At home, my husband Ethan is everything I could ask for. Over more than ten years together, we’ve faced the chaos of raising four kids — sleepless nights, frantic mornings, endless piles of laundry. Through it all, he’s been my partner in every sense: caring, patient, always ready to read one more bedtime story or rub my shoulders after a long day.
The only real challenge has been his job. Ethan travels often, sometimes for weeks at a time, always insisting it’s “just business.” He calls every night to check in — asking about the kids, about me — and I’ve never had a reason to doubt him. If anything, I often felt guilty that he worked so hard while I stayed home managing the family.
So this time, with another trip coming up, I wanted to do something special — a little surprise to show him that his family was thinking of him. I contacted his team lead, asked for his hotel room number, and requested that it stay a secret from Ethan.
Two days later, after leaving the kids with my mom, I drove to his hotel with his favorite takeout — the comfort food he always craved after long days on the road. My heart raced as I imagined his smile when he saw me, unexpected but familiar, ready to share a warm meal together.
But when the door opened, the sight that greeted me stopped me cold. My smile vanished instantly, the food slipping from my trembling hands.