I told him I could tolerate fear and frustration, but not being made their target.

“I know,” he said.

“I was angry at my body, and you were here.”

“I’m going to keep being here.

That doesn’t mean we stop being kind.”

He went quiet, then thanked me.

We ate the soup together.

Later, while Sadie slept, we talked about adjusting expectations instead of trying to force each week to resemble the one before it.