I wake up late for a Monday. It’s already 6:20.

A surprising email. This definitely sets the tone for my day.

That feeling when he takes the kids to school. It’s like Christmas morning. I treasure that tiny slice of alone time in the home. I wipe down the counters and sweep the crumbs, take a few more sips of coffee and then prepare for my client call.

I am still nervous.

Everything is clean and folded and this too feels like accomplishment. It is work finding joy in some of these domestic responsibilities.

So much light.

Because even though it’s 90-something degrees outside, chicken tortilla soup sounds like a good idea. A double-batch to ease the work of nourishing myself this week.

Dinner interrupted by a phone call. I thought she was going to call me tomorrow but maybe she meant today. I take it upstairs. I can hear the quickness in my voice. I have to remember to slow down. Nerves. This could be the right one.

They give me a round of applause.

My eyes hurt from the screen. Scrolling gives me a headache. I need to figure out how to do the work I want to do without making myself nauseous. Shorter intervals? Elevated screen?