He meant that sentence more fiercely than anything he had said all evening.
That night, Melissa told him Charles had offered to recommend her for a leadership role after the pregnancy.
It was the first Grant had heard of the possible promotion.
He asked whether the offer had been made in writing.
Melissa said that Charles had only mentioned it casually.
The room became quiet again.
Chapter 10: The Counseling Room
Grant’s therapist, Martin Ellis, asked him what would happen if Melissa made a medically informed choice that he still could not accept.
Grant said he would feel betrayed.
Martin asked whether betrayal was the same as disagreement.
Grant said it was not, although he struggled to explain the distinction.
He believed a marriage involved consultation before decisions that could change its finances, care duties, and future.
He also understood that pregnancy was not a responsibility that could be split evenly between spouses.
The contradiction made him feel selfish whenever he spoke.
Martin suggested that Grant describe the actions he could take rather than the choices he wanted Melissa to make.
Grant could arrange childcare, refuse to sign documents he did not understand, and decide whether he could remain married.
He could not make Melissa attend counseling or withdraw consent to medical treatment.
Those boundaries sounded simple in the quiet office.
They became harder when he went home to a woman who believed his caution was rejection.
Grant practiced explaining his position without using the phrase “you are destroying our family.”
He knew the phrase would frighten Melissa without helping her understand him.
Martin asked whether Grant could imagine a future in which Melissa stayed healthy and the process went well.
Grant admitted that he could.
Then Martin asked whether Grant could imagine feeling hurt even in that future.
Grant said yes.
That answer clarified something he had avoided.
His concern was not only the medical risk.
He was grieving the loss of a shared decision-making process that had once made their marriage feel safe.
On his way home, he stopped at a bakery and bought Lily’s favorite cinnamon rolls.
Melissa was sitting in the living room with a stack of forms.
He asked whether she wanted to discuss them for fifteen minutes after the children went to bed.
She agreed.
During the conversation, he managed to ask questions without raising his voice.
Then he mentioned that he had consulted a lawyer about separation.
Melissa’s face changed immediately.
She said he had been planning to leave while pretending to cooperate.
