38

HAPPILY EVER AFTER WITH BATTLE SCARS

Since you started making an intentional effort to invest in your relationship with Silas, something fascinating has happened: you’ve actually started enjoying having him in your life again. You hadn’t realized how much you had disconnected since Zoe was born, but in contrast to the work you are doing now, you see now just how far you had drifted from him.

You and Silas are seeing a couple’s counselor every other week to work on your communication skills with each other and to work through logistical issues as they come up. You find that having that third party to guide you through some of the more contentious topics helps a lot.

You have also scheduled Silas’s mother to come babysit so you can have a date night every other weekend. It’s a little far for her, so she needs to spend the night at your small apartment on those evenings, which makes for a crowded Sunday morning. But it’s much more affordable than hiring a babysitter, and she loves spending time with her granddaughter.

You have even started following through on a regularly scheduled Wednesday night sex night. Although the idea of having an amorous appointment on your calendar feels far from romantic, you find that it keeps your relationship intimate. Once you get going, it’s almost as hot as spontaneous lovemaking.

You and Silas still go through phases where you question if you were meant to be together. You fight, you resent him, you wish he were different. But you also have many times over the years where you feel closer to him than anyone. You feel the kind of intimate love for him that comes from knowing someone deeply, from knowing the ugly and the beautiful sides of them, and from making it through the rough times with some bruises and scrapes, but with the strength of perseverance.

You also have the times together where Zoe does something new and amazing, from her first book report to her first time behind the wheel, and you glance at each other with a look of wonder that only one parent can give the other. These moments make the work you have done to stay together feel worth it.

And so you and Silas push through the bumpy road of life together, happily ever after with battle scars.

The End

(Want to see what would have happened if you had decided to lean into your career more and hired a nanny to help with the childcare? Turn back to Chapter 18 and make a different choice. Or if you’ve explored all the paths, turn to the Epilogue.)