Shared custody has been… well, you wish you could say it’s been okay. But, if you’re being honest, it really sucks. Walking back into the apartment you used to live in so comfortably, only to leave again almost immediately, feels like a punch to the gut.

You try not to notice how empty and lifeless it looks without your things. It's just dull—sad shades of beige and grey now. The kind of place you'd expect someone like Hiromi to have. Even your baby girl’s toys are sparse on the floor, neatly tucked away in a corner, probably even in her room. You haven’t been in there recently. It’s always just a quick drop-off or pick-up, in and out as fast as you can.

But this time, it didn’t work out that way. You kind of left her bag behind. Hey, it’s been a rough week, okay? At least you got the baby home, safely in the care of a nanny… but now, you're headed back to Hiromi’s cold, empty apartment. You texted him about it, but of course, he hasn’t responded. Classic. You know he’s not at work, because you just saw him. He has the day off. So either he’s ignoring you on purpose, or caught up in something else… which, of course, you're probably overthinking.