“I thought she’d stop if I ignored her.”
“Roy, you’re a surgeon. You don’t ignore a problem and hope it disappears.”
He looked down.
“You’re right.”
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he admitted something that hurt almost as much as the accusation itself.
“She threatened to tell Mom that I had abandoned her and the baby. She said Mom would never forgive me. I thought if I kept responding, I’d make things worse. I didn’t want another war with my mother.”
“So you let me face it alone.”
He looked at me, and I saw genuine regret.
“Yes. I did. I was trying to avoid a fight, and I ended up leaving you to deal with something I should have told you about. I’m sorry.”
I believed his denial, but trust wasn’t repaired simply because a husband said the right words.
“We need to see your mother,” I said.
