Chapter 9
Contains spoilers
Summary
- Sam arrives home with a persistent headache and becomes irritated upon finding her husband, Phil, hasn't walked their dog, Kevin.
- Phil seems indifferent to his responsibilities, adding to Sam's frustration.
- Sam's attempt to communicate with Phil is met with passive responses and a general lack of support.
- Family and friends have made unhelpful comments about her being moody and Phil feeling emasculated.
- She takes Kevin for a walk, wrestling with internal guilt over how her stress affects her reaction to mundane situations.
- Sam feels burdened by the overwhelming number of household tasks that seem to be solely her responsibility.
- Despite her constant effort to maintain order, Sam wonders if men feel the same pressure to be productive.
- She reminisces about Joel, a man with whom she recently danced, and the attention he gives her, contrasting it with Phil's behavior.
- While walking Kevin, she remembers she needs to return items to a gym and dreads her busy schedule.
- Sam feels guilt when contemplating Andrea's depression, recognizing that her own struggles aren't as dire.
- Longing for a holiday, Sam reflects on the broken dream of renovating a camper-van their family owns.
- The camper-van, bought by Phil, remains untouched and serves as a metaphor for their stalled life and ambitions.
- Sam imagines acting out her frustrations on the camper-van but instead finds humor in the thought, changing her mood momentarily.
- Back home, Phil expresses apologies for missing a previous engagement and appears momentarily self-aware of the situation.
- Sam responds with empathy, momentarily setting aside her mental to-do list to comfort Phil.