What does it mean to be an essential worker during a pandemic? What is it like sharing a household with someone whose life is at risk when they go to work for the day? The four essential workers in my white, Midwestern working class family have been coping with the invisible threat of COVID-19 and its effect on their livelihoods. They've worried about getting sick, losing their paychecks, keeping their jobs, putting their dreams on hold, and a lot more. Essential worker perspectives from retail, food service, and childcare are important to know so that we can better learn how to protect workers, families, and the people that depend on them—you and me.