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.<\/p>\n
When I got married to Nick, I was sure that we would be together for a long time.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Nick was friendly and funny, and he could make any place brighter. He was in charge of sales. It wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
That was fine with us.<\/p>\n
Nick seemed to really care about only one thing: having a son.<\/p>\n
He would say, \u201cI can already picture it.\u201d \u201cTeaching him baseball, fixing up a car together, giving him all the things I never had.\u201d<\/p>\n
He would talk about it for hours, grinning like a child. His only wish was to have it.<\/p>\n
Me? I didn\u2019t dislike kids. I wasn\u2019t in a hurry either. My job was everything to me. It took too much work for me to get here.<\/p>\n
Nick never pushed me. However, it was he who made the most important promise.<\/p>\n
He told me one day, \u201cWhen we finally have our boy, I\u2019ll stay home with him.\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t give up now. You\u2019ve worked too hard for this.\u201d I\u2019ll be a dad all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remember being moved as I stared at him.<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d he replied right away. \u201cThis is what I want. Every day, I want to be there. What about you? As you are, don\u2019t change anything. We\u2019ll make a great team.<\/p>\n
I took his word.<\/p>\n
I finally said yes because I believed him. We began to try.<\/p>\n
It took a while to happen. It took me two years to finally see those two pink lines. Nick was very happy.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoy!\u201d I\u2019m sure of it!\u201d yelled, picking me up off the ground and turning me around.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He was proud to say, \u201cI\u2019m going to be a stay-at-home dad.\u201d \u201cBest job in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
I loved seeing him so happy.<\/p>\n
Being pregnant wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Nick wiped his eyes. \u201cHe\u2019s perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought, \u201cThis is it.\u201d This is what we had planned. We\u2019re going to do this. When we got our son home, it seemed like the dream was real for a while. After that, things changed.<\/p>\n
It was hard to sleep and lots of chaos in the first week. Even though I was tired, I kept telling myself, \u201cNick\u2019s got this.\u201d We work together.<\/p>\n
After that, though, the excuses began.<\/p>\n
It happened every night. When the baby cried, Nick would think about what to do. Nick sighs and says, \u201cI think he needs you more than me.\u201d if I don\u2019t pick him up right away.<\/p>\n
It started to get darker during the day as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould you quickly change him?\u201d \u201cI sat down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould you take over?\u201d He\u2019s being fussy, and I\u2019m sick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though I was tired from answering work emails and nursing, I told myself that he was just getting used to it.<\/p>\n
But one night, everything changed.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t push it aside.<\/p>\n
Nick came in, leaned against the door, and looked at me for a second. Then, he said in a very relaxed way, \u201cTo be honest, I\u2019ve been thinking\u2026 maybe you should quit your job.\u201d \u201cJust spend all the time with him at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed quickly because I thought he was kidding.<\/p>\n
Whenever I raised my head, he smiled.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cOh, come on.\u201d \u201cYou didn\u2019t really believe I was going to stay home, did you?\u201d Every mom stays home. I thought it would happen, like a natural reaction or something.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took a big breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cNick,\u201d I said in a calm voice. \u201cRemember what you said you would do?\u201d You told me I wouldn\u2019t have to quit my job. \u201cYou said you\u2019d be the parent who stays at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlans change,\u201d he said in a low voice.<\/p>\n
I made my jaw tighten. \u201cNo. You changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shrugged, not at all upset. \u201cI just thought\u2026\u201d I\u2019m not sure. \u201cI thought you\u2019d feel different after the baby was born.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFeel different?\u201d Now my voice was getting louder. \u201cNick, I worked my way up from nothing.\u201d A lawyer wasn\u2019t something I just woke up and did. I put in a lot of work. You already knew that. \u201cYou told me that wouldn\u2019t have to change,\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick shook his head as if he didn\u2019t understand. Oh, I see. I believe the child needs you more. You shouldn\u2019t think I\u2019m being mean. I believe it\u2019s rude for moms to put work ahead of their kids.<\/p>\n
