The nursery still smelled of fresh paint and baby powder when my husband walked in with a suitcase.
I was sitting on the floor, crib screws lined neatly beside me, one ankle swollen inside my slipper, trying to follow instructions that kept slipping out of focus.
At forty-five and eight months pregnant, I was still in disbelief that my body had carried me this far again. Even standing up took planning—and a little faith.
So when I saw Evan holding a suitcase, I assumed it was just another work trip.
“Why do you have a suitcase?” I asked.
He placed it quietly by the door. “I can’t do this anymore.”
I let out a small laugh, because the alternative was panic. “Do what, exactly?”
“The noise. The diapers. The chaos, Savannah.”