Page 21 of Rome
Caleb was coming out of the bathroom as I walked into our bedroom and shut the door quietly behind me. I spent the next ten minutes on my bedtime routine, then opened the bathroom door to find Caleb sound asleep already. I turned off the light and padded softly around to my side of the bed, trying not to disturb him as I got into bed.
I wasn’t quite successful, and he rolled over toward me, curving his body around mine as he slipped his arm over me to rest on my stomach.
“I love you, baby girl,” he mumbled sleepily.
“Love you, too,” I whispered into the darkness. A minute later, his steady breathing told me he’d fallen back to sleep again.
My cell phone ringing on the bedside table woke us up the next morning, a little after seven. It was my mother, calling to tell me that she awoke to a flooded house.
“I think it’s the water heater. I shut off the main water valve for the house and called the plumbing contractor we use. They are sending someone right out. They recommended a company to extract the water, so I’ve called them, too. Your father got called out a little after midnight for a double-homicide on the northside, so who knows when he’ll be able to make it home.”
“I’m so sorry, Mom. Is there anything we can do to help?” Caleb lifted his head from his pillow and looked at me in concern, so I covered the phone and whispered, “Their water heater busted and there’s water everywhere.”
He winced in sympathy, then threw back the covers and walked into the bathroom, quietly shutting the door behind him.
“Well,” my mom said hesitantly, “is there any way your Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Ron can stay at your house tonight? I wouldn’t ask, but my guest room has two inches of standing water in it, and you know how Charlotte is about hotels.”
Yeah, I knew. Charlotte was a germaphobe who was terrified about getting bedbugs in her luggage, so she absolutely refused to even consider staying in hotels. Ever. Unfortunately, she also hated motorcycles, MC’s, tattoos, and Caleb, not necessarily in that order. Having her and Caleb under the same roof would not be fun.
“Ugh, Mom – “ I whined.
“I know, honey. I know she can be difficult, but I just don’t know what else to do. I know you’ve already changed your guest bedroom into a nursery, but I thought maybe they could stay in the twin beds in Ethan’s room, and he could sleep on the couch? It would just be for one night since they’re heading back to Louisville in the morning.”
I sighed, unable to ignore the pleading in my mom’s voice. I glanced at the closed bathroom door, not looking forward to explaining this to Caleb.
“OK, we’ll make it work.”
The relief in her voice was palpable. “Oh, thank you Abby. I don’t know what I would do without you, sweetie.”
I heard the shower turn on, and hurried to finish up the call so I could break the news to Caleb.
He was just stepping into the shower stall as I opened the bathroom door, and he turned to give me a questioning look before closing the glass door behind him.
“How bad is it?” He raised his voice to be heard over the sound of the water.
“They have two inches of water everywhere, but the plumber is on the way, along with a company to extract the water.”
“Oh man, that sucks. I have to head into work, but I can stop by there for a few minutes if they need me to move furniture out of the way or something.”
“Thanks, but it sounds like it’s under control, except…um…Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Ron were supposed to spend the night there, but they can’t do that now.”
Caleb didn’t say anything, so I pushed on. “You know how Aunt Charlotte is about hotels, so…”
The glass door opened, and Caleb peered around it, one eyebrow raised as if just daring me to say it.
“Mom asked if they could stay here. We could put them in Ethan’s room, and he could sleep on the couch. It’s just for tonight and – “
Caleb pinned me with a look as he interrupted me. “It’s OK, Abs. I can put up with the old bitch for one night. I won’t be home until late anyway, since Bull’s birthday party is tonight.”
“Crap, I forgot that’s tonight. I meant to drop off his gift at the clubhouse yesterday.”
“No problem. I’ll take it with me.”
I was relieved that he wasn’t too irritated about it and could only hope that Charlotte behaved herself while they were here.
We told Ethan about it over breakfast, and he was less than thrilled about giving up his room, especially to his great-aunt. He wasn’t a fan of hers, either.
As Caleb got ready to leave a few minutes later, he pulled me aside by the kitchen sink. “Baby girl, let’s make this easier on everyone. I’ll stay at the clubhouse tonight. You stay in Ethan’s room with him, and let your aunt and uncle have our room.”
