The Man I Know

by Daisy Jane

I point to Lex, who is notorious for soapless showers. Boys. He lifts his arm, burying his nose in his pit. “Not even that bad, Dad.” I drop a palm to his shoulder. “Son, not that bad isn't the goal. Clean is the goal.”

Preach!

Something no one tells you about your forties is how much mental math you’ll be doing. How long do I have to be here before I can go home? How much time do I need to put in with my friends without it coming across as the bare minimum? How long can the door stay locked before the kids get bored? Everything is a private calculation in which all I’m trying to solve is how quickly I can get home.

I feel seen!

“Having kids makes your relationship stronger, as long as you stay honest and communicate, even through the stress.” That’s absolutely true. Not a single syllable is a lie.

“I know what it’s like to believe that your happiness is tempered, and that you’ll always be where you’re at. Now I’m not saying I’ve been in your shoes or been unhappy, because I haven’t. I don’t know what you’re feeling, Greg. But I do know what it's like to think you can’t have more. To think you gotta just smile, even though there are still things you want and need.”