Summary

The aftermath of the migration crisis caused Anna and Tom to recognize a “flakiness and vanity” (67) in their lives and social circle which they now found difficult to unsee. They considered establishing themselves professionally in a more official capacity by renting an office. They were frustrated by rental prices on office units, especially as they realized that if they had come up with this plan a few years earlier it would have been a lot cheaper. They decided to devote themselves to doing considerably more freelance work in order to build up the capital needed to rent an office space. They took on one particularly large and grueling contract they weren’t very interested in because it would help them reach their goal. They worked day and night for months on end, rarely socializing or leaving the apartment, and ordering takeout rather than spending...