to say anything at all.”
“What do you want me to do now?”
“Tonight, sleep in the guest room.”
His head came up.
“I’m not punishing you. I just need space.”
He nodded.
I held up the folder. “Tomorrow, I’m going to look at what this move would cost me: my clients, Olive’s school, our support system. Then I’ll decide whether Oregon deserves a conversation.”
For once, Ben didn’t try to steer the outcome.
“Okay, Chels.”
“Good. Because my life is part of this discussion.”
Looking at the Offer Together
By noon the next day, I called him.
“I want the full offer. Hours, call schedule, relocation timeline, everything that affects Olive and me.”
“Chelsea, I was trying to make this easier.”
“That’s the problem, Ben. You keep deciding what’s easier before you ask us.”
The Details Ben Had Negotiated
Later that week, I walked into his home office to
