Margaret’s marriage is in danger — she is shocked to discover that her husband has two cell phones. Desperate to save her marriage and secure a whole family for her beloved daughters, she tries to fight for it. But she has yet to realize what’s best for her children and herself.

The shrill alarm cut through the pre-dawn silence, and Margaret’s hand reached out to silence it. Getting out of bed, she quickly freshened up and went to the kitchen.

As she went about her morning routine, Margaret could hear the coffee machine making a soft hissing noise. It felt nice, especially in the quiet of the early morning.

Margaret efficiently prepared lunches: a peanut butter and jam sandwich cut into neat triangles for Lisa, sliced apples and peeled oranges for Rosa, and a chicken sandwich for Tom. She used to love doing these things, but now they felt empty. She and Tom weren’t as close as before.

“Mom?” Lisa’s voice interrupted Margaret’s thoughts.

“Good morning, sweetie. Your lunch is on the counter.”

“Is Dad up yet?” Rosa bounded into the kitchen, full of energy.

“He’ll be down soon,” Margaret replied with a forced smile.

A couple of minutes later, Tom appeared, nodding briskly to Margaret. There were no pecks on the cheek, no discussion about their plans for the day.

“Did you sleep okay?” she asked.

“Yes,” Tom replied quickly. “Got an urgent meeting today. Gotta eat fast and leave. Girls, take the bus, okay?”

“Is it with Mr. Dickens?” Margaret asked.

“Sort of,” he said, avoiding her gaze. “It’s complicated.”

He thanked her for the breakfast and prepared to leave, but then he realized his phone was missing.

“Let me help you look for it,” Margaret offered, moving towards his office.

“No, no, focus on your things,” Tom insisted, but Margaret went to his home office and heard a phone vibrating in a drawer.

“Tom, I think it’s here!” she called, but he had already found it and left abruptly, the front door slamming behind him.