Chapter 13: The List — A Trucker's Long-Distance Love Story
Daniel loved lists because lists did not argue. They waited. They held still. They told the truth in rows. * * * Nails. Travel bag. Passport. Rent. Diapers. Milk. Wipes. Groceries. Electricity. Internet. A missed day of work. Daniel typed the items one after another. Not everything at once. Priority first. Then the rest. He told Elena they needed a list. Most important to least important. Necessary things. Things that could wait. Things that would change as they moved through different stages. Otherwise, he said, he would lose track. * * * Elena agreed. Of course she did. A list was practical. Her life had never lacked needs. What it lacked was money arriving at the same speed. * * * The conversation had begun with her hands. Factory hands. Elena wanted her nails done before the trip. Daniel asked to see them. She sent a photograph. Her hands embarrassed her. She thought they looked ugly. Daniel saw something else. Work. He told her they were w...