--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: clumsy fingers, feeling faintly guilty…" description: "\"“clumsy fingers, feeling faintly guilty about going through his wife’s purse. It feels private. But this is an emergency. He dumps the contents onto th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/shari-lapena-44122_marriage_clumsy-fingers-feeling-faintly-guilty-ab_607419.jpg" --- # clumsy fingers, feeling faintly guilty about going through… ![“clumsy fingers, feeling faintly guilty about going through his wife’s purse. It feels private. But this is an emergency. He dumps the contents onto the middle of their neatly made bed. Her wallet is there, her change purse, lipstick, pen, a tissue packet—it’s all there. Not an errand then. Maybe…” quote by Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/shari-lapena-44122_marriage_clumsy-fingers-feeling-faintly-guilty-ab_607419.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/shari-lapena-44122_marriage_clumsy-fingers-feeling-faintly-guilty-ab_607419.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/shari-lapena-44122_marriage_clumsy-fingers-feeling-faintly-guilty-ab_607419.jpg) > ““clumsy fingers, feeling faintly guilty about going through his wife’s purse. It feels private. But this is an emergency. He dumps the contents onto the middle of their neatly made bed. Her wallet is there, her change purse, lipstick, pen, a tissue packet—it’s all there. Not an errand then. Maybe she stepped out to help a friend? An emergency of some kind? Still, she would have taken her purse with her if she was driving the car. And wouldn’t she have called him by now if she could? She could borrow someone else’s phone. It’s not like her to be thoughtless. Tom sits on the edge of the bed, quietly unraveling. His heart is beating too fast. Something is wrong. He thinks that maybe he should call the police. He”” [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A husband discovers his wife's purse on the bed, suspecting an emergency, but doubts arise about her whereabouts and intentions. **In simple terms:** He finds her purse, suspects an emergency, but questions why she’s not with him. Key Takeaway Consider the evidence before jumping to conclusions. Themes suspicion marriage trust emergency miscommunication Mood anxious tense curious Type narrative dramatic When to use this quote - marital conflict - investigating missing person - emergency response - communication breakdown Key Concepts psychology relationship dynamics trust erosion Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports the emergency claim? - How might misinterpretation affect decisions? A Different Perspective The scene may be a red herring; assumptions can mislead. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Errand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/errand/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ## Related quotes > [As one who over taken by the end Gives up his errand, and lets death descend Upon him where he is, with nothing done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/as-one-who-over-taken-by-the-end-gives-up-his-errand-and-lets-death/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [Diets are a fool's errand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/diets-are-a-fool-s-errand/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [The magic of the street is the mingling of the errand and the epiphany.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-magic-of-the-street-is-the-mingling-of-the-errand-and-the-epiphany/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [This errand we're on goes to one store.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-errand-we-re-on-goes-to-one-store/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We were on our way to the colmado for an errand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/we-were-on-our-way-to-the-colmado-for-an-errand/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I stand in this parking lot, realizing that I’ve never been this far from home, and here is this girl I love and cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-stand-in-this-parking-lot-realizing-that-i-ve-never-been-this-far/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Any kid will run any errand for you, if you ask at bedtime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-skelton/any-kid-will-run-any-errand-for-you-if-you-ask-at-bedtime/) [Red Skelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-skelton/) > [Don't regret mistakes when they are made, do that when the errand is repeated...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya/don-t-regret-mistakes-when-they-are-made-do-that-when-the-errand-is/) [Divya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya/) > [ Send a wise man on an errand, and say nothing unto him. \[Send a wise man on an errand, and say nothing to him.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/send-a-wise-man-on-an-errand-and-say-nothing-unto-him-send-a-wise-man/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [One of the things I like best about animals in the wild is that they're always off on some errand. They have appointments to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/one-of-the-things-i-like-best-about-animals-in-the-wild-is-that-they/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [It is impossible for us to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lord's errand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-russell-ballard/it-is-impossible-for-us-to-fail-when-we-do-our-best-when-we-are-on/) [M. Russell Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-russell-ballard/) > [“When we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that the Lord will shape the back to bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/when-we-are-on-the-lord-s-errand-we-are-entitled-to-the-lord-s-help/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [“An errand is getting a tank of gas or picking up a carton of milk or something. It is not getting chased by flying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/an-errand-is-getting-a-tank-of-gas-or-picking-up-a-carton-of-milk-or/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [I seldom made an errand to God for another but I got something for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/i-seldom-made-an-errand-to-god-for-another-but-i-got-something-for/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [May I always be found 'on the Lord's errand.