Seasons of Change

30

"Hey, darlin'," Atira said snuggling up beside Krist on the sofa. "We need to figure out what we are going to do for Gabriel's first birthday."

Krist threw his head back, "Fuuuuuck, it's already been almost a year..."

"That's what I said, I feel like the worst mom ever for not planning something sooner," she confessed.

"Time has been flying by, for real. And Rocco starts school next month together. How is he feeling now Kindergarten already?"

Atira nodded, "I know right...and before we know it, he's going to be in fifth grade and Audrey will be starting school."

"Damn...don't remind me," he laughed.

"I'm going to be honest, I kind of cried today about it," Atira told him.

Krist wrapped his arms around his wife, "If it makes you feel better, I had to put sunglasses on in the car so Rocco didn't see me get all teared up when we got him set up with school," he laughed.

Atira smiled, resting her head against his chest, "He's growing up so fast. What's really crazy is that in tenish years, he's going to be giving hell like you did your parents."

"Noooo," he groaned, "Bro, I hope he's smarter than I was back then. I can't deal with a little me."

Atira squeezed Krist's knee, "Ah, he has you as a dad and you've done a good job."

Krist chuckled, "My mom did a good job too and I still was a shithead. I think it's in the genes and poor Rocco comes from dumb ass men on both sides of the family."

"Both sides?"

"Yeah, you forgetting Fernando is his uncle, and from what I hear old man Hernandez was a dumb ass too."

"Ahhh...you're right. Dang it."

"Yeah so we are in for it," Krist groaned, placing a hand on his forehead.

Atira bolted upright, "Oh, I totally forgot to tell you! This Saturday, I was planning on walking Lacamas Lake with Brooke, Holly, and your mom," she told him adding, "If that's alright with you?"

Krist kissed the side of her face, "I don't mind, maybe I'll take the kids and go bother Jeordie," he said.

She smiled, "You should, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you," she replied.

****

Maddie was nervous about sending that message to Brooke after Brad left but she had questions that she felt only Brooke was capable of answering.

Her message simply read:

"Hey there,

I know I haven't always been the easiest person to talk to but I was hoping you had a few minutes to chat about Brad and would really, really, reeeeealllyyyyy appreciate it if you didn't tell him I contacted you!"

Madison had included her phone number not expecting to hear from Brooke any time soon, if at all.

It had barely been half an hour when the phone rang, "Hi there, it's Brooke. Is this Madison?"

"Yes, thanks for calling me," Madison began, her heart thudding heavily in her chest, "I know it's a sore topic but...um...I needed to talk to someone about Brad, who's been in my shoes."

Brooke's heart sank, she'd had a sneaking suspicion things were not good with him but hoped it wasn't the case, she just wasn't sure exactly what he'd been doing in his new marriage.

"Oh, I don't mind at all," Brooke replied, navigating her SUV onto the freeway, "He's been acting up, I take it?"

Madison's hands trembled, struggling to hold the phone, "Yes? Well...he just does a lot of stuff that...he...he doesn't really listen to me when I tell him not to do something or that I don't like...things?"

She felt stupid as fuck for even saying it aloud and felt like a prude but he was making her extremely uncomfortable with his sexual appetite.

Brooke felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, "You mean...intimately, don't you?"

Madison paused for a long moment, "Yeah. I do," a feeling of shame washed over her, "Like...I'm pretty...open but he's just..."

"Forceful?"

"Yeah. He is. And if I tell him no, he makes me feel like shit that I didn't want him to do things. I feel like all he cares about is himself and sex and he makes me feel like if I don't do these things, then he will just find it somewhere else...and we are married, I don't want him to feel like I'm not enough for him?"

Brooke was surprised to find tears spring into her eyes, "Madison, I know it's easier said than done but do not let him make you feel less than, or like you aren't enough because with Brad, he will always need more than what you give him."

Madison sighed, "Do you think he is cheating on me? I know that's such a stupid thing to worry about but I'm pretty sure I saw Tinder in his phone today. I didn't say anything because he would just tell me something like 'Don't go looking for things if you don't want to find them' and make me feel like it's my fault."

"Been there, done that. He blamed me for finding his little messages to other women and prostitutes. 'That's what you get for snooping!' He would say like he had those messages only because I look at his phone."

"He told me that before, shouldn't have been snooping! He can snoop through my stuff, I don't care. The worst he will find is me complaining about him being mean or all the Google questions I have asking 'Is it normal for my baby to do this?'" Madison said.

"That's because you aren't a sex-addicted asshole like Brad!" Brooke vented.

"Yes! He that's what he is! A sex addict!" Madison exclaimed, eyes wide, "Always needs more and more to get to that next high."

"Look, I know, I know, I knowwwww you are married and you probably love him but you and that sweet baby girl deserve so much better than him. I'm not saying this to be a bitter ex, I mean it. I thought he had changed when he was in prison but when he got out, he saw us a few times and started...ugh, I feel bad telling you this, he sent Holly a bunch of...pictures one night so we have just cut contact."

Madison's stomach sank, "Like...nudes?"

"And a video...of him masturbating. She deleted them and blocked him but if it's any proof to you, his thighs are covered in tattoos now, like from his knees to his groin and he was lying on a navy blue comforter," Brooke told her.

Madi wished that they hadn't deleted the evidence or had forwarded them to her when he'd sent them so she could show him the proof but it was literally just hearsay, not that Madi doubted Brooke. Brooke had zero reason to lie to her, she didn't want Brad.

"How long ago did he do that?"

"Not all that long ago, it was a few days before he took off with Gwendolyn," Brooke told her, "I know they weren't solicited or anything, when he sent them, Holly showed me immediately and was livid. Brad knows that she and I are in a committed relationship."

Tears welled in Madison's eyes, "I hate him for doing that to you and her. Is there anything else he has said or done that is questionable? To you or Holly?"

Brooke sighed, "Well...He just made little comments about how he wished we would let him watch us, like in a joking way but I know he wasn't. Like if we told him that he could, he would in a heartbeat."

"Oh absolutely."

"I had better get going, I just up to the kids' daycare. I am so sorry he's putting you through the same thing. If you ever need to talk, Holly and I are here for you."