Just weeks after undergoing a major C-section, recovery was my reality—pain, sleepless nights with a newborn, and healing stitches that forbid even lifting. My world had narrowed to the essentials: feeding, resting, surviving.
Then came his message: “If I go through with this trip, and you change your mind… do I get a free pass?” He meant a solo vacation while I stayed behind to care for the baby and myself. That phrase—”free pass”—sliced straight through me with disregard.
I stared at my phone in disbelief. He asked if he could leave me alone. The community ignited with fury when I shared my hurt online. “No way someone expects a get-away while their partner is healing from surgery,” said one comment. Others echoed: “A C-section is major surgery. You need support, not abandonment.”
It wasn’t just disrespect—it was a total failure of understanding. I needed compassion, collaboration, healing—not a vacation. And let me tell you, this conversation changed everything about what I expected from partnership. Because in the wake of trauma, being present matters more than any getaway ever could.
