I went to surprise my husband at work — but his colleague asked me with tears in his eye…
Then I walked out before he could make another one for me.
“I’m not moving.”
I made it to my car before the tears came.
Five minutes later, Arnold tapped on the window.
I lowered it.
“Please don’t explain my husband to me.”
“I won’t. But don’t assume he took that job just because it paid more.”
“I didn’t.”
Arnold tapped on the window.
“He thought he was fixing something.”
“Then he should’ve spoken to the person he was fixing it for.”
Arnold nodded.
“On that, I’m with you.”
***
Ben arrived before Olive finished dinner.
She looked between us.
“He thought he was fixing something.”
“Are you guys mad at each other?”
“We’re upset,” I said. “But it’s adult stuff.”
Ben nodded.
“Your mom’s right.”
Olive returned to her school project, and Ben barely touched his food.
After she went to bed, he followed me into the bedroom.
“Are you guys mad at each other?”
“Can we talk?”
“Yes. But we’re not repeating the hospital conversation, Ben. Show me the offer.”
He handed me the folder.
I read the salary, start date, relocation support, and schedule. Then I looked up.
“When did you fly out there?”
His silence answered me.
“Show me the offer.”
“The conference in May?”
“I met with them while I was there.”
“So you used a work trip to interview for a job that could move our family across the country.”
“I was going to tell you when I knew it was real.”
“It became real when you applied, Ben.”
He sat on the bed.
“I was going to tell you when I knew it was real.”
“I thought you’d shut it down.”
“And you were so afraid of hearing no that you removed my chance to say anything.”
“What do you want me to do now?”
“For tonight, sleep in the guest room.”
His head came up.
“I’m not punishing you. I need space.”
“And you were so afraid.”
He nodded.
I held up the folder.
“Tomorrow, I look at what this move costs me: my clients, Olive’s school, our support system. Then I’ll decide whether Oregon deserves a conversation.”
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