I had a video conferencing session with Brittany and Alex—Brittany was at home, and Alex was on his way to pick up a new sports car. Brittany was furious with Alex, just learning of his purchase right before our session.

Alex said he had been looking for a sports car for a year or two, expecting it to take time to find the right car at the right price. He happened to get a call from the dealer that day for a terrific deal on his dream car.

Brittany’s business was having an off year, which gave her the impetus to finally put together a spreadsheet of their personal finances. She hadn’t had a chance to share this information with Alex yet. They were close to breaking even, and she was scared this purchase would put them in a financially insecure place. However, she was mostly angry at Alex for not sharing his plans and making a unilateral decision.

Then the guilt set in. Alex said he would sell the car right after purchasing it if it meant restoring their marriage. Brittany told Alex to go ahead and get the car because she didn’t want him to be resentful about not getting his dream car.

I was struck by the uncanny timing of our session—Alex being on his way to pick up the car. If they were to have this conversation on their own, it would have been a slugfest. I was glad to facilitate the conversation in real-time regardless of what they decided.