any Mondays I wake up at 5:45 a.m. and drive, half asleep, to a local pool for my morning laps, my every-other-day routine for more than 20 years. I swim in complete silence, the water blissfully making conversation impossible. I breathe deeply, sinking into my body’s rhythm, slowly awakening over those 30 minutes. Then I melt into a warm shower and drink a cup of coffee in solitude. Before daybreak, I relish the peace of not answering any questions or coordinating who’s responsible for packing lunches or doing the day’s grocery run, surrendering to this self-reflection practice before transitioning into my workday. I’m able to do this despite having two daughters, ages 15 and 12, and a committed partner with three teenage boys of his own. How? My partner and I don’t share a home, having unwittingly joined the Living Apart Together (LAT) movement,
