Comfortable love has its own rewards.

Comfortable love has its own rewards. This theme is explored as the history of Gail and Max’s relationship is revealed over the course of the entire novel. The reader does not know until Part 3 why their marriage ended, and even that is shrouded in some mystery as Gail can only guess as to what caused her to have the affair. What is revealed throughout the three days depicted in the novel, however, is the level of comfort Gail and Max share.

Max and Gail go with Debbie to pick out a suit for Max. It is at this point that some of Gail’s tenderness for Max becomes evident as his actions endear him to her in her eyes. After this excursion, Max wants to go out to eat, but Gail insists on returning home in case Debbie calls. At...