Julie set off on her mission to understand the appeal of the hardware store. She understood that her husband really wanted to use the best materials to build their future child’s nursery. He was a builder for many years of his twenties and only recently gave it up to pursue a career in project management. He wanted to be on a higher income ready for the baby to arrive, which Julie really appreciated. She liked that he was stepping up to the father role even before their child was born. Normally, or so she had heard, fathers didn’t really feel any sort of emotional connection to their child until the child is born, whereas mothers feel a connection instantly.
Despite feeling reassured that her husband was committed to her and their baby, Julie couldn’t squash that pesky voice in the back of her head. What was so important about this specific hardware store located in the Bayside area? Why did he have to go there so badly, on a day when the weatherman warned everyone to stay inside? It made her feel very unsure and Julie didn’t like feeling unsure. It was one of the things she hated most, actually. That’s why she needed to get to the bottom of it.
Julie decided to go and see the hardware store for herself. Maybe if she had the experience for herself then she would understand. She didn’t want to waste her time though, so made sure that she went to the hardware store with a purpose. Julie saw that her husband was running low on electrical supplies. Cheltenham wasn’t too far away, so Julie knew she could duck out to the hardware store without her husband realising she was gone. She knew her husband would be on her case about leaving the house while pregnant, just out of spite. Julie did not want to have to deal with that.