Belle Burden and her family have watched an osprey nest near their home on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, since buying the property in 2005. Burden’s now ex-husband, James, was particularly taken by the birds. He even worked with osprey experts in the area to better understand and protect them.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Burden and her family returned to the house to find that the “nest was intact” but empty (4). Burden and James hoped that they’d soon see the ospreys return.

Burden and her family quarantined on Martha’s Vineyard. They normally lived full-time in Manhattan, with the island property as a vacation home, but the city had recently shut down. Burden felt safe on the island with James and their two daughters, Evie and Carrie. She was unconcerned about letting their eldest child, Finn, stay with friends on Long Island, convinced that the restrictions would only last a few weeks. The family spent cozy days together, which made the unprecedented situation more bearable.

One day, Burden received a call from an unknown number; a man left a message saying that James was having an affair with his wife. A shocked Burden confronted James, who admitted the affair but insisted that it meant nothing to him and had just started a few weeks ago. He told Burden the woman’s name, how they met, and how many kids she had. In shock, Burden texted the husband, who confirmed the details but couldn’t talk because his wife had just attempted to die by suicide. Burden then found James on the phone, checking in with his lover.

Alone, Burden contacted her stepmother, Susan, and her best friends, Maria and Anna. No one could believe that James had cheated on her, but they were all sympathetic.

The next morning, James told Burden that he was leaving and wanted a divorce. He promised that she could have their house, their apartment, and full custody of the children, as he wanted none of it. He left without saying goodbye to his daughters. When they woke up, Burden told them that James had to return to the city for work.

For days, Burden struggled to process what had happened, continuing to hide the truth from her children. She texted and called James incessantly, but with little response. He accused her of having “lost [her] mind” (15), which she admits is how she felt. He wanted them to tell their families and friends that the divorce was a mutual decision. Throughout their 20-year marriage, Burden had taken his advice and let him guide their decisions. Now, she refused. Two months after he left, James’s family stopped talking to her.

Burden thought that her daughters still didn’t know what was going on, but one day, Evie texted her that she understood Burden was going through a lot and that she would do her best to help. Evie didn’t explain what she meant, but she did assume all the cooking duties; Evie did her best to get her mother to eat, as Burden was losing significant weight. Meanwhile, Burden contacted the family who was hosting Finn, told them what was going on, and requested that they protect him from the truth. Shortly thereafter, Burden told her mother, Amanda. Burden also told her brother and his wife, Carter and Charmaine. Everyone offered support.

As winter turned to spring, Burden looked out for the ospreys’ return. When they came back, her first thought was of James. Then, she realized that he wasn’t there to celebrate with.

Finally, Burden and James agreed to tell the kids about the divorce. Burden didn’t want James present for the conversation, worried about COVID and afraid to see him, but his boss insisted on lending James his private plane so that he could travel to the Vineyard.

Burden felt a familiar excitement at seeing James again but had to remind herself that he wasn’t her husband anymore. They FaceTimed Finn and told the children that they were planning to divorce because James was unhappy. Finn hung up, Carrie screamed in distress and fled, and Evie sat stone still. Then, James asked Burden to make him a sandwich. She hesitated but made the food anyway, bringing it to the basement where he was furiously rummaging through boxes in search of their prenup. Finally, he gave up and drove away. Burden and the girls watched television and ate dinner.

Not long later, James texted Burden, exclaiming at what a nice visit he’d had. Burden didn’t respond, unable to reconcile his version of reality with hers. A few weeks later, James emailed her a copy of the prenup that his lawyer had found in storage. Burden felt embarrassed upon seeing her youthful signature on the document.