Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20: THE ORDINARY TUESDAY
It was a Tuesday in September.
Nothing special happened.
There were no milestones. No breakthroughs. No dramatic tests of character.
Michael came home at 5:30.
Oliver was building a tower out of magnetic tiles on the living room rug.
Emma was reading a paperback book on the sofa.
Michael took off his shoes. He put his keys in the bowl.
He walked into the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and started washing the three dishes left in the sink.
The water ran.
The magnetic tiles clicked together.
A page turned.
Emma looked up from her book.
She looked at Oliver, completely absorbed in his tower, his breathing slow and even.
She looked at Michael, his sleeves rolled up, humming a song that had been on the radio in the car.
The air in the house was incredibly light.
It hit her then.
The absolute, staggering beauty of a boring life.
Power was not money.
Power was not making people fear you.
Power was an ordinary Tuesday.
Power was knowing that when the front door opened, the person walking through it was coming home to love you, not to break you.
Oliver’s tower fell over with a clatter.
He didn't cry.
He just laughed, grabbed a red tile, and started building again.
Emma smiled.
She marked her page.
She closed the book.
The storm was over.
May you like
The ground was dry.
They were finally, simply, home.
