So thats the end then?

In the short story Chef's House, their is a couple who spends an entire summer together. Carver lets us know from the beginning that this couple is actually divorced due to the husband's alcoholism. 

Also from the start this story left me with a couple of questions.

Why would the Ex wife decide to go spend a summer with her ex husband?

Did she forgive him?

Or was she simply scared for him? 

As if to say, scared that if she didn't go he would go back to his old habits?

From what we can see later on in the story the couple actually has a really good time until the owner of the house, Chef, decides that his daughter must move in and asks them to leave. The husband, who suffers from alcoholism, has the urge to drink again now that he realizes that summer is over and the good times have ended. 

"We'll clean it up tonight, I thought, and that will be the end of it"

Although this ending is talking about the big mess that the fridge made, we can interpret it in a totally different way. This short passage could mean that she is actually talking about their relationship and how even though they had a good time it is also time to face reality. And sadly the reality is that her husband still has his problem with alcohol.