I walked toward the front door.
“You believed in me.”
“More than anyone,” he whispered.
“Thank you.”
He looked hopeful.
“You believed in me.”
Advertisement
Then I continued.
“But you never believed I deserved ownership of my own life.”
The hope disappeared.
“I need space,” I added.
“Ashley…”
“No.” I held up my hand. “For once, I need to decide what happens next.”
He nodded once.
For the first time, Matthew let me leave without trying to shape where I was going.
“But you never believed I deserved ownership of my own life.”
***
The months that followed were awkward.
Painful.
Necessary.
We began seeing a therapist.
Matthew caught himself dozens of times.
He’d start researching solutions before I asked.
Advertisement
Then stop.
He’d ask, “What do you think?”
Instead of, “I’ve already handled it.”
At first, I didn’t know how to answer.
“I’ve already handled it.”
