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“Most of it,” he sighs. “The guy’s an ass, what can I say?”
“Yeah, and you knew it,” I say sadly.
“I was just being a jealous fuck. I didn’t know he was as big a slimeball as he turned out to be. Obviously.”
I swallow as my eyes dart over to him. Wait… “Jealous?”
“I didn’t like him being around my girls.”
“That’s fair enough for Blake, but I’m not your girl,” I whisper, and it hurts my heart to even say it. Despite the fact we’ve been saying it for years.
“You’ll always be my girl. It doesn’t go away E, just because you have a divorce. Or should I say, non-divorce.”
“Oh, yes, there is that.”
“Let’s just deal with one issue at a time.”
“I think our non-divorce is a pretty big issue, don’t you think?”
“You need to eat, and let those Tylenol sink in.” He waves a hand toward the side table.
“I’m feeling strangely good after that shower, and the coffee.”
“I’ll make some more.”
“I’ll do it,” I say. “Is Noodle still outside? I didn’t hear her come back in.”
“She went out to do her business, but she’s eating now. I put some biscuits in her bowl.”
I smile. Brook sure is cute in the morning. I kinda forgot. There are other things he used to be too, but I try not to think about that. Imagining him hard first thing is not the order of the day…
“We need to talk about that tattoo.”
“Later.” He waves it off. “Add it to the list of things we need to talk about. Do you mind if I take a shower before I leave?”
I’m disappointed that he has to go, but I try not to show it. What did I expect? That he’d stick around here all day? Blake will be back later today anyway, so it wouldn’t exactly be great for anyone to see us like this. “I don’t mind at all,” I say. “I’ll make us another coffee.”
I finish my breakfast and grab Brook a fresh towel. He heads off to the guest shower while I check on Noodle and busy myself in the kitchen washing the dishes and making more coffee. My head is feeling a little less fuzzy, and it feels good to have some sustenance in my body.
It’s somewhere between me mapping out the rest of my day and remembering I need to give Noodle her morning walk that someone comes crashing through the front door.
I stick my head around the corner and see my daughter plowing up the hallway.
OH GOOD LORD NO.
This can’t be happening. But from the looks and sounds of things, it is happening, and she’s home much earlier than I expected.
Noodle shoots past me to greet her as Blake drops her backpack and bends down to give Noodle some love and kisses.
“Baby, hi! Wow, you’re early.” My heart is accelerating ten to the dozen, knowing Brook is probably about to walk out of the shower any moment and there’s literally nothing I can do to stop it. To top it off, Brook’s mom comes walking in a few moments later. Blake scoops up Noodle and gives me a hug at the same time.
“Are you okay, Mom? You look weird.”
“Um, yes, I’m fine honey… Look.” I’m about to give Gayle a hug and a bullshit explanation for what is no doubt about to happen, when the guest bathroom, just off the main hall where they’re standing, flies open. Brook appears amidst a billow of steam. And to top off his guest appearance, he’s only wearing a towel.
Seeing us, he stops in his tracks as his mom and Blake both gape. Obviously not what they were expecting to see. They would’ve seen his truck parked out front, but I’m sure they weren’t expecting him to be taking a shower in my house… and now standing in the hallway wearing a towel!
“Dad!”
