The airport crowd swirled around us as my husband dropped his bombshell: “I’m meeting Mark for drinks – you’ve got the kids and bags, right?” Before I could respond, he disappeared into the terminal, leaving me stunned with our toddlers and a mountain of luggage. This wasn’t the first time he’d prioritized himself over our family, but it would be the last.
I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. On his next guys’ night, I left him alone with the kids and came home to beautiful pandemonium – spilled juice on the floor, unfinished homework, and a husband who finally understood my daily struggles. The experience humbled him.
In the following months, I watched with quiet satisfaction as Tom became more engaged – packing school lunches, helping with bedtime, even learning how to properly fold laundry. When we took our next vacation, he handled all the logistics without complaint. That moment of abandonment at the airport turned out to be the catalyst we needed to rebuild our marriage as true partners.
