After work, I drove to the Y and put on my running gear. A few minutes after Steve’s train from New York City arrived at the downtown station, he walked into the gym and greeted me with a quick kiss. 

With me on the treadmill and him on the rowing machine, we burned some calories without looking at our watches or checking in with our children. Later, we whipped up a quick meal without considering opinions from picky children. As we ate mushroom couscous and turkey burgers, we chatted about the day and listened to CNN. 

At the end of January, my autistic kid went away to college. In mid-March, I started a new job. My life is so much easier. I feel like I’m on vacation.

Read more at The Great Leap, my autism newsletter