Page 87 of Mister Mom

That gets a small chuckle out of me. “I fucked up.”

“I’m not surprised. Your communication skills with the women in your life are horrid. Now tell me exactly what you did and we’ll assess the damage.”

Twenty minutes later, it’s out. What I did before I knew Layla, why I got fired from my job, and everything else up until Layla pushed me out of her life. When I’m done with my confessional, she doesn’t speak right away.

“Well, how do I fix this?”

Charlie lets out a long, low whistle. “Boy you really fucked up.”

“Not helping, Sis.” The despair is clear in my voice. I still can’t believe I’m not on the couch with Layla and the two kids crawling around us. “You gotta help me. Feed me the bullshit lines about how the excruciating pain will one day disappear. Damn, Charlie, I feel like I’m missing a limb or some shit. Nothing is right in my life since we broke up. And it’s not just Layla. I miss the kids, too.”

“She’s her, huh? The one?” It’s not a question, but a statement. One only someone who knows me as well as my flesh and blood could make without me having to say the words.

“I’ve never felt this way about someone before, Charlie. No matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about her. I keep replaying all the special moments we had and every time a thousand pound weight presses on my chest with the realization I’ll never have them again.”

“I don’t even know where to begin to fix it. Wait it out and she’ll come around. If she loves you like you love her, she’ll forgive you.”

I throw the pillow across the room. “I wish that was the case, Sis, but I think I fucked this up beyond repair.”

“I hate hearing you so hopeless,” she says with sadness. My sister might challenge Jagger as the bigger smartass, but when it comes to those she loves, her heart hurts with theirs.

“I should have listened to myself and never got involved. Relationships suck and this will be my last one.”

We chat for a couple more minutes and I tell her I have business to attend to. Not because I do but because the whole saying ‘misery loves company’ is actually untrue. I want nothing more than to be by myself—as alone as I feel inside.

* * *

“See? He’s been like this for days.” Leo stands in my condo with Jagger behind him.

“Hey, Coop.” I pet Cooper and he crawls up on my couch, finding a spot next to my legs.

I click off the television. They don’t need to know I’ve been exhausting the entirety of the Netflix catalogue this past week.

“What is this?” Jagger picks up the pizza box and cookie bin. “What are you, a chick? Where the hell is the whiskey and the hookers?”

“Not everyone deals with a breakup like you.” Leo brings the trashcan over, scooping the debris up and placing it inside.

Jagger sits on the chair across from me. “I’ve never been broken up with.” From the blank look on his face, he’s serious.

“Never?” Leo asks, huffing as though he must be joking.

“Nope. Never.” He shrugs.

“Lucky.” Leo picks up the beer bottles and he disappears into the kitchen.

“She was just a chick. Besides, I have great news.” Jagger claps his hands and rubs them together.

I glance over at him, not really caring what his news is.

“Hannah has agreed to do the film without Layla.” He’s smiling, but all I’m thinking about is how I’d like to order another pizza. Maybe I’ll lay off on the Italian sausage this time, since last time it gave me indigestion.

“Oh,” I say when it’s clear he’s waiting for some sort of response from me.

My only hope was that Layla might still do the film. Even if I couldn’t be with her, I’d get to spend time with her.

“Oh?” Jagger yells, glancing to Leo in the kitchen. “This is great news. You don’t need the chick in your life or in the movie.”

His smug smile unglues me and I stand up, step over my coffee table and grab him by the lapels.

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