Terrific story, Bakasi. It's an excellent insight into the male psyche who gets blindsided by a wife who has
HAD ENOUGH ALREADY! Been there, done that, have a mental scars.
My favorite line:
I wouldn’t miss it for the world to feel her body snuggled against mine, to taste her lips one last time before we say goodnight. I have her back, but I need to be very careful not to lose her to the stress of motherhood. I shall never again forget that she’s a superhero in her own right.
That's right, Clark, be careful. She married you because she loves you, but it's possible to injure that love by inattention, lack of interest in her world, and leaving her to deal with the pressures of everyday life all by herself. No marriage should work like that, and it took me quite a while to figure that out. I was blessed that my wife stayed and helped me work through my own idiocy. Marriage is supposed to be a covenant partnership where the husband and wife prioritize each other and fully support each other. I think we're just about there.
As
John Donne wrote, "No man is an island." He also gave Ernest Hemingway the "bell tolls" line for one of his novels. Apparently even the best borrow from others.
And in case anyone was wondering, you have met my challenge with fortitude and skill. I can't imagine writing a better story for this subject. Thank you.
