I went back to work. He went back to work. The kids went back to school. The big fear faded into normal problems.
If this were a movie, that would’ve been the happy ending.
Instead, things got strange.
Daniel was always on his phone. Always “working late.” Always tired.
He snapped at me over nothing.
“Did you pay the credit card?” I asked once.
“I said I did, Meredith,” he snapped. “Stop nagging.”
I told myself trauma changes people. Facing death changes people. I needed to give him time.
One night, I said quietly,
“You seem distant.”
He sighed heavily.
“I almost died,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out who I am now. Can I just… have some space?”
Guilt punched me in the gut.
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