Chapter 1
Kristen got up at five in the morning, as usual. She slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to wake Jen, and headed for the shower before driving to the restaurant Linda had purchased for her. It was like any other morning. Jen rolled over as Kristen stood up, the alarm nudging her awake just enough for her to open one eye and make sure Kristen was really getting up.
The hours put a little strain on their relationship. Jen made sure they went to bed at a reasonable time, but Kristen’s schedule was still brutal.
Jen usually whispered, half‑asleep, “You’re the boss. Why do you have to go in before the sun is up.”
Kristen would lean down, meet her eyes, and whisper back, “Because I’m the boss. I have to.”
Eventually, they got used to it. Jen left for her garage around ten in the morning and came home around six. She was the boss there too — and the only employee. Kristen returned around eleven, sometimes later. That gave them a small window of time together each night.
Jen ate dinner alone. Kristen ate at the restaurant. Some evenings, Jen drove over after closing the garage and wandered into the kitchen, causing chaos. Kristen didn’t mind. The rest of the staff got used to the punk‑rock mechanic who was the boss’s wife, even when she insisted on “helping” and nearly juggled knives.
Kristen functioned on four hours of sleep a day. She always had. And even with the long hours, she and Jen were still newlyweds. Their time together — quiet, affectionate, grounding — was the highlight of both their days. It cut into Kristen’s sleep, but she didn’t care.
Wednesdays the restaurant was closed, so Jen closed the garage too. They spent the whole day together — resting, talking, laughing, and enjoying the rare stretch of uninterrupted time. It was the one day neither of them had to rush anywhere, and they treated it like a small holiday.
