“When were you planning to tell Olive?”
His mouth tightened.
“After I told you.”
“And when were you planning to tell me?”
“Tonight.”
“After you applied?”
He nodded.
“After you interviewed?”
Another nod.
“After you accepted?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“When did this start?”
“Four months ago.”
“Four months.”
“I didn’t know I’d get it. It was a long shot, Chels.”
“But when you did, you kept going without me. You never even told me it was an idea.”
“The position has fewer overnight calls, actual weekends, and better hours. They want me to lead part of the department.”
“And you thought that gave you the right to decide where we live? You thought you’d uproot our child and everything would be okay? What about my job, Ben?”
“I thought it gave us a way out of this. We’ve barely had time together.”
I stepped closer.
“Then why wasn’t I in the conversation?”
His jaw tightened.
“Because I thought you’d reject it before hearing me out.”
There it was.
Ben had decided what I would think before I ever got the chance to think it.
“So you didn’t want my opinion,” I said. “You wanted me to approve the plan once there was nothing left to discuss.”
“Chelsea, I’m trying to save us.”
“No. You’re trying to solve us by doing everything yourself. As usual.”
I picked up the lunch bag. TryMeal Kits
“I’m not moving. And I’m not messing up Olive’s school year.”
His head snapped up.
“What?”
“I’m not saying never. I’m saying you made this decision alone, so right now I’m making my own.”
Then I walked out before he could make another decision for me.
I reached my car before the tears finally came.
Five minutes later, Arnold tapped on my 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.”
“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 got home before Olive finished dinner.
She glanced between us.
“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, while Ben barely touched his food.
After she went to bed, he followed me into the bedroom.
“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 before looking up.
“When did you fly out there?”
His silence gave me the answer.
“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 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.”
He nodded.
I held up the folder.
