“Popcorn?” Ken says. “Movie?”

Eli’s entranced, already using the new remote to program in all the streaming channels I keep trying to convince Ken we should cancel without telling him why I want the money for other things. He looks over his shoulder at us with the biggest smile I’ve seen on him in a long time. “Can we?”

“Only after you’ve cleared off the table.” Ken says this with a broad generosity in his tone. He’s pleased with himself, with this gift.

Eli nods eagerly and heads upstairs. Ken stands in front of the new television, his hands on his hips. For a second or so, his expression is blank, mouth a little slack. When he faces me, though, he’s smiling from ear to ear again.

“Well? What do you think?”

“It’s … very big. Why?”

“The company got bought out. There’s been some restructuring. New management.”

Panic strikes me like a bell. “Your job—?”

“Don’t you worry a thing about it. They’re giving me a big bonus. Huge. Because I’m such a valued employee. I thought we deserved something nice.”

I think of the failing water heater. The dishwasher that doesn’t get anything clean. The mortgage. The credit card. The credit card he doesn’t know about. My storage unit. There are so many other things we need that are not an expensive television set, but I can scarcely chide him about spending money on something we don’t need. I have my multitude of flaws, but being a hypocrite is not one of them.

“I need to make this family my priority.” Ken says this with determination, as though he’s trying to convince me.

“How much of a bonus?”

He waves a hand, dismissing the question. “You don’t need to worry about that. Let’s just say it’s enough to keep you in candy canes and curlers for a while.”

Neither one of those things is something I use, but I’m supposed to chuckle fondly at the down-home folksy saying, so I do. “Seriously, hon. How much?”

“Greedy girl.” There’s a gleam in his eyes as he pulls me close.

His hands are on me, and he’s kissing me, too much tongue, his lips too dry. His grip squeezes hard, pinching. The stairs creak as Eli returns, and Ken pushes me away to turn to his son with a huge grin.

“You pick the movie. Anything you want. Even one of those shoot-em-ups you’re always begging to go see.”

“You boys have fun. I’m going to go read.”

Eli is already scrolling through the movie selections. Ken settles onto the couch. He gives me a glance.

“Can you make the popcorn for us first, hon?”

“Of course. I’ll bring it down.” Because that’s my job, to make the popcorn, to clean the kitchen, to run the household. To keep my husband happy.

Later, while they’re both still downstairs, I take my laptop to my bedroom so I can log in to our bank account. It shows a deposit in an amount large enough to fill my eyes with stars. A big chunk of it will be eaten up by that new TV, but the rest of it will go a long way toward everything else. For the first time in years, we’ll have a little breathing room.