Whatever form it takes.”

We agreed I would take a short-term apartment near Charlotte and spend weekends together only when we both wanted to.

We would attend counseling with someone neither of us employed or knew socially.

If the marriage survived, it would do so because we actually knew each other.

I drove to Charlotte three days later with my clothes, my mother’s recipe box, and a box of notebooks.

Silas helped load the car but did not insist on carrying every bag.