At 39 weeks pregnant, Cathy was already stretched to her emotional and physical limits. Her body ached, sleep was a distant memory, and her husband Alan had been absent for most of the journey—missing ultrasounds, ignoring nursery preparations, and brushing off her pleas for help with a dismissive “I’ll get to it.”
When Alan’s sister Kelly invited the family to a modest birthday dinner for him, Cathy hoped for a rare moment of peace. She dressed in her best maternity outfit, the one that used to make Alan smile. But he didn’t notice. At the dinner, surrounded by roast chicken, candles, and soft jazz, Cathy tried to push through the pain and exhaustion for Alan’s sake.
Then, mid-meal, Alan turned to her with a grin and said, “Why don’t you take Zoey home and get her to bed? I’ll stay here and keep the party going.” Cathy was stunned. He wanted her—nine months pregnant and in pain—to leave alone with their daughter so he could drink and smoke cigars with his friends.