In order for me to keep my well-earned job, my husband begged for a son and promised to stay home and raise him. Once our child was born, he changed his mind and tried to make me give up everything I had worked for.
When I got married to Nick, I was sure that we would be together for a long time.
Before we got married, we were together for five years. Five good years. We always felt like we were on the same team and laughed a lot.
Nick was friendly and funny, and he could make any place brighter. He was in charge of sales. It wasn’t his dream job, but it was safe. On the other hand, I was a lawyer. A great one. I worked my way up at a top law company, where I worked on big cases and made more money than Nick ever did.
That was fine with us.
Nick seemed to really care about only one thing: having a son.
He would say, “I can already picture it.” “Teaching him baseball, fixing up a car together, giving him all the things I never had.”
He would talk about it for hours, grinning like a child. His only wish was to have it.
Me? I didn’t dislike kids. I wasn’t in a hurry either. My job was everything to me. It took too much work for me to get here.
Nick never pushed me. However, it was he who made the most important promise.
He told me one day, “When we finally have our boy, I’ll stay home with him.” “Don’t give up now. You’ve worked too hard for this.” I’ll be a dad all the time.”
I remember being moved as I stared at him.
I asked, “Are you sure?”
“Of course,” he replied right away. “This is what I want. Every day, I want to be there. What about you? As you are, don’t change anything. We’ll make a great team.
I took his word.
I finally said yes because I believed him. We began to try.
It took a while to happen. It took me two years to finally see those two pink lines. Nick was very happy.
“Boy!” I’m sure of it!” yelled, picking me up off the ground and turning me around.
Once the doctor said it was true, Nick became a full-on dad. He told everyone. His parents, his coworkers, his gym friends, and even the grocery store checker.
He was proud to say, “I’m going to be a stay-at-home dad.” “Best job in the world.”
I loved seeing him so happy.
Being pregnant wasn’t fun, but knowing Nick was happy about it helped. We both helped decorate the bedroom. It was about taking care of babies. He was so serious about getting it right that one night he practiced wrapping a stuffed bear.
Nick was a scared wreck when the contractions began. When I finally held our son in my arms, everything felt worth it. I was in pain, tired, and feeling every emotion a person can feel.
Nick wiped his eyes. “He’s perfect.”
I thought, “This is it.” This is what we had planned. We’re going to do this. When we got our son home, it seemed like the dream was real for a while. After that, things changed.
It was hard to sleep and lots of chaos in the first week. Even though I was tired, I kept telling myself, “Nick’s got this.” We work together.
After that, though, the excuses began.
It happened every night. When the baby cried, Nick would think about what to do. Nick sighs and says, “I think he needs you more than me.” if I don’t pick him up right away.
It started to get darker during the day as well.
“Could you quickly change him?” “I sat down.”
“Could you take over?” He’s being fussy, and I’m sick.”
Even though I was tired from answering work emails and nursing, I told myself that he was just getting used to it.
But one night, everything changed.
One arm around our son as I typed an email on the other while sitting on the couch. A partner at the company asked me a question about a case, and I couldn’t push it aside.
Nick came in, leaned against the door, and looked at me for a second. Then, he said in a very relaxed way, “To be honest, I’ve been thinking… maybe you should quit your job.” “Just spend all the time with him at home.”
I laughed quickly because I thought he was kidding.
Whenever I raised my head, he smiled.
He said, “Oh, come on.” “You didn’t really believe I was going to stay home, did you?” Every mom stays home. I thought it would happen, like a natural reaction or something.”
I took a big breath.
“Nick,” I said in a calm voice. “Remember what you said you would do?” You told me I wouldn’t have to quit my job. “You said you’d be the parent who stays at home.”
“Plans change,” he said in a low voice.
I made my jaw tighten. “No. You changed.”
He shrugged, not at all upset. “I just thought…” I’m not sure. “I thought you’d feel different after the baby was born.”
