The zipper on my gray canvas overnight bag caught on a loose thread, leaving it gaping open by three inches. Beside it on our quilted duvet lay a printed ledger of our joint savings account, showing a balance of exactly four hundred and twelve dollars.
I sat on the edge of the mattress, my lower back aching with a deep, persistent pull. I believed our marriage could survive Daniel’s small financial flaws if I just worked harder to balance our budget. Numbers were clean, logical, and always had an explanation if you looked close enough.
Daniel stood before the mirrored closet doors, checking his reflection as he adjusted his silk tie. He turned his head from side to side, smoothing the fabric down his chest with both palms.
“We need to be out the door in ten minutes,” he said, his voice brisk and impatient. “The reservations at the Bistro on Main are for nine sharp. This is a milestone event for my mother, Claire.”
“The contractions are twelve minutes apart, Daniel,” I said. I reached down and adjusted my silver watch strap, pulling the metal band one notch tighter against my wrist. “The hospital is twenty minutes in the opposite direction from the restaurant.”
“First babies always take twelve hours minimum,” he said, not turning around. “It is basic biology. We have plenty of bandwidth to handle a two-hour dinner before we need to worry about check-in procedures.”
I looked at the canvas bag, which held three pairs of tiny yellow socks, two green cotton onesies, and the blue leather infant carrier resting near the closet. The nursery down the hall was finished, but the bills for the crib and the dresser had already bounced twice.
“The joint account is empty,” I said, keeping my voice low and analytical. “There was eighty-six thousand dollars in our savings three weeks ago, Daniel. Now there is four hundred and twelve. I need to know where those funds were redirected before we sign the hospital intake forms.”
He turned around, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the printed paper on the bed. He let out a short, dry laugh and checked his reflection in the shiny surface of his silver cufflinks.
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