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/may-i-always-be-found-on-the-lord-s-errand/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) ## More by Shari Lapena > [“Earlier today Brigid visited her favorite shop, Knit One Purl Too. She was running out of the fabulous purple Shibui yarn she’d bought last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/earlier-today-brigid-visited-her-favorite-shop-knit-one-purl-too-she/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) > [“Marco hurries up the front steps of the house he’d left just hours before and bursts into the living room. He sees Anne on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/marco-hurries-up-the-front-steps-of-the-house-he-d-left-just-hours/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) > [“Sometimes I wonder if it was right for us to keep things from him when you were younger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/sometimes-i-wonder-if-it-was-right-for-us-to-keep-things-from-him/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) > [“She glances at the baby monitor sitting at the end of the table, its small red light glowing like the tip of a cigarette.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/she-glances-at-the-baby-monitor-sitting-at-the-end-of-the-table-its/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) > [“listening to music. When we get home, we have to wake her. So no, I wouldn’t recommend her.” Rasbach nods, makes a note. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/listening-to-music-when-we-get-home-we-have-to-wake-her-so-no-i/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) > [“rapidly around the second floor of the house while”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/rapidly-around-the-second-floor-of-the-house-while/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) > [“Everyone is faking it, all of them pretending to be something they’re not. The whole world is built on lies and deceit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/everyone-is-faking-it-all-of-them-pretending-to-be-something-they-re/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) > [“Whenever there was an opening for a new show, she would invite him; there would be champagne and hors d’oeuvres, women in smart dresses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/whenever-there-was-an-opening-for-a-new-show-she-would-invite-him/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) [Explore all 9 Shari Lapena quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) ## More Errand quotes > [As one who over taken by the end Gives up his errand, and lets death descend Upon him where he is, with nothing done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/as-one-who-over-taken-by-the-end-gives-up-his-errand-and-lets-death/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [I seldom made an errand to God for another but I got something for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/i-seldom-made-an-errand-to-god-for-another-but-i-got-something-for/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [“An errand is getting a tank of gas or picking up a carton of milk or something. It is not getting chased by flying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/an-errand-is-getting-a-tank-of-gas-or-picking-up-a-carton-of-milk-or/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [“When we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that the Lord will shape the back to bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/when-we-are-on-the-lord-s-errand-we-are-entitled-to-the-lord-s-help/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [It is impossible for us to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lord's errand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-russell-ballard/it-is-impossible-for-us-to-fail-when-we-do-our-best-when-we-are-on/) [M. Russell Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-russell-ballard/) > [One of the things I like best about animals in the wild is that they're always off on some errand. They have appointments to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/one-of-the-things-i-like-best-about-animals-in-the-wild-is-that-they/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [ Send a wise man on an errand, and say nothing unto him. \[Send a wise man on an errand, and say nothing to him.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/send-a-wise-man-on-an-errand-and-say-nothing-unto-him-send-a-wise-man/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Don't regret mistakes when they are made, do that when the errand is repeated...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya/don-t-regret-mistakes-when-they-are-made-do-that-when-the-errand-is/) [Divya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya/) > [Any kid will run any errand for you, if you ask at bedtime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-skelton/any-kid-will-run-any-errand-for-you-if-you-ask-at-bedtime/) [Red Skelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-skelton/) > [I stand in this parking lot, realizing that I’ve never been this far from home, and here is this girl I love and cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-stand-in-this-parking-lot-realizing-that-i-ve-never-been-this-far/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“We were on our way to the colmado for an errand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/we-were-on-our-way-to-the-colmado-for-an-errand/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [This errand we're on goes to one store.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-errand-we-re-on-goes-to-one-store/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The magic of the street is the mingling of the errand and the epiphany.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-magic-of-the-street-is-the-mingling-of-the-errand-and-the-epiphany/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Diets are a fool's errand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/diets-are-a-fool-s-errand/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [May I always be found 'on the Lord's errand.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/may-i-always-be-found-on-the-lord-s-errand/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) [Browse all 18 Errand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/errand/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“clumsy fingers, feeling faintly guilty about going through his wife’s purse. It feels private. But this is an emergency. He dumps the contents onto the middle of their neatly made bed. Her wallet is there, her change purse, lipstick, pen, a tissue packet—it’s all there. Not an errand then. Maybe she stepped out to help a friend? An emergency of some kind? Still, she would have taken her purse with her if she was driving the car. And wouldn’t she have called him by now if she could? She could borrow someone else’s phone. It’s not like her to be thoughtless. Tom sits on the edge of the bed, quietly unraveling. His heart is beating too fast. Something is wrong. He thinks that maybe he should call the police. 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