Avenue building is due on Friday, and we cannot afford to let the account slip.”
He adjusted his shirt collar with a quick, nervous tug of his fingers. “I am aware of our expenses, Savannah. You do not need to lecture me every time you pick up a knife.”
“I am not lecturing, Douglas. I am looking at the numbers.” I sliced a carrot into thin round discs. “Your unemployment has lasted eleven months now. My corporate salary covers the mortgage and the utilities, but we have very little cushion left in the primary checking.”
He shifted his weight, his pitch rising as he spoke. “I had to handle some administrative details for my tech startup venture. It takes capital to build something from the ground up.”
“Capital from our household budget?” I asked, stopping the knife mid-air.
“It is an investment in our future,” he said, his voice tightening. “You always look for things to dissect. My dignity is worth more than your technical projects.”
I kept my eyes on the cutting board. “I am simply tracking our monthly flow. When you spend without telling me, it makes the budget impossible to manage.”
“I have everything under control,” he said, his voice rising slightly. “The
