Page 53 of A Play for Love

“Unfortunately. That woman is a piece of work.”

“You should have seen him.” Shaun grinned. “He really let Rose have it. She kicked us out.” Shaun chuckled.

“I take it you haven’t mentioned it to Sofia?” Simon asked.

“No, and I won’t. The things her mother said were awful for a parent to say about their child. I knew she was bad from what Sofia told me, but she was on another level last night. Sofia is already hurting, and if she knew the things her mother said, it would hurt her even more. I’m not about to put her through that. It’s done and over. Her mother said a reconciliation will never happen.”

“Damn.” Jackson shook his head. “You tried, bro.” He placed his hand on my shoulder.

Conner walked over and sat down.

“Where the hell were you?” Simon said.

“On a call with the hospital about a patient.” He twisted the cap off his beer bottle. “How was New York?” He looked at me.

“It was good.”

“And Charlie?” Conner asked.

“He’s great and living his best life. We got to chat for a while after class. He and his wife are coming to Los Angeles next month and wants us to get together.”

“Sounds good,” Jackson said. “It’ll be nice to see him again.”

“I told him about Christian, and he couldn’t believe it. He can’t wait to meet you.” I smiled as I glanced at him.

“Tell us more about Sofia’s mother and what you said to her,” Sam spoke.

“She’s just a bitch. It just boggles my mind how perfect Sofia turned out being raised by that wretched woman.”

“Kind of like how the four of us turned out being raised by Mom and Dad?” Simon smirked.

“Touché, bro.” Shaun grinned as he tipped his beer bottle to him. “But our father or your mother didn’t raise me, and I can confidently say that I’m a tiny bit better than all of you.”

“Agreed.” Simon tipped his bottle to Shaun’s.

“Anyway, back to Rose,” Shaun said. “Nathan told her he knows a good therapist who can help with her narcissistic personality.”

“Shit, bro. You sound like Charlotte.” Conner laughed.

“She called him, and I quote, ‘You are a horrible, horrible man, Dr. Kind.’”

“Tell me you didn’t let her get away with that?” Sam looked at me.

“No. I told her—”

“Shh. Here come the girls,” Simon said, and we all went silent.

“Why are you all so quiet?” Sofia asked.

“We’re not, sweetheart,” I said.

“Yeah, you are. We could hear you guys laughing, and then suddenly, we walked over, and you went dead silent. What were you laughing about?”

“Babe, nothing.”

“Did something funny happen on the trip that you chose to share with your brothers and cousins and not me?”

“Yeah, Shaun?” Jenni placed her hands on her hips and stared at him.

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