Elon’s favorite meals.
The household bills.
The pediatrician’s appointments.
The groceries.
But I hadn’t asked myself what I wanted in a very long time.
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted.
Gloria smiled gently.
“Then don’t make permanent decisions while you’re frightened. Gather information first. Give yourself room to think.”
I carried those words home.
*Gather information first.*
That night, after Elon went to sleep, I reviewed our credit card statements.
He had always handled the payments.
I’d trusted him enough not to question the details.
But now, I looked closely.
A $187.40 restaurant charge on a Tuesday in July.
I remembered that evening.
Sophie had been eleven days old.
She’d cried for hours while I walked around the living room trying to comfort her.
Elon had claimed he was at a client dinner.
Then another restaurant charge appeared in August.
And another.
There was also a downtown hotel expense from the weekend he’d supposedly attended a conference in Columbus.
