What a difference a day makes.

E had that spring back in his step when I met him at Citarella. He told me he’d figured out a way to pay off his tax bill by lining up a cool, new gig. “Yup, it’s all going to out. What did I tell you: don’t worry, be happy, right?”

He hugged me as we walked by the fish counter. “And yes, honey, we get to keep the car.”

Since things were looking up, we wanted a celebratory dinner. We spotted two meaty tuna burgers in the fish section and decided they needed to come home with us. E had the idea of adding jalapeños to the dish, so we grabbed one. “I like it spicy!” E declared. We snapped up a few vegetables, picked up wine at the local wine shop, and headed home. Though our money woes were less worrysome, we still didn’t buy the overpriced artisanal Mast Brothers chocolate. We craved ice cream, and we already had some toasted almond Talenti gelato at home.

E worked fast on the veggies while I assembled the burgers, which were so thick I needed to eat them with a knife and fork. But they were delicious, particularly because the cucumber added a clean crunch, and the jalapeño and wasabi mayonnaise added a spicy but refreshing kick.

E and I cuddled on the couch after dinner, our minds more relaxed than in the morning. I was proud of him for figuring out this money mess quickly. It gave me a sense of how E would handle a financial crisis once we were sharing bank accounts and other assets. He’s cool, calm and collected—and he’ll never make me sacrifice a hot ride or good chocolate. What a guy.

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