"You have absolutely no idea how hard I've worked to be in this position." Ellen's voice always struck an unexplored octave when she lost control of the situation. She stood over me as I sat at the kitchen table, and I checked her hands for anything that might be construed as a weapon.

"You never consider how I feel."

"I have considered it." I shifted away and forced my eyes downward. It was so hard to confront Ellen with the facts once she'd dug in. "Look, if I don't take the job in L.A., my career is toast."

Her laughter boomed across the room. "Your career! What about my career? I don't mean to brag, but I've been the primary breadwinner for the last year." She stood with her shoulders back, hands on hips, challenging me to contradict her. I was wise enough not to take that tack.

"That's precisely why I thought this would work." It was the only way to convince her. I had to appeal to her ego, that part of her that ate up flattery. "With your credentials, you'd be able to get a job anywhere. They'll be fighting over you in L.A., and you might argue it's the only promotion I'm ever likely to get."

That stopped her for a moment. That little curl at the side of her mouth was present, the one that appeared when she knew she'd won, when she knew she was the best, when she had no clue she was about to be taken down.

I waited for a moment for her counteroffer. She never gave in on the first attempt.

"I couldn't possibly leave my job. The sales numbers have more than doubled since I took over the division. They'd probably fold if I left."

I tried to swallow the sour taste at the back of my throat and ignore the arrogance. She was the mother of my children, after all. "Honey, you've set it up so well, an idiot would be able to follow in your wake. Maybe you could even set up some sort of consulting arrangement."

Her jaw jutted forward, and her gaze lifted to the ceiling. She was thinking about it, ever confident in her own abilities.

"Besides, think of the poor companies in L.A. that could benefit from your exceptional talents. Why you could become the next Steve Jobs or Lee Iacocca." I was laying it on pretty thick, but I wanted that promotion.

"Now you're just patronizing me." The sulky little girl came out from hiding. "There aren't that many women who have turned companies around."

"Then you'd be the first. I'd be so proud of you." My Cheshire cat smile emerged.

She inhaled a protracted breath and puffed up like an apple turnover. "Okay, I can see it." She bit her lower lip, and her expression lost focus. She was picturing the accolades. I knew it.

I heaved a deep sigh of relief and allowed my inner turmoil to dissipate. "Hey, why don't I cook dinner while you go make a list of opportunities and contacts. We can start your search in the morning. I'm gonna hate when you get a better job than me."

She giggled like a freshman. There she was, the girl I married.

Her fingers trailed along the edge of my cheek. "Yes, I'm so glad I was able to make this happen." She bent and kissed my cheek.

So was I... so was I.