Chapter 1 — The Living Room Fell Silent
No one answered.
The television kept playing some mindless game show, laughter spilling from the speakers as though nothing unusual had happened.
Daniel stood motionless between the kitchen and the living room, his loosened tie hanging crooked around his neck. Behind him, water continued running into the sink where his wife, Emma, quietly scrubbed another pan.
His mother finally looked up from her phone.
"Oh," Margaret said casually. "You're home."
Daniel didn't respond.
Instead, he looked around the room.
Dinner plates were stacked on the coffee table.
Empty dessert bowls sat beside soda cans.
Every single dirty dish in the house had somehow ended up in the kitchen—with his eight-month-pregnant wife.
His younger brother shrugged.
"We figured she'd clean them later anyway."
A nervous chuckle escaped one of the aunts.
"Pregnant women shouldn't just sit around all day."
Daniel slowly walked toward the dining table.
He counted every plate.
Twelve.
Then he turned toward the sink.
Emma had barely eaten.
Her own dinner plate still held half of her food, now cold and untouched.
He looked back at everyone.
"So all twelve of you finished dinner..."
His voice remained calm.
"...and the only person cleaning is the woman carrying my child?"
Nobody answered.
Margaret crossed her arms.
"You've become dramatic."
Daniel nodded once.
"I see."
He picked up the stack of dirty serving trays from the counter.
Without saying another word, he carried them into the center of the living room.
Then he gently placed every greasy pan, every sticky bowl, every fork and spoon directly onto the expensive glass coffee table.
The room froze.
"What are you doing?" his brother snapped.
Daniel looked at him without raising his voice.
"If everyone wanted the kitchen in the living room..."
He glanced around the room.
"...I figured I'd save Emma the walk."
No one laughed.
For the first time that evening, everyone felt uncomfortable.
Daniel turned back toward the kitchen.
"Emma."
She looked up, confused.
"Come upstairs."
"What about the dishes?"
"They belong to the people who made them dirty."
She hesitated.
His hand reached for hers.
"Not you."
May you like
For the first time all day...
Someone finally took the sponge out of her shaking hand.