That word hit me hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelfish?\u201d I said again.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cCome on.\u201d \u201cYou know what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Okay. I\u2019m going to quit. But under my rules.<\/p>\n
Nick was on his phone at the kitchen table when I woke up the next morning.<\/p>\n
I made a coffee, sat down next to him, and spoke in a calm voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d I told her. \u201cI\u2019ll quit my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick\u2019s head snapped back. His eyes were as happy as a child on Christmas morning.<\/p>\n
He asked, \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled. \u201cYes. But there is one catch.\u201d<\/p>\n
A cute little agreement was what he was waiting for as he leaned in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day I quit is the same day we file for divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n
His smile went away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
I sipped my coffee and thought about what you said. \u201cI will never respect you again if I quit.\u201d Nick, you broke your promise. You made me think we were partners, but as soon as things got real, you pulled out. I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n
Nick opened his eyes. \u201cYou\u2019re not serious.\u201d<\/p>\n
I cocked my head. \u201cYes, I am. And believe me, the court will love hearing how you forced me to quit after saying you\u2019d take care of the kids.<\/p>\n
He opened his mouth and then closed it again. He looked totally lost, like he didn\u2019t think I would fight back.<\/p>\n
He got his things together that night and went to his folks\u2019 house. Okay with me.<\/p>\n
My phone rang in the afternoon of the next day. Nick\u2019s mom.<\/p>\n
I sighed before I spoke. \u201cHi, Susan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kindly, she said, \u201cHoney, know that we\u2019re on your side.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me. \u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n
She sighed. \u201cNick told us everything.\u201d Let\u2019s just say that his dad told him some things.\u201d<\/p>\n
I got up. \u201cWhat kind of words?\u201d<\/p>\n
She thought about it for a moment, and then I heard his dad\u2019s voice complaining in the background.<\/p>\n
His dad snapped, \u201cHe made a promise.\u201d \u201cHe can\u2019t back out because it\u2019s hard.\u201d What the heck does he know about taking away something that woman worked so hard for? He said he was going to stay home. \u201cEveryone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pressed my lips together, feeling a strange mix of happiness and shock.<\/p>\n
She got back on the line. \u201cHe feels bad about it. And to be honest? \u201cHe ought to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d I replied. \u201cHe should.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick came home a few days after that.<\/p>\n
He looked different. Peaceful. He sat down next to me and rubbed his hands together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was scared,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen things got hard, I freaked out. I thought I could do it.\u201d I tried to make you do it because\u2026 I\u2019m not sure. I believed it would be simpler.<\/p>\n
I put my arms together. \u201cEasier for who?\u201d<\/p>\n
It was over. \u201cFor me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finally. Being honest.<\/p>\n
Nick looked at me. \u201cI was wrong.\u201d I get it now. I\u2019m sorry too. \u201cI want to make things right.\u201d<\/p>\n
After giving birth, I saw my husband for the first time since the holiday. We changed the rules.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
As the months went by, Nick finally became the dad he always said he would be.<\/p>\n
Is it great? Not at all. It\u2019s true, though.<\/p>\n
When things get tough, I tell him, \u201cYou know I was serious about the divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick smiles. \u201cYes, I\u2019ll never take that chance again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Remember this: Never break a word, especially to a lawyer.<\/p>\n
If you liked this story, you might also like this one: Since Lisa is a doctor and Nick is a freelance artist, she is the one who brings in the most money. However, Lisa didn\u2019t expect what came with her Christmas present from Nick.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The author and publisher don\u2019t promise that the events or people are true to life, and they\u2019re not responsible for any wrong ideas that come up. This story is given \u201cas is,\u201d and any ideas shown are the characters\u2019 alone and do not represent those of the author or publisher.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28511"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28512,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28511\/revisions\/28512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}