English Original
It was 10 p.m. Fritz said good night to his wife, who was watching TV, and went to bed. Tomorrow was his last day of work after thirty years with the federal government—thirty years of travel, meetings, and heavy briefcases. He had enjoyed his career.
Fritz felt blessed, especially compared to his father, an unskilled laborer who had a tough life. He was grateful for his own good fortune and for being able to provide comfort in his father's final years.
His children were grown with their own careers. His wife, Paige, was active in her bridge club, though Fritz preferred his Friday night poker group.
On his final Friday, colleagues took him to lunch and later held a farewell gathering with gifts, including a large U.S. atlas. He had shared plans to spend the next few years traveling with Paige to see all the places he'd missed while on business. As a final gesture, his supervisor told him to take the rest of the day off.
Returning home, Paige's car was gone. He assumed she was shopping for travel clothes or planning a special dinner. However, upon entering the bedroom, he found her side of the closet half-empty.
An envelope on the lamp stand contained two documents: official divorce papers and a handwritten note from Paige. She apologized, explaining her lawyer advised waiting until this day to secure fifty percent of Fritz's pension. She wrote of her guilt but concluded, "I can't ignore my own heart."
Fritz sat motionless on the bed, the note in his hand. About an hour later, the phone rang. It was Bob, calling to ask if Fritz was still coming to poker that night.
中文翻译
晚上十点，弗里茨向正在看电视的妻子道了晚安，然后上床睡觉。明天是他在联邦政府工作三十年的最后一天——三十年奔波在外、会议不断、公文包沉重的日子。他热爱自己的职业生涯。
弗里茨觉得自己很幸运，尤其是想到他作为非技术劳工、一生艰辛的父亲。他感激自己的好运，也感激自己能让父亲的晚年过得舒适。
他的孩子们都已成家立业。他的妻子佩奇活跃于她的桥牌俱乐部，尽管弗里茨更喜欢自己周五晚上的扑克牌友聚会。
在他最后一个周五，同事们请他吃了午餐，随后举行了欢送会，并赠送了礼物，其中包括一本大型美国地图册。他曾分享过计划，打算未来几年和佩奇一起旅行，去看看他出差时错过的所有地方。作为最后的礼物，他的主管让他提前下班。
回到家，佩奇的车不在。他以为她是去买旅行衣物，或者在计划一顿特别的晚餐。然而，走进卧室后，他发现她那一侧的衣柜空了一半。
灯座上的一个信封里装着两份文件：正式的离婚文件，以及佩奇手写的一张便条。她道了歉，解释说她的律师建议等到今天再提出，以确保能获得弗里茨养老金的百分之五十。她写下了自己的愧疚，但最后写道：“我无法违背自己的内心。”
弗里茨一动不动地坐在床边，手里攥着那张便条。大约一小时后，电话响了。是鲍勃打来的，问他晚上还来不来打扑克。