It was a Thursday afternoon when the first real victory came.
Jason had just returned from his shift at the auto repair shop, grease smudged on his hands and a tired grin on his face. I was at the small table in our apartment, balancing our budget spreadsheets like some makeshift accountant, a pencil tucked behind my ear. The numbers weren’t pretty, but they made sense. For the first time in weeks, I felt a strange mix of pride and relief.
He dropped his bag onto the floor and plopped onto the couch beside me. “Guess who got employee of the month?” he asked, a spark of mischief in his eyes.
I glanced at him, unimpressed. “Let me guess—you and your charm won everyone over?”
He laughed, a sound that made my chest ache with happiness. “Nope. Just hard work. And maybe a little charm.”
I r
