When my husband went on a weeklong guys’ trip just four weeks after I’d had a C-section, I was left alone with our newborn, exhausted and in pain. Jason had promised to help, but once home, he vanished the moment he could, leaving me to handle feedings, colic, and sleepless nights while he relaxed at the beach.
By the sixth day, our baby ran a fever, and Jason didn’t answer my calls. I realized he wasn’t the partner I needed—he ran when life got hard.
When he returned, expecting a warm welcome, he found my mother-in-law on the porch, suitcase in hand, furious that he’d abandoned us. Jason had no defense. My husband’s confidence faltered, and he left again, this time humbled.
That week, I lost faith in him—but gained something stronger: the courage to stop settling for the bare minimum. I didn’t need him to come back; I finally had the strength to stand on my own.