Cover of Rocky 1: Sandwich

Rocky 1: Sandwich

by Catherine Newman


Genre
Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Humor and Comedy
Year
2024
Pages
240
Contents

Saturday - 1

Overview

The family arrives at their long-rented Cape Cod cottage, where the toilet immediately overflows, setting off a chaotic, comedic scene. While Nick struggles with the plunger, Rocky discovers he forgot the bag of swimsuits at home, sparking a brief menopause-fueled argument that daughter Willa interrupts from outside the door. The chapter ends with Rocky falling off the tub, tangled in the shower curtain, as Nick helps her up—establishing the tone of affectionate domestic chaos.

Summary

Rocky and her husband Nick have just arrived at the Cape Cod cottage they've been renting every summer for twenty years. Within an hour, the toilet overflows, despite a framed warning about the ancient septic system. Rocky stands on the edge of the tub, screaming and laughing, while Nick wrestles with a plunger. A massive air bubble pushes the bowl's contents onto the floor before Nick finally manages to stop the flow and refill the bowl.

Their daughter Willa shouts through the door, asking how bad it is and relaying questions from her brother Jamie about the Wi-Fi password (chowder123). Willa also asks about a missing bag containing the family's swimsuits. Nick admits he likely left it in the hallway at home, despite Rocky having specifically asked if he'd gotten all the bags.

Rocky becomes irritated, attributing her surge of anger partly to menopause, and accuses Nick of never listening. They bicker briefly while standing in the soiled water; Willa, overhearing, tells them to stop having a meta-fight and tells Nick to just apologize. The tension diffuses with humor.

As Rocky tells Willa they have things under control, the shower curtain rod pops off the wall. Rocky loses her balance, falls onto the bathroom floor, bangs her head on the sink, and accidentally hits Nick in the face with the rod. Tangled in the starfish-printed curtain like a shroud, she lies on her back as Nick, unfazed, jokes about her vacation and reaches down to help her up.

Who Appears

  • Rocky
    Narrator and mother; panics atop the tub during the toilet overflow, snaps at Nick over the forgotten swimsuit bag, blames menopause, and falls into the mess.
  • Nick
    Rocky's husband; wrestles the overflowing toilet with a plunger, admits to forgetting the swimsuit bag, jokes through the argument, and helps Rocky up.
  • Willa
    Their daughter; shouts commentary through the bathroom door, refuses to help, asks about swimsuits, and tells her parents to stop fighting.
  • Jamie
    Their son; offstage, asks for the Wi-Fi password through Willa.
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