John Philip's morning began like most mornings did.
He woke before his alarm, showered, dressed, and went downstairs while his wife was still preparing breakfast. She was already at the kitchen counter when he walked in, reading something on her tablet while coffee filled the room with a smell he had learned to associate with the beginning of another long day.
"You are leaving early again," she said without looking up.
"I have a meeting at eight."
"You said that yesterday."
"I had a meeting yesterday too."
She finally looked at him and smiled. "You need to learn how to say no."
Philip reached for his coffee and checked the time on his watch. "That would be easier if people stopped creating problems."
His wife gave him a look that told him she had heard versions of that answer for years.
