Two pairs of small shoes began to line the entryway. Each time I lined them up, it felt like I was confirming something: this is my life now.

My husband and I disagreed more and more, even about how to spend a day off. Getting used to disagreeing might be just another shape a life can take.

Sometimes, scrolling through news from Japan on my phone, my finger would stop. Without really knowing why, I'd move on to the next article.