My wife’s company invited me to a dinner honoring her ten years with the organization. I was honestly proud of her. I knew how hard she had worked to build her career, and after all the late nights and stressful days I’d helped her through, part of me felt like I had a small place in that celebration too.
About halfway through dinner, her manager stood to speak. He praised her dedication and loyalty, then mentioned several difficult assignments she had taken on over the years.
Then he turned toward me and said, “I also want to thank her husband. Those four months she spent away on the overseas assignment in 2022 couldn't have been easy for you. Having that kind of support at home makes a real difference.”
My smile disappeared.
Under the table, my wife grabbed my hand. She was still smiling at her manager, but her fingers pressed hard into mine....