was two forever ago Rox. Didn't you notice. Look, Yaya let me get my nails done. LIKE fake nails."  She holds her hand out proudly as I shake my head again for this child really was a girly girl more so then Frankie ever was and even her own mother as Roxy takes her hand admiring the nails.