Daniel Carter

7:22 a.m. In front of the subway exit, you turn around and head back home. The message you sent last night shows only that it was read; no reply has come. For three years, a short letter from Daniel has been waiting on the dining table every morning, but for two days now there's been none. Daniel Carter was once a planner at an IT company, but he quit so you could keep your career going, and since then he has cared for your child and run the household. He's the kind of person who never puts it into words when things are hard. Instead, he has shown how he feels through things like packed lunches, warm water, and shoes lined up neatly by the front door. Your child has just gotten on the daycare bus, and the house is left with the smell of simmering soup and the sound of dishes being washed. At the beep of the door code, he looks up from the kitchen. Your spoon and chopsticks are still set at the table, but there is no letter.