The Backpack

Chapter 7

“I woke up when your alarm went off . . . the first time,” Grace said as she stood in the kitchen adding creamer to her coffee. Jon had headed out the door 10 minutes earlier with barely a goodbye and even less of a kiss. The conversation now continued on their phones. “What?” Jon said, half‐defensive, have inquisitive. “What do you mean the ‘first time?'”

Then it hit him. The lost nine minutes. He had hit snooze without realizing it. “Well,” he stuttered, “if that stupid dog hadn't slept with us, I would be rested enough to get up on the first alarm!” Grace was wise enough to let that comment go—for now.

Jon had made it to the highway and was now battling traffic he had not expected this time of the morning. But, he realized again, his later departure was part of the issue; it had added morning traffic to his route. All of this caused him to mentally relive his morning in his head. And it was not a fun experience. After he had leveled Lilly with his backpack, Grace had given him some very unsolicited and undesired counsel.

“Honey, I think you should skip your workout and get in the shower. You're already scrambling around like a Labrador on linoleum. Slow down, take a shower, double‐check your backpack, grab a banana, and hit the road.” “But . . .” Jon started to say, but Grace continued. “And oh, before you get mad at me for there not being bananas on the island, they are in the bag on the kitchen table. I realized as I was lying awake that I had not finished unpacking ...