Page 133 of Mr. Broody

“Daddy comes home tonight?”

“He does.” I run my hand down his arm. “You miss him?”

He shrugs. I’m sure he does. Bodhi likes organization and routine while I pretty much go off whatever happens and roll with it.

“When you wake up tomorrow, he’ll be home. And tonight, we’ll play that hot lava game you love.”

His eyes widen, and he hugs me. “Bye.” He lets go and starts for the doors to the school.

“Bye, sweetie,” I say.

He stops and turns around.

“What?”

“You called me sweetie,” he says.

I cover my mouth with my hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. Is that babyish?” I whisper.

“No, I like it.” He smiles, and my heart melts, watching him walk into the school.

“So, you’re playing mommy now?” Trina asks, coming over with her three mom gang members.

“You’re lucky with Bodhi. He’s a cutie and polite,” the red-haired one says.

“But that won’t last forever. Think you’ll be able to handle it when he throws himself on the ground in a fit of rage?” The curly-haired one slurps her fancy coffee drink.

“I think that was chocolate on Bodhi’s cheek,” Trina says before sucking on the straw of what’s probably some green protein shake concoction.

Shit, I didn’t check his cheeks or mouth for food. Did he brush his teeth before we left?

“Relax, I’m sure you’re really good in bed. And you have that whole past with Henry going for you.” The red-haired one reaches forward to touch my arm, but I move it.

Mean girls at this age? Seriously?

I don’t say anything.

“She hasn’t had kids, of course she’s good in bed. Let’s see how desirable she is with no sleep because she was up with a sick kid all night. Or when he comes home to a messy house and no dinner.” The curly-haired one shrugs with a laugh as if her point is made.

“Yeah, I gotta go.” I walk back to my Uber.

“Don’t worry, Jade, the chocolate thing is our little secret,” Trina says, and all of them laugh.

I slide into my Uber, shaking my head, but mean girls know exactly where to shoot their arrows. I can’t deny they just hit a bull’s-eye on every one of my fears.

Later that night, we have Bodhi’s spelling test up on the fridge with a hundred percent sticker and have pizza for dinner. I didn’t have it in me to prepare another meal that he’d probably hate. Here I am after only a few days, and I’m giving up on everything I told myself I needed to do.

Dinner is finished, and we’re in the living room playing the hot lava game where you can’t touch the floor at all, otherwise you’re dead.

“The crocodile is coming, Bodhi, jump!”

He laughs and hops onto the next pillow.

I pretend to be following him through a swamp.

“Jade, a hippo!” He points.

I feign being scared, placing my hand over my chest and pretending to teeter on the edge of a pillow as if I might fall in the pretend lava. He jumps to my pillow and tugs me back so I’m standing up straight.

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