Chapter 3 - THE MONEY
Claire discovered the payments by accident.
Her phone buzzed with a joint-account notification.
TRANSFER: $1,500.
Recipient:
MARGARET BENNETT.
Claire stared.
Daniel came home that night.
“What’s this?”
He looked at the screen.
“Mom helping.”
“You’re paying her?”
“She gave up two weeks.”
“She offered.”
“She’s still doing work.”
Claire paused.
That part was fair.
Childcare had value.
Caregiving had value.
Claire was not offended that Margaret was paid.
She was offended she had not known.
“How much did you agree?”
“Three thousand for the month.”
“The month?”
Daniel looked away.
“I thought she might stay longer.”
Claire’s stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“Because you’re not going to be back to normal in two weeks.”
The words sounded practical.
But something about them felt decided.
Without her.
The payment arrangement had one more detail Claire hated.
Daniel had written:
FAMILY CARE — MONTH 1
in the transfer memo.
Month 1.
As if Month 2 had already been imagined.
Claire asked:
“How long did you plan this?”
Daniel answered:
“I didn’t plan it.”
“Then why label it Month 1?”
He stared at the phone.
“I don’t know.”
May you like
But he did.
He had begun solving a temporary recovery as if it were a new household structure.
