Phil touched her upper arm. “Do you need help with something?”
“No, I got it.” She hoped.
Accepting that, he said, “Gabby, can we talk?”
“I guess.” All she wanted to do was watch a show and crawl into her brand-new bed.
“Did you like the flowers and chocolate?” he asked.
“No, Phil. That’s not something I want from you. If you want to help, how about some money for the kids? Kyle needs shoes.”
“Of course I’ll help with the kids, but…”
Phil had been nothing but missteps, and she could feel him about to make another.
“I want to get back together. Leaving was a mistake.”
She started to respond, but he held up his hand in protest. “I was having a midlife crisis.”
“Phil—”
He pressed a finger to her lips. “Your mom said you’ve been missing me. She thinks it’s a good idea for us to get back together.”
“What?” Her mom? Why was she talking to Phil?
“Just think about it. We have kids together.”
She couldn’t even with this. He had left her nearly a year ago now. She had moved on. Their chapter was closed. She opened the door and gestured for him to leave. “Thank you for the flowers, but no.”
“And that bedroom, Gabby. I mean… that isn’t you.”
“Good night, Phil.”
After she shut the door, she sagged against it to collect herself. Kyle walked around the corner. “Mom—”
The look on Kyle’s face was one of mild distress, and it brought Gabby right back to her to-do list—the toilet. “Ohmygod. I almost forgot.”
In the upstairs bathroom, she stared into the toilet bowl, plunger in hand. Thankfully, it wasn’t filled with a giant poop. It was important to be grateful for the small things. She lined up the plunger over the hole and went for it.Squelch, followed by a giant sucking sound, and then nothing. She did it again. And then again.
After about five times with no success, she sagged in front of the bowl.
Kyle, softer than earlier, a tender hope in her voice said, “Are you and Dad getting back together?”
Plunger still in hand, her glasses splattered with drops of toilet water, Gabby stared at her daughter, who needed so much. It was the end of a long day, and Gabby had nothing left to give. Damn Phil with his flowers and apologies.
“Sweetie, it’s so late. I love you so much, and I’ll always love your dad for giving me you, but right now I’m only interested in getting together with a plumber.” She smiled and gave the toilet another plunge.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed to a fierce glare, and she stormed out, leaving Gabby with nothing but an incurably clogged toilet.
Gabby called out the door, “Lucas, what did you flush down this toilet?” Was he pooping like a grown man at seven?
Lucas peeked in the door and said, “A tennis ball. But it’s okay. It went down.”
Gabby dropped back onto the edge of the tub while Lucas prattled on. Something about playing fetch with Mr. Bubbles, Kyle flushing the toilet, and the ball bouncing off the shower wall and into the toilet mid-flush.
She started laughing because some monsters you just couldn’t fight. The old Gabby might have primal-screamed into the toilet bowl or just put caution tape over the door, but she was Agent Greene. She could handle this. All she needed was a plumber and three more hours in the day.
Not picking up on the source of her maniacal laughter, Lucas said proudly, “It was awesome.”
