Chapter 13

“I’m walking a lot,” I told him. “At lunchtime.” I’d developed an exercise routine, if nothing else, that and a penchant for lying to the man I loved.

I started counting steps in my head, and eventually dug out my Smart Watch, which I’d rarely bothered with once its newness had worn off. Eventually, I decided I could probably find a better way to waste time. There was always something to be done at the Sharon Children’s Rec Center, dusting, mopping, window washing, organizing the food pantry in back, on and on.

Straightening books and toys downstairs in the painted brick and colorfully carpeted playroom seemed a good place to start on what was supposed to be my eighteenth day back at work. I wondered how much it would cost to replace the thinning, grass green rug. It looked pretty old. I considered donating cash for a new one, but then remembered my bank balance.