We’ve been married nearly ten years and have four kids. Over the years, there have been moments where my husband’s lack of action has made him seem weak or unwilling to protect me.
The first was when I was eight months pregnant and a woman aggressively shoved my belly and hurled insults. I was hurt and scared. My husband stood there and said nothing—even when she turned on him. I felt abandoned, though I tried to chalk it up to pregnancy hormones and move on.
More recently, a large aggressive dog came at us while we were walking. I instinctively grabbed for his arm, but he elbowed me away. The dog eventually left, but I broke down crying. He apologized for not reacting “perfectly,” even though he knows I have a deep fear of big dogs from a past attack.
