Michelle struggles with the isolation of maternity leave and emptiness sets in as she feels less and less like herself. Just as she's about to return to work, there's a surprising event and everything changes again.

The first four years of marriage are a happy, love-drunk time until The Husband delivers an ultimatum. Michelle reluctantly (at first) gets pregnant, and everything starts to change in her — physically and mentally.

The relationship with The Scientist proves harder than expected, and yet he surprise-proposes right when a huge world tragedy occurs. Michelle says yes, starting a chain of compromises as they plan a wedding and get married.

On the cusp of her 39th birthday, recently divorced Michelle struggles with a complicated new romance. A drunken tarot card reading returns her to 1999, when she first met The Scientist (soon to be The Husband) and all was filled with promise.