Months earlier, after one too many moments of carrying everything alone, I had quietly looked up marriage counseling and articles about emotional labor in marriage.

I’d asked myself questions I used to avoid.

Is this normal?

Why do I feel lonely inside my own relationship?

Why am I doing everything and still being told it’s not enough?

I had met with a divorce lawyer then, “just to understand my options.”

The attorney had been calm, respectful, and practical.

She had told me something that stayed with me.

“You don’t need a dramatic reason to leave. You just need to be done.”