A Life Remembered (Hard Time Series-Book 7)

Roxy's Response

"I still wonder why the fuck she chose LA to restart her life, of all places. You know how much temptation there is down there? Don't make no sense." Roxy says slicing more meat for her platter while Tracey grabs extra appetizers.

Roxy wanted to make sure they had extra food for the little party going on for Baby Stef and Tasha at her cafe. She loved these kinda get together and events, especially ones for her family.

Living the straight life was worth it to her. Every second of it. She loved being with Peaches and enjoyed helping her raise Jesus together. Roxy had no plans on ever returning to that violent woman she once was, and she had no plans on ever destroying her relationship with Stef again.

"She can restart here in another town is what I'm sayin. Who she know down there Trac?"

"Maybe she does by now, Rox. She been down there for a couple of months now. Plus Mama Lion said she holding a job down there and everything. Jude said so too." The young woman says as she hears her family laughing and music start to pick up in the front of the cafe.

Ever since Roxy had opened up her little cafe, she and Tracey had gotten a little closer. Tracey didn't fully trust the woman like she once did, but she had squashed all the beef that had happened in Chow between them, and the beef that happened afterwards.

However, she always kept her eyes peeled whenever Roxy was in Stef's presence, despite the blonde telling Tracey she had forgiven her. Her loyalty was still incredibly strong, and Stef knew that. Everyone did.

"She couldn't do that shit here? She had to pack up not tell nobody she was transferring and shit but her parol officer and we find out through some letters? That letter just about tore my ass up. She gotta write something so sensitive? Damn."

Tracey looks at the woman and spreads out the deviled eggs on the platter.

"I get it, Rox. She can't face nobody here or risk running into one of us. Rox, she's legit, embarrassed. She's embarrassed to face her kids, and she's mostly embarrassed to face Mama Lion and Mom. Especially Mom. You know this. She changed her name back to Jacobs. What does that tell you?"

"She a fool. She ain't no Jacobs. She Adams Foster and she need to know that," Roxy says, shaking her head. "I get what she did these past years. I wasn't no better Trac. I got redeemed. But she has an even bigger chance because she's Mama Lions and my sister girls daughter. That speaks for itself. Plus, she wasn't in her right mind. At all."

"It doesn't matter, Rox. She can't face Mike either. You fucked up yeah, but this hit different. It's got to be hard knowing you destroyed a lot and messed up a lot of shit. Shit that she might not even remember. Baby Stef don't want nothing to do with her. Poor Andrew is confused, and Faith doesn't even know her. That has to be hard. I feel bad I had to get in her face them times she was up on Mom but I couldn't have that shit. Nobody getting to that woman if I can fucking help it. Ever. Either her or Mama Lion. But that wasn't Callie. None of those seven years were. It's a mind fuck Rox. For real."

Roxy shakes her head now, just feeling really conflicted and torn up over all of it. Callie's letter to her still plagued her, even if she had gotten it more than two months ago. Tracey understood, because Callie's letter brought her to tears as well. Truthfully, the girl's letters had brought everyone to tears.

But on one hand, Tracey was relieved to hear the girl was on medication, remaining sober and trying to restart her life. But she knew all about LA. She had roamed those same streets; she had been on skid row; she had pimped herself out and lived in the bus stations and train stations growing up.

That had been her life until she got locked up in Chow, which turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. She gained a family in there, one that she had always wanted.

"Look Rox, at least she is away from that fucking asshole, Chuckie. At least he's locked up along with the rest of her shit faced biological family. Maybe she'll be alright down there." The girl says and Roxy grabs the pigs in the blanket, placing them on another tray. "Callie looks innocent, but she's not. She survived Chow, twice now."

"She survived Chow cuz of my sister, Trac. You know that. Had it not been for my sister, for all of us in Chow, she had been dead. She was getting her ass kicked before she was in the Lion's Den. The second time, she was getting her ass beat, and she got real lucky. For real. Violet could have killed her or some of them other women in there. You know they were no joke."

"Yeah, I know it. I'm just saying I got some faith in her. I want to anyway. I think she wants this, and wants to do better. For real. I don't know, maybe she wouldn't get better up here. Maybe it would be too much pressure knowing that we are all around and stuff."

"Yeah, she just gotta keep taking that medication for that bipolar and stay off them drugs. She might be alright. I mean, I'd write her back and all, but she only talks to Mama Lion and Jude. She ain't even communicating with Pete much anymore. I just wonder how long she gonna stay out there to restart her life and shit. Pete said she lost most of her teeth. Damn shame."

"Probably why else she went down there. Plus, she thinks we all hate her, Roxy."

"Don't nobody hate her ass. We just want her doing better."

"Yeah, but, she wants us to stay away until she says it's ok. But I feel like Mama Lion gonna go down there."

"Course she is. You know she's the matriarch of this family anyways. People think my sister is, but at the end of the day it's Mama Lion. For real. She keep this shit floating and people in place, which is why she is the best thing that ever happened to my sister. She still the only person on this FUCKING planet she'll even listen to."

Tracey smiles, knowing it's true. Yes, Stef was the leader of the Lion's Den back in Chow and she had been a rough, hard ass, scary ass leader. She had taken care of everything and everyone behind closed doors, and she made sure all her girls were okay. That they excelled took steps to better themselves in prison. Handled anyone or anything that gave her girls a problem. But once Lena showed up, things shifted, but not in a negative way. Ever.

Much of the pressure was taken off Stef when Lena came into the picture back in Chow without her even knowing it. Stef was able to breathe a little better, sleep a little better, and she smiled much more. Many of the tension headaches she suffered were eased because of Lena. They still were.

"That's true. Mama Lion really is a matriarch. Especially since she prevents Mom from killing people and got her to stay on a straight path when they got out, it seems."

"Oh, she did. But I know she'll go down there and visit Callie. We all know that shit and Callie better know it, too." Roxy says, grabbing one of the trays. "But let's get more of this shit out there and have some fun. This topic all depressing and shit. Got me feeling all low!"

"You started it hoe! And stop calling your food shit. It's not appetizing, cunt!" Tracey bites back and the two head into the front of the cafe, seeing the entire family enjoying themselves.