After the birth of their daughter, the narrator, a stay-at-home mom, found herself overwhelmed by the demands of caring for a newborn. Her husband, Dave, believed she wasn’t doing enough around the house and accused her of being lazy. He didn’t understand how difficult it was for her to manage the baby, especially since their daughter, Marissa, was colicky and required constant attention.
Feeling unappreciated and frustrated, the narrator decided to leave for a week to prove to Dave how hard it was to care for the child without help. She left a note for him, informing him that she was going on vacation, and took off to a beach destination to relax and focus on herself for the first time in months.Meanwhile, Dave had to care for Marissa on his own, juggling work and parenting.