That was three weeks ago. My lawyer says I will be lucky to keep forty percent of my pension after the court fees and the asset division are done. I still live in the ranch house, but the quiet inside these walls is heavy.

Mostly, I just sit on the back porch and look at the tomato plants we planted together. They are starting to overgrow, but I don’t have the heart to prune them. You win, or you lose, and then it’s just another Tuesday.