Page 46 of Rome
“No!” I answered at the same time.
He turned to me, shifting his body so that his knee rested on the couch. “We should hold off until after Everly is born. I didn’t even think about that, or I wouldn’t have suggested the appointment today.”
“No. I’m not due for two more weeks, Caleb. Do you honestly think that my blood pressure will be any better with two weeks of…whatever the hell we’ve had for the last four days? I can hardly even look at you or talk to you. I made you leave the house, and we’re trying to pretend everything’s normal for Ethan’s sake. None of that is good for my blood pressure either. I can’t live with our lives in limbo for the next two weeks.”
Kim spoke up. “I do see your point, Abby, and it is an extremely valid one. However, I also agree with Rome that we need to be careful not to upset you too much. That’s going to be difficult given the discussions that need to take place, so I’m going to propose that we go about things a little differently until after the baby is born.”
Seeing that she had piqued our interest, she continued, “Typically, we start with the immediate problem and work our way back until we find the root cause, then we rebuild the relationship in part by delving into the good things. Happier times like when you first met, your first date, the marriage proposal, all of the things that will remind you of why you fell in love and are together in the first place. That often helps couples find the strength to tackle the hard part – forgiveness and trust. So, I’m going to propose that we work in reverse order for the next couple of weeks. Abby, do you think you would be OK doing that?”
“Sure, I’d rather do that than stop counseling completely for now.”
“OK, then let’s start with the very beginning. Rome, can you tell me the story of how you two first met?”
Rome looked sheepish as he started telling her about the day we met, way back in high school. Kim looked amused as he told her what happened. He didn’t pull any punches about his exploits back then, even though he knew they didn’t paint him in the best light.
“So, you basically fell in love with Abby at first sight?”
“That’s exactly what I did, and I’ve loved her more every day since then.” Caleb looked at me, and I could see the longing, and the regret, in his warm brown eyes.
She motioned to his cut. “When you first came in, I noticed the patch on your cut says that your road name is Romeo.” Rome barked out a laugh and gave her a look of surprise.
“Wait just a minute. I seem to remember you telling me you didn’t know anything about the MC lifestyle, but you seem to know the lingo,” he pointed out with a small grin.
She looked a little embarrassed about being called out. “I thought I should probably do a little bit of research before our first session.”
“You didn’t binge-watch that damned Sons of Anarchy show, did you?” I shook my head at the disgust in his tone. Most of the bikers in the club hated that show and the way MC’s were portrayed.
“No…Google,” she told him with a proud grin, “and I have to tell you, it was fascinating.”
Caleb and I both chuckled a little at that, and Kim joined in before finishing her point.
“So, your road name…did that come about from that day?”
“Pretty much. I have a twin brother, who thought the whole thing was funny as hell, so he called me Romeo just to fu…just to mess with me.” I almost snickered at his attempt to clean up his language. That was not Caleb’s style.
Kim chuckled. “I’ve been known to use a little foul language myself outside of this office, so please don’t feel the need to censor yourself on my account. Who knows, I might even pick up a few new words.”
Caleb grinned, and I felt a smile tugging at my lips. I liked her.
“Well, anyway, Jagger teased me with it, then my cousin and some of the guys in the MC picked up on it. Since Abby was so young and I had to stay away from her, they started making Romeo and Juliet references. When it came time for me to patch in, they chose Romeo. Then it got shortened to Rome over time.”
I could feel my body tensing as I listened to Caleb’s explanation, and I clasped my hands together so tightly the knuckles turned white. It was a reaction that I was so used to that I barely noticed it. Kim noticed though. She was likely trained to pick up on body language, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when she said my name questioningly. I looked up to find her watching me with concern.
“Is there something about this discussion that is troubling for you?” she asked gently, gesturing to my hands resting in my lap.
“No,” I denied flatly. I’d never told Rome the full truth of how I really felt about his road name, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to start now.
“Abs?” I glanced at Caleb to find him with the same look of concern on his face.
“It’s nothing, Caleb. I’m fine.”
Kim eyed me carefully, then she switched tactics.
“Rome, I’ve noticed that Abby calls you by your given name. Is she the only one who does that?”
“Hell yeah, she’s the only one I let use my real name. Even my family calls me Rome.”
“You don’t go by Romeo at all, even though it’s your road name?”
