I love Doris, too!! And I love insights like these:
Divorce by its very nature brings you out of the ordinary. The life you had mapped out for yourself and become accustomed to is pulled up from underneath you. Like a rug at the doorstep, you are picked up, shaken out, and as in Doris’ case discarded. This was the thought that Doris had bought into. She was in essence second best. Thirty eight years, a marathon of a marriage, was discarded and believed to be a failure. And near the finish line, the younger woman sprints up, snags the husband, wins the medal. I'm glad Doris realizes how much of a win it is to be free now. She can have a dog! She can let the sun in! So many small details with big ramifications. You are so skillful at using these little details to do the heavy lifting and telling the story. Word count means nothing when you choose your words so well!