Keith laughed. “That’s not going to make any difference, Jaya, and you know it.”

“Can you just put your ego and male chauvinism aside for—”

“Okay, that’s it!” Keith stood up, his chair scraping hard against the kitchen floor. “I need space to clear my head, before I say something I regret.”

“Too late!” she called after him as the front door slammed. Jaya stood in place as she heard the rumble of the garage door and the squeal of tires. Turning back to the dishes in the sink, she thought she could hear a bedroom door close carefully upstairs.

3 | Keith

April 2009

“Poodle breeds are notorious for their intelligence and ease of training,” Karina read from the book in her lap in the back seat.

Keith glanced over at Jaya in the passenger seat. A small smile played on the edges of her mouth as she stared forward through the windshield. He looked back over his shoulder to his daughter. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” Without looking up, she continued, “They are lively, active, fun-loving family dogs with a sense of the ridiculous.” Karina closed the book and elbowed Prem. “See? Perfect for you.”

A reflexive laugh escaped from Keith before he could stifle it.

“Hahaha, very funny,” Prem said, with his signature snort. “Well, yes I am, thank you.”

“We are just looking,” Jaya said, removing her sunglasses to wipe the lenses. “No promises.”

It was Saturday, one of the treasured days Keith had to spend entirely with his family. During the week, between long days at the office, client dinners and travel, he saw them only in passing. After the initial shock waves of the financial crisis had passed and it was clear no more investment banks were collapsing, business was gradually starting to return to normal. Keith was glad he’d decided to stay at Morgan Stanley. Jaya was right: there was value in being at a name-brand firm in difficult times, where he’d built a reputation amongst his colleagues. The stock market was rebounding and the firm was on track to pay decent bonuses this year, easing tensions for him and at home. Jaya’s return to full-time work seemed to make her happier as well, and she spoke enthusiastically about her projects. Things were a little more chaotic at home, but Keith tried to carry more of the load on the weekends since Jaya handled everything during the workweek. It felt good to have balanced the seesaw act of marriage and parenting over the past year without either of them crashing to the ground. He reached over and took his wife’s hand as she gazed out the window; she turned to him and smiled.

The breeder in Watsonville, who had been recommended by the wife of one of Keith’s colleagues, a woman who had the requisite free time for such research, was a reputable source for goldendoodles, Karina’s top choice for a puppy. Her lobbying efforts to get a family dog had intensified over the past few months, culminating in a persuasive essay she wrote for English class, which Keith had to admit was quite compelling.