That should have made me happy too.

Instead, it terrified me.

For most of my life, I had watched her sacrifice everything for other people. She worked long hours, put her own dreams aside, and carried burdens that would have broken many others. After my father left, she became both parents at once. Every promotion she turned down, every vacation she skipped, every extra shift she accepted seemed to be for my benefit.

She never complained.

She simply kept going.

Because of that, I convinced myself that protecting her was my responsibility.

So when Aaron appeared, I didn’t see a loving partner.