My husband went to see his mother in the hospital by himself because she “needed peace”—but a month later, when I finally went there, a nurse handed me a note that made my knees give out.

to lodge itself behind my ribs.

That night, lying beside Michael in the dark, I listened to his breathing and felt, for the very first time, the thinnest crack running through the foundation of our marriage.

“From now on, I think it’s better if I go alone.”

***

The next morning, I packed a small bag of Patricia’s favorite tea and her reading glasses. I continue reading …