“Feel different?” Now my voice was getting louder. “Nick, I worked my way up from nothing.” A lawyer wasn’t something I just woke up and did. I put in a lot of work. You already knew that. “You told me that wouldn’t have to change,”
Nick shook his head as if he didn’t understand. Oh, I see. I believe the child needs you more. You shouldn’t think I’m being mean. I believe it’s rude for moms to put work ahead of their kids.
That word hit me hard.
“Selfish?” I said again.
He said, “Come on.” “You know what I mean.”
I held on to the edge of the table so tight that my fingers hurt as I stared at him. That was it. The moment when everything in me broke.
Okay. I’m going to quit. But under my rules.
Nick was on his phone at the kitchen table when I woke up the next morning.
I made a coffee, sat down next to him, and spoke in a calm voice.
“You’re right,” I told her. “I’ll quit my career.”
Nick’s head snapped back. His eyes were as happy as a child on Christmas morning.
He asked, “Really?”
I smiled. “Yes. But there is one catch.”
A cute little agreement was what he was waiting for as he leaned in.
“The day I quit is the same day we file for divorce.”
His smile went away.
“What?”
I sipped my coffee and thought about what you said. “I will never respect you again if I quit.” Nick, you broke your promise. You made me think we were partners, but as soon as things got real, you pulled out. I’m going to quit my job, but you will still pay child support based on how much I should have been making. I will also take full custody because I will not raise my son with a guy who breaks his promises.
Nick opened his eyes. “You’re not serious.”
I cocked my head. “Yes, I am. And believe me, the court will love hearing how you forced me to quit after saying you’d take care of the kids.
He opened his mouth and then closed it again. He looked totally lost, like he didn’t think I would fight back.
He got his things together that night and went to his folks’ house. Okay with me.
My phone rang in the afternoon of the next day. Nick’s mom.
I sighed before I spoke. “Hi, Susan.”
Kindly, she said, “Honey, know that we’re on your side.”
That surprised me. “Excuse me?”
She sighed. “Nick told us everything.” Let’s just say that his dad told him some things.”
I got up. “What kind of words?”
She thought about it for a moment, and then I heard his dad’s voice complaining in the background.
His dad snapped, “He made a promise.” “He can’t back out because it’s hard.” What the heck does he know about taking away something that woman worked so hard for? He said he was going to stay home. “Everyone.”
I pressed my lips together, feeling a strange mix of happiness and shock.
She got back on the line. “He feels bad about it. And to be honest? “He ought to be.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “He should.”
Nick came home a few days after that.
He looked different. Peaceful. He sat down next to me and rubbed his hands together.
“I was scared,” he said. “When things got hard, I freaked out. I thought I could do it.” I tried to make you do it because… I’m not sure. I believed it would be simpler.
I put my arms together. “Easier for who?”
It was over. “For me.”
Finally. Being honest.
Nick looked at me. “I was wrong.” I get it now. I’m sorry too. “I want to make things right.”
After giving birth, I saw my husband for the first time since the holiday. We changed the rules.
I didn’t quit my job. Nick really took the lead. He fed the baby at night and cooked food for the family. For my long work days, we hired a part-time nanny.
As the months went by, Nick finally became the dad he always said he would be.
Is it great? Not at all. It’s true, though.
When things get tough, I tell him, “You know I was serious about the divorce.”
Nick smiles. “Yes, I’ll never take that chance again.”
Remember this: Never break a word, especially to a lawyer.
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This work is based on real people and events, but it has been made up for artistic reasons. To protect privacy and make the story better, names, characters, and circumstances have been changed. Any similarity to real people, living or dead, or real events is completely accidental and not on purpose by the author.
The author and publisher don’t promise that the events or people are true to life, and they’re not responsible for any wrong ideas that come up. This story is given “as is,” and any ideas shown are the characters’ alone and do not represent those of the author or publisher.