Our daughter, Emma, was seven and got out of school at three.
I used to leave work early enough to get her, then finish whatever I needed from home. After I moved to a different department, that stopped being possible.
Ryan worked across town and usually didn’t get home until after six.
For about two weeks, we pieced things together with after-school care, favors from other parents, and me burning through every ounce of patience I had.
The problem started when my work schedule changed.
One night, Ryan said, « Maybe Melissa can handle it? »
I stared at him. He stared back.
Then we both said, « No. »
Emma adored Ryan’s sister, Melissa.
Melissa was also the kind of person who could be forty minutes late because she stopped for coffee on the way to somewhere she was already late to.
