Dear Prudence,
My ex-husband and I are in our 40s. A few years ago, he got COVID-19 and has been suffering from the effects ever since. He lost his job, went on disability, and our marriage collapsed. I had to pay all the bills, take care of our daughter, and also care for him. The stress was too much. Last year, we divorced. I have custody of our daughter, who is 15. I’ve managed to get a better job and adapt to the situation. My husband hasn’t been doing so well financially. He finally found a small apartment to rent and secured a part-time job (he can’t work more than 20 hours a week due to his disability). The problem is that he has a large book collection. He left it in the office of our old house. I’ve decided to transform the office into a guest room and need him to take his books away. I’ve tried to bring this up, but he says he doesn’t have enough space in his new place. I realize he’s telling the truth; it is very small, but I really want those books out of my apartment. He says he’s going to rent a storage unit, but then doesn’t go through with it. His excuse is that he’s too tired on the weekends after he’s worked 20 hours. I know exhaustion is one of his post-COVID symptoms, but I’m fed up. My friend suggested I should rent the storage unit for three months, move the books, and then simply tell him about it and tell him to keep paying the bill if he wants to keep his stuff. What do you think?