“How much?” I asked.
“Why does that matter? Because rent is due Friday.”
“I have had one of the hardest weeks of my life.”
“You said that last week.”
“That’s not supportive.”
“Daniel, where is your rent money?”
His face closed. “You only care about numbers.” “I’m asking whether you can pay the bill you agreed to pay.” “Being responsible is killing my creativity.”
That night, he put his portion of rent on a credit card. The next morning, he blamed me for “forcing him into debt.”
That was the pattern. Daniel became overwhelmed. I became useful. He overspent. I adjusted. He picked a fight. I calmed it. He ran short. I covered it.
The Request
Then came that Thursday night. Daniel walked in, and within thirty seconds everything was wrong. The television was too loud. The counters felt cluttered. I had not vacuumed correctly. I had not asked about his client meeting quickly enough.
Then he stood by the window and said: “I need real space.”
“What does that mean?”