Why?
Because he knew she gave more than she took, and that she was putting his happiness first, again, worried him. At some point, she’d get tired of giving and never receiving.
At some point, it would erode away at her soul, and it would damage them. She never once took away his free will, and here he was, squashing hers to make himself happy.
That wasn’t how a marriage worked.
If your wife wanted a dog, and it made her happy, she should have a dog.
A cat.
A goat.
A mini cow.
Who was he to police her happiness when she never policed his.
Maybe busting her ass on this had been a bad idea. He really expected her to ask to keep him, but that wasn’t what went down.
It was alarming.
“It does matter. You’ve been through plenty with me,” he said.
Elizabeth said nothing.
And that silence was incredibly telling for Ethan.
“You’re exhausted, aren’t you?” he asked. “With me?”
She shook her head.
“No, but I know that between the two of us, you need the grace right now. I can handle it. I’m stronger and I can hold up. I don’t need this to be your thirteenth reason why you are unhappy.”
Shit.
That was startling to hear.
His wife was bending her joy around his because she was afraid, and he’d given her reason to be too. That was what made it a million times worse.
After all, he’d blindsided her and told her she could go back to DC.
Without.
Him.
Ethan had to readjust, and fast.
The dog must have known she was sad because it got off the seat and moved toward her, licking her face. The whole time, Ethan watched it.
His wife just sat there, defeated, and that scared him on so many levels. Fifteen years ago, he’d never seen this defeat. Life, their world, and her career was weighing heavily on her. Inthat moment, he knew that he couldn’t be the reason she was hurting, and this clearly bothered her.
“What’s its name?”
She scratched the dog behind the ears.
“Shadow.”
In their world, she carried everyone on her shoulders. She left the office she loved to be here for Wyler. She stayed for him. Elizabeth gave up a lot of her choices for them.
