Missing Cable Makes Marriage Unstable

(I have just arrived home for the holidays. Unfortunately, I have to turn in — i.e. upload to our e-learning platform — important homework for university on December 26th. I sit down and turn on the computer, only to be met with a “no Internet connection” message. Oh, no! I restart everything and still don’t get a connection. Since that is about as far as my computer knowledge goes, I text my husband who’s still at work.)

Me: “Hey, I’m home, but I can’t get online.”

Husband: “I think it’s due to the last OS update. Had the same problem. Just restart.”

Me: “I did that already, but I’ll try again.”

(It doesn’t help. I notice that I get Wi-Fi on my phone, though, and all the relevant lights on the router are on. Thus, I decide to run my computer’s network diagnostics.)

Me: “Darling, the restart didn’t help, but diagnostics say something about a missing cable?”

Husband: “Nah, I’m sure it’s due to that update. Took me a while, too. Just use my computer in the meantime.”

(I start his computer, which, true to his word, is connected to the Internet. On a hunch, I go back and crawl under my desk. Hidden behind my computer case, I notice a cable that’s not plugged in anywhere. I’m sure it should go somewhere, and I finally figure out that it goes into the switch under my desk. Once the cable is plugged in, I’m back online. Half relieved and half exasperated, I text my husband.)

Me: “It was the cable, just as the diagnostics said. There was an unplugged cable under my desk.”

Husband: “Oops, I forgot! When I couldn’t get online, I frantically unplugged and replugged everything until I decided to just restart the computer… I must have overlooked that one.”

Me: “…”