its all a garden to me

Of course the younger kids are treated well, that’s to be expected. But the middle schoolers are often disrespectful, talk back to their teachers, don’t take things seriously, they rebel, etc. They act like middle schoolers. And they’re not shamed for it. They’re not the ones expected to change, the teachers are.

Sad and drunk Janine is ruthless! ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (2021- ) Season 5 | Episode 20 "Night Out"

Janine has always had issues with her relationship to money; her mom was almost certainly financially irresponsible and neglectful throughout her entire childhood, and now that Janine is an adult, her mom routinely uses money as a form of emotional manipulation. Then there's Tariq, her first (only?) relationship before Gregory, where Janine bore the entire financial burden of supporting him even as a grown man.

Gregory grew up in a very strict household where money was probably regarded as something not to be "wasted" on frivolous things.

It makes perfect sense that their first big fight, the one they can't easily reconcile, is over money.

They probably never even talked finances before they moved in. Because why would they? Everything else between them has been so easy, they've been in agreement about nearly everything, and the few things they haven't have been small things they've been able to talk about.

But this is so much bigger, and it's something they clearly can't talk about without both sides getting emotional. It's clear neither of them can see the other's side right now, and when they try to compromise, they fail.

Janine's version of compromise is "let me take on the burden without asking you" and Gregory's is "here are two options that I want, and if you don't want to do either, than we just won't do anything" - echoing both their childhoods, maybe?

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope this inspires you to drop everything and read Surface Protocol, the Cold War navy wives Barlissa AU by @katiehoughton!

The whole story is well-written, but this was the moment that grabbed me like THIS IS A COMIC PAGE AND YOU MUST DRAW IT.