Leroy, a veteran truck driver, spent most of his time on the road before injuring himself which distanced him from his wife—feeling, “Awkward around each other,” (2). Awkwardness generally leads to the inevitable breakup, so Mason foreshadows the couple’s impending doom through the word choice of awkward which highlights an emotional gap between Leroy and Norma. Norma does not help either with the strain on the tearing of the relationship. Christine Day, a renowned critic of short stories, highlights that due to Leroy’s absence Norma realized, “She could take care of herself,” (Day 1). This independence allows Norma the ability to function on her own, causing her to lose a connection with Leroy and eventually tearing them apart. Now that Leroy is home; Norma realizes that she does not need him to