Facing My Partner and My Parents
Later that evening, when my husband came home, I told him. Just like me, his first reaction was to get defensive. “What do you mean he wants to live with your parents? Did you put that idea in his head?” This reaction is common when faced with uncomfortable truths, but I quickly reassured him. I shook my head. “No, he said it out of nowhere. He said we fight too much.”
He realized the severity of the issue, even though he tried to downplay it. He sighed, rubbed his temples, and muttered something about kids being too sensitive these days. But I knew deep down I could see it got to him too. We spent the evening in a strained silence. Later, when we went to bed, we lay in silence, both of us staring at the ceiling, pretending we were fine.
A whole week later, I decided to confront my parents. I took my son with me, and while he was happily engaged playing in the yard with my dad, I pulled my mom into the kitchen. I addressed the moment that had been haunting me. “When I told you what he said, you didn’t look surprised. Why?”
My mom took her time, hesitated, drying her hands on a dish towel. Her response was gentle but clear: “Sweetheart… kids notice more than we think. He’s happy here because he feels safe. He doesn’t hear shouting. He just hears laughter.”
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