While my husband was cooking dinner, a message from my sister flashed across my phone: “I can’t abort it.” Before he could see it, I answered on his behalf: “Come over, we’ll talk. My wife isn’t home tonight.” But when the doorbell finally rang, my husband’s face went completely pale.

While my husband was busy cooking dinner, my phone lit up on the counter with a single message from my sister:

I can’t go through with it.

For a moment, I just stared, as if rereading it enough times could make it mean something else. Garlic and butter sizzled through the kitchen. The pan hissed steadily. My husband, Ryan, stood at the stove wearing an apron, humming to himself, completely oblivious to the way my entire body suddenly chilled.

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