Page 52 of Mad Love

Penn

Did you walk in on her taking a shower?

Rhodes

No way. Shit. Did you???

Bowie

No, he did not walk in on her taking a shower. He has like seventy billion bathrooms—why would he walk into hers while she’s taking a shower?

Rhodes

Uh, because she’s in there! Taking a shower!

I didn’t walk in on her taking a shower. I’m not a skeeze.

Rhodes

Neither am I, but I am horny, dude. It’s been too long. I need someone to be getting some.

Penn

I’m getting some. Why aren’t you? You’re usually keeping up with me. You really don’t need us now, Weston?

Rhodes

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I need to go find a willing body. Elle is going through crap with Bernard, so I’m trying to be there for her, but I’m in a constant state of pissed off. I can’t stand that dude.

Bowie

I can’t believe she’s still with that guy.

Rhodes

Trust me. I can’t believe it either. She’s been my best friend forever and is the smartest woman I know, but when it comes to Bernard, she’s got blinders the size of Texas.

We all love Rhodes’ best friend Elle, and Rhodes is right, Bernard is a douche. I personally think Rhodes and Elle belong together, but Rhodes doesn’t even let us tease about it. He shuts that downfast.

Henley

She needs to dump that asshole for good. West, call it. You need us now, we’ll be there.

I’ll see you tomorrow. Crisis averted for now. Thanks, you guys.

I get everything put away in Caleb’s room and then drag in the surprise I’ve been hiding in my room for the past few days. It’s a rocking chair that’s comfortable and pretty, something I didn’t realize would be so hard to find.

When Sadie walks into the room with Caleb and sees the rocking chair in the corner, she gasps.

“I love it,” she says. “I didn’t know you’d bought this.”

“It was a little surprise. Try it out,” I tell her, motioning for her to have a seat.

She sits down and grins when it rocks. “So good.” She looks at Caleb who’s jabbering excitedly. “What do you think of your room? You love it too, don’t you?”

She glances around the space, taking it all in.

She stops rocking when she sees the picture. It’s one that I grabbed at the apartment while she was in another room. Sasha is holding a tiny Caleb and kissing him. I hung it by the rocking chair, low enough that when we’re rocking Caleb, we can see it.

---