In my house we have a running joke—my pack of cigarettes moments. Old story, many times told: Dad goes out for a pack of cigarettes (or a gallon of milk, or a walk), never comes back. And sometimes, amid tantrums and tears and exhausting negotiations (the kids', not ours), my wife will see me on the edge and cut the tension by asking: "Pack of cigarettes?" It's funny because we both know that I'm not going anywhere, but I recognize and understand the impulse that drive men out the door, and I suspect a lot of other fathers do, too.
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