Clare Whitman was good at managing things. At work, she ran a team twice her size without raising her voice, fixing problems before they became visible. Promotions followed. So did the paycheck. At home, she did much the same. Her income carried more than half their life. Combined with Daniel’s salary, it made everything feel stable.
Bills were paid. Plans were made instead of postponed. Daniel noticed the difference more than he liked to admit.He worked hard, but his job never seemed to reward it. Promises stalled. Managers rotated. He came home tired in a way that had nothing to do with hours. Clare never pointed out the imbalance. She didn’t need to.