19. Finding okay.
She woke up one morning and it was like no other day she had ever had before. Sure, her back still hurt, her kid still whined, her husband still had to go to work, the dog even vomited on the floor. In all those ways, it was the same.
But somehow, this day was different.
The laundry still needed to be done, in fact, a load had soured in the wash. The dishwasher needed to be unloaded, and the bills needed to be paid. The fish needed to be fed, and the kid wanted food as well.
But somehow, this day was different.
Then it happened.
Her husband walked through the door and looked at her like he always did, then did a double take. He looked at her sideways, then normalways again. “How are you?” he asked.
“I’m okay,” she said, then it occurred to her. She wasn’t lying. She was okay.
It happened slowly at first, the medication working its way into her system, slowly over weeks life became more bearable. Then quickly near the end, all at once, it seemed. She was really and truly okay.
And though there were diapers to change, and dust to dust, and food to fix, it was okay.