Waffling was bad when it came to divorce cases. One little slip and they’d find themselves with the sticky end of the lollipop.
Even though Tonya couldn’t see it, Sadie shook her head for good measure. “No one expects a relationship to end, but trust me, when it gets to this point, it’s best to just end it.”
“Are you divorced?” Tonya asked.
“No,” Sadie replied. She’d learned way too much over the years to even get married in the first place. Sadie settled in. She didn’t make it a habit to discuss her personal life with clients, but when it came to men? She told the Oliver story. “The thing with most men is that they are totally out for themselves. Their own needs. Their own desires. They don’t pay attention to what others need. They don’t care what anyone else needs. So they stomp all over anyone in their way—even if they do care.”
With very few exceptions in her experience.
“I don’t think Rex meant to ignore me,” Tonya said.
“But he did. There’s a good lesson here though. The important thing is not that you get to stay together, not that you get a divorce, and not that you beat yourself up over making a mistake. The important part is that you learn so you don’t make the same mistake twice.” Sadie should call Becca. As a therapist, she would be oh-so-very proud of Sadie and her life lessons.
In a world where everyone was out for themselves, a girl had to take care of number one.
“I’ll plan on seeing you in the morning.”
“At the cookie shop again?” Tonya asked.
Well, yes.
Their official attorney–client meetings to review Tonya’s divorce demands were not happening in Sadie’s plush office, because Sadie did not have a plush office. Or any office at all. She had a desk in her apartment or, presently, a dining room table with leftover tilapia at Eli’s.
The table was quite nice—Marlee had excellent taste. Mahogany with leather chairs that Sadie was pretty sure Luke would eventually wreck when he started toddling.
Sadie pushed aside her finished plate from dinner. She hadn’t had a moment to clear the table before Tonya called, frantic because Roger—of the slightly illegal-to-own aquatic variety—was depressed.
His depression problem became Sadie’s problem.
The absurdity of discussing the future of fishtopia after consuming their brethren was not lost on Sadie.
No actual office location meant that Sadie met her new clients in the birthday room at Heather’s Cookie Co.
Shewasa professional, so she needed to find an office. Unfortunately, Denver’s real estate bubble made it nearly impossible to find anything in her price range.
“Have you ever had to make a big change that made you nervous?” Tonya’s voice wobbled.
“I have.” Sadie nodded. “When I came back home to Denver.”
“I can’t lose my babies,” Tonya whispered.
“That will not happen.” Sadie caught Roman’s gaze through the glass window dividing the dining room from the living room and kitchen.
Roman stood with Luke held against the blue tee he wore with the tight sleeves. Luke was so little he fit perfectly in Roman’s two hands.
“Promise?” Tonya asked.
What was Sadie promising again? Right, thenotlosing of the fish babies.
“Absolutely,” Sadie replied.
And she meant it.
With crisis averted and client content, she opened the door to the living room.
“How is he?” she asked.
“Heis my new favorite Howard.” Roman smiled down at Luke, who, for the first time, was awake but not making a big deal about it.
