I nearly left the wet washing in the machine overnight and felt like a criminal

Dear Delyara, I know that sounds absurd. It is absurd. And yet, when I remembered it at half past ten, already in my pyjamas and emotionally done, I actually had that instant wave of self-accusation as if forgetting wet washing was proof of larger decline. I went downstairs and dealt with it, muttering at no one. While hanging the clothes up, I thought about how many things women are expected to remember before forgetfulness starts feeling like character damage. It isn’t the washing itself. It is the endless relationship between attention and guilt. By the time I got back into bed, I was more awake and more irritated than before.