At nine months pregnant, cleaning felt impossible, but Aaron’s distance hurt more. He avoided me, came home late, and seemed to be hiding something. One day, I found expensive lingerie in his closet—something I’d never seen before—and shredded bills in the trash. Fear consumed me.
When I confronted him, Aaron revealed the bills were for his mother’s medical expenses. She was sick, and he’d kept it from me to avoid adding to my stress. The lingerie, he admitted, was a gift meant to make me feel special.
Though relieved, I felt betrayed by his secrecy. Later, I visited Sara with her favorite cherry pie. She apologized for her harshness, and we found a fragile understanding.
It wasn’t an instant fix, but that moment felt like a step toward healing—for our relationship and our family. Together, we began mending what had been broken.
