Great, he’d said he was sorry, but it was just for that incident. Didn’t he get that this was the proverbial straw?

“I struggle with sleep. I don’t sleep. But I don’t struggle with anger.”

—Charlene Aminoff, Not Your Typical Podcast, Ep. 2

Shira looked the night table. Another wrapped gift. She rolled her eyes.

At least Ephraim was still going to school. She had no idea if he’d talked to the university about dropping out, or what was going on. She didn’t talk to him much these days, just a curt nod, and “good” to respond to his “how was your day?” questions. Mostly she avoided him. She had told him she was going to do her own thing, and so she was.

Two days after the Shallots fiasco, she woke up to Forever Flowers on the night table. Ephraim had left a note.

Shira,

I’m sorry for springing that on you the other night. Let’s talk.

—Ephraim

Great, he’d said he was sorry, but it was just for that incident. Didn’t he get that this was the proverbial straw? She moved the vase to the kids’ room.

Over the next few days, she’d woken up to a series of gifts: chocolate, slippers, a larger SwaddleBee blanket.

She guessed Ephraim figured it was the thought that counted, because she didn’t need any of it. She gave the chocolate to Clarissa, kept the slippers in their box, and dumped the blanket in the playroom.

Today’s gift was a lululemon fuzzy crossbody bag. She had to admit it was cute. Cute enough for Racheli to play house with. She didn’t bother opening the note, she knew it wouldn’t